Sidi Brahim (wine)
Encyclopedia
Sidi Brahim is a range of brand
ed wine
s produced in the Atlas mountains
, mainly in Algeria
but also in Tunisia
and Morocco
. The wines are blended and bottled or filled into bag-in-box
es in France
, and are primarily sold there. It was the second-best selling foreign wine in France, behind Boulaouane (also a Castel brand), as of 2005. The production volume is around three million bottles annually. The wine has been named after the Battle of Sidi-Brahim
(1845).
The brand is currently owned by Groupe Castel, which acquired it (and Malesan
) in 2003 from William Pitters, a company founded by Bernard Magrez
. Magrez/Pitters in turn bought it in 1982. The label of the red wine bottle states that it is "harvested by hand since 1924".
The grape composition of Sidi Brahim and the range of wines offered has varied throughout the years, but in 2010 the composition is indicated as the following:
The blend of the red wine has previously included traditional grown varieties of North Africa (which it used to share with Languedoc-Roussillon
), such as Alicante, Aramon
, Carignan, Cinsault, and Grenache
. The current composition is more "New World
-like".
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ed wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
s produced in the Atlas mountains
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
, mainly in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
but also in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The wines are blended and bottled or filled into bag-in-box
Bag-In-Box
In packaging, a bag-in-box or BiB is a type of container for the storage and transportation of liquids. It consists of a strong bladder , usually made of several layers of metallised film or other plastics, seated inside a corrugated fiberboard box. The bag is supplied to the 'filler' as an empty...
es in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and are primarily sold there. It was the second-best selling foreign wine in France, behind Boulaouane (also a Castel brand), as of 2005. The production volume is around three million bottles annually. The wine has been named after the Battle of Sidi-Brahim
Battle of Sidi-Brahim
The Battle of Sidi-Brahim was a battle at Sidi Brahim in French Algeria between Berber troops under Abd al-Qadir and French troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Lucien de Montagnac from 22 to 25 September 1845...
(1845).
The brand is currently owned by Groupe Castel, which acquired it (and Malesan
Malesan
Malesan is a Bordeaux wine brand owned by Groupe Castel. It is produced as a red, rosé and white wine. Malesan was originally owned by Bernard Magrez, and was bought by Castel in 2003....
) in 2003 from William Pitters, a company founded by Bernard Magrez
Bernard Magrez
Bernard Magrez, born 1936, is a French wine magnate who predominantly owns Bordeaux wine estates, including Château La Tour Carnet and Château Pape Clément, but also a large number of wine producing properties in other French wine regions and other countries, including Spain, Chile, Argentina and...
. Magrez/Pitters in turn bought it in 1982. The label of the red wine bottle states that it is "harvested by hand since 1924".
The grape composition of Sidi Brahim and the range of wines offered has varied throughout the years, but in 2010 the composition is indicated as the following:
- Red wine: Cabernet SauvignonCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
(50%), Syrah (30%), and MerlotMerlotMerlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
(20%). - Rosé wine: Cinsault (40%) and Grenache Gris (60%).
- White wine: ChardonnayChardonnayChardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
(100%).
The blend of the red wine has previously included traditional grown varieties of North Africa (which it used to share with Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
), such as Alicante, Aramon
Aramon (grape)
Aramon or Aramon Noir is a variety of red wine grape grown primarily in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Between the late 19th century and the 1960s, it was France's most grown grape variety, but plantings of Aramon have been in continuous decline since the mid-20th century...
, Carignan, Cinsault, and Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
. The current composition is more "New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
-like".