The Wine List in Uganda’s Lodges is getting longer
Getting a good glass of Wine on Safari in Uganda becomes easier.
Getting a good glass of Wine on Safari: Here is our Practical Advice for Safari-Goers who like to enjoy a good glass of wine while exploring Uganda. There is the rich tradition of the Safari Sundowner where a quality glass of wine would be just right as you enjoy the sunset over the savannah, rainforest, or even over the Rwenzori Mountains or the River Nile.
The availability of better wines at lodges has greatly improved especially at better mid-range or luxury Loges though the usage of lower quality boxed wine still prevails at budget or mid-range lodges.
Ugandans still like their beer, their Waragi (Ugandan Gin), but Wine has made inroads in Uganda, especially in Kampala. Today one can find great wines at better Supermarkets such as Carrefour in Kampala. Additionally, there are now quality Wine shops at some of the local malls and other locations.
The emerging middle-class is developing a taste and liking for better wines has grown as shown by the annual and popular “Blankets and Wine Festival.”
While you might not find wines from the US States such as California, Oregon, Washington, or New York in local stores. You will find a wide variety of quality South African, European Wines, and even wines from Australia. Additionally, Ugandan winemakers have added a local touch made from tropical fruits found in the Pearl of Africa.
Is “Getting a good glass of Wine on Safari in Uganda” possible?
We created this page because we listen to our clients who have often mentioned that they could not get a good glass of wine while on a Safari. One case, in particular, stands out. It took place at an upmarket lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on a New Year’s Eve and like in Cana of old the Lodge ran out of Wine at 10 pm on a New Year’s Eve.
While the lodge was located near a village, no local duka (shop) will have wine for sale. Our client switched to local alcoholic beverages and made it to midnight to toast a New Year with his travel Companions.
That event and the input from other clients inspired us to write a page about getting a good glass of wine on a Safari. We thought further and took the cost factor of wine at lodges into consideration.
Some lower quality lodges will give you no choice but red or white boxed Wine. Others that do offer wine by the bottle, however, the cost might be prohibitive in cost for some. The cost of a glass or bottle of wine is quite high in Uganda. Import taxes and shipping costs are mostly to blame.
We would like to remind you of a quote by WC Fields who said, “Reminds me of my Safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.” We suggest that you bring a good corkscrew or a Swiss Army Knife with a corkscrew on it. Just to be on the safe side.
“Getting a good glass of Wine on Safari in Uganda” one Solution
Getting a good glass of Wine on Safari – The Solution: BYOB, that familiar American abbreviation on an invitation to a party. Bring your Bottle. We had a retired South African Judge and his wife on a ten-day safari. Before he ever arrived for his Safari, he wrote that he and his wife liked to have a bottle of Wine in the evening, and he had heard that the quality of Wine available in Uganda at lodges was limited and expensive.
We wrote him to bring two bottles of his favorite wines from South Africa, which he did. In the morning, as we headed our on Safari, we stopped off at a Wine Shop, and he selected a few, higher than in South Africa but lower than at the up-market lodges he was staying in.
Furthermore, you can buy some Quality wine on arrival in Uganda, in Entebbe or Kampala, and take it with you on your Safari. Make sure to check if the wine bottles need a corkscrew.
Yes, you can get a good glass of Wine in the African Wild of Uganda, but it might have to do it “BYOB Style” – Bring your own Bottle…Enjoy the African Sunset with a glass of Wine while on Safari with us. We will do our best to see that you have a good bottle of Wine along.
Yes, you can get a good glass of wine while on a Safari. You might want to read about the Safari Sundowner tradition for your Safari.
