While most wines on the market are made from grapes, Ghanaian Harrison Adjimah has opted for local raw materials to innovate in the wine industry. His brand, Volta Winery, aims to be a local alternative to imported spirits.

Harrison Adjimah is part of the diaspora that has chosen to return to his home country of Ghana to contribute to economic development through entrepreneurship. He created Volta Winery, a brand of wine made from local products. Unlike other wine makers who use grapes, he innovates by creating flavors from agricultural commodities not commonly used in the making of this beverage.

Cashew nuts, cocoa and coffee are the raw materials that he transforms into wine. The brand is considered the first in Ghana to make wine from these agricultural products. Harrison Adjimah partnered with entrepreneur Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah, who herself returned from the UK in 2015 to found a coffee space called Sai Wine Cafe.

The Sai Wine Cafe attracts influential people in the capital city of Accra, who have the opportunity to share ideas, develop business plans and network," he says.The Sai Wine Cafe attracts influential people in the capital city of Accra to share ideas, develop business plans and network through wine tastings, tea tastings, art exhibitions, movie nights and much more. For the founder, the various meetings organized in this space help promote Volta Winery.

She believes that the brand can compete with wines imported from Europe, South Africa and South America, and is better associated with African meals.

"I would say it is comparable to the complex range of wines available around the world [...]. We think it's perfect for our palates that are used to spicy foods. Sometimes foreign wines are high in tannins and sulfites, which makes it difficult to pair with a spicy dish," she noted.

Cocoa and cashew wines are the result of a long period of fermentation of the pulp. Their elaboration requires artisanal work and meticulous labor.

"It is necessary to have a lot of patience. Our cocoa and cashew wines, for example, are the result of a year of careful fermentation of the pulp," said Harrison Adjimah.

Beyond innovating in the wine industry, Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah and Harrison Adjimah's initiative is also helping to add value to cocoa, coffee and cashew farms in Ghana.