(Bloomberg) - It’s easy enough to say “When in Rome drink as the Romans do,” but what’s a wine lover to do in Marrakesh? For starters, Morocco is predominantly Muslim, and consumption of alcohol is forbidden in Islam, (though oddly enough, the word “alcohol” derives from the Pre-Islamic Arabic word “al-kohl”). Its production is allowed, and historically overseen by Christians and Jews. When Morocco became a protectorate of France in 1912, the French found its fertile soil, especially in the Meknes region of the Middle Atlas Mountains, an ideal spot in which to build a formidable wine industry. By the time of Morocco’s independence in 1956, 55,000 hectares (135,905 acres) were under cultivation.