Exploring Flavors - Palm Wine & Paniyarams
Boston-based baker, Reena Paink, explores some delicious and diverse flavors that can be found at the intersection of Indian and Nigerian flav...
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About Us
Ikenga Wines reimagines ancient wine traditions, starting with palm wine. We embrace multiplicity: blending culture and technology to create beverages that complement cuisines of the global south: from Nigeria, to the Philippines, and beyond.
Try our wines
Founded by scientist, artist, and winemaker Onye Ahanotu, Ikenga Wines’ initial focus is the wide-ranging, nuanced world of palm wine. Our goal is to bring intentionality to the palm wine category, while preserving the ecosystems of our homelands. We use a patent pending approach that enables the shelf life of our delicious wine, while reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 95%.
Based in Berkeley, California
What is Ikenga?
Ikenga (ik-en-ga) is the embodiment of personal achievement, strength and individuality in Igbo culture and tradition. The adoring ram horns symbolize fighting with your head, while the embellishments reference your creative forces.
More about Ikenga concept
At Ikenga Wines we explore the intersection of nature, technology, ancestral knowledge systems and artisanship. Combining the traditional and the modern to gain mastery of our craft - producing uncompromising beverages. We do this through hard work and elegant design; using our heads and trusting our gut.
About the Winemaker
Founder and winemaker Onye Ahanotu is a Nigerian-American who grew up in, what is now, the world-renowned wine region of Sonoma County.
Onye's Other Work
With the occasional family visit to Nigeria, one of Onye's primary connections to his ancestral land was through food. Through this, as well as travel and years of experimentation, his appreciation for the flavors, techniques, and intertwined histories of the global south emerged.
His classical training in the sciences, engineering, and design, at some of the leading institutions were mostly centered around next-gen environmental impact technologies. These experiences ebb and flow with a life long involvement in the arts. Ikenga Wines is the culmination of many years of bringing together art, science, tradition, and innovation to celebrate under-represented categories of food and wine.
Rabbit hole meets blog
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Winemaker's Vision
In the age of food movements- niche regional cuisines and artisan purveyors, why haven’t tropical wines been paid any attention? One easy answ...
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“Excuse me, there’s a piece of science in my wine”
When vinologist talk about wine quality, it is typically a shorthand for the concentration of compounds that contribute to the overall experie...
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