The flavor of tamarind in wine of French Polynesia

Think of Colombia, think of balmy evenings dancing to salsa, fuelled by shots of aguardiente and arepas. But there’s plenty more than the anise-based spirit and cornmeal cakes to sample in the South American country. Chefs have stepped up their game to put gastronomy on the map, with sommeliers and bartenders following suit. Not just appreciating local ingredients and distilling spirits, they also seek out wines from around the world to accompany fine-dining experiences. Their endeavours have pa ...

Last year, there was much mirth on wine Twitter about a particularly excruciating tasting note. You’re right. The wine trade needs to get out more. But still… this one was a beauty. It began well enough – really quite beautiful, in fact. But before long the imaginative descriptions were getting more ornate and strained. It moved from poetic to meaningless before finishing with a reference to Burnt Norton – the first of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets – that put it firmly in Private Eye magazine’s ...

Premium wine sales enjoyed a spike in the US last year, continuing a general trend towards higher-priced bottles, suggests data in the latest state of the industry report from Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) wine division. It reported a sales growth rate of 21% in 2021, based on figures from premium wineries in its database. That’s the biggest rise since 2007, it said, adding that the average case price among this group was $271 in 2021, up from $241 in 2020 and $262 in 2019. The increase was ...