August 2017 Vol. 5 No.8

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Adakaren B
Ogblechi SR

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Review

The place of palm wine in the alcohol and wine industry

Adakaren B, Ekhator J. O. and Ogblechi S. R.

Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, (NIFOR), Benin City, Edo State.

*Corresponding Author’s E-mail: soblessed4real@yahoo.com

Accepted August 27, 2017

Abstract

Palm wine is an alcoholic beverage produced from the sap of palm trees like oil palm, coconut palm, Date palm etc. Like every other wine, beer and spirit, palm wine undergoes fermentation to produce a desired level of alcohol content due to the presence of yeast which occurs naturally in it. It is imperative to note that all wines, beers and alcohols undergo varying degrees of fermentation via the aid of yeast to produce different tastes, colors, nutritional qualities and brands. Palm wine stands unique in the wine industry in the sense that it can also be distilled into gin after it has undergone a longer period of fermentation to increase its alcohol content. Palm wine has many more qualities and health benefits than ordinary wines, beers and gins. It also holds high socio-cultural and economic values in places where it is produced especially in Africa. Despite the social, economic and spiritual importance attached to the palm wine, the economy of the locals producing this revered wine is low due to constraints such as low shelf life of the product, unhygienic means of storage and the contamination of the wine by addition of roots and other plant parts which alter the taste and color of the wine. This has resulted in lack of exportation of the wine with no record of its contribution to the national GDP. With the huge market for wines and alcohol both locally and internationally, the Nigerian palm wine has a great prospect of earning foreign revenue for the country if the wine can be kept fresh and at a controlled alcohol content of below 5% for wine and 40- 60% for gin. To enhance the economic potentials of palm wine producers, this paper seeks to highlight the unique properties of palm wine vis-à-vis other wines, beers and gins.

Key Words: Palm wine, Fermentation, Alcohol, Contamination, Exportation, Revenue