The spread of Japanese cuisine around the globe has seen an accompanying fascination with the “rice wine” that is consumed with it in its home country – sake. While it may be referred to as rice wine, the brewing method is more akin to that used for beer. Since rice does not contain any sugar, it cannot be fermented and must first be…

SHAKESPEARE’S JULIET, while lamenting the tragedy of Romeo’s heritage on her famous balcony, could at least have taken comfort from the beauty of her surroundings – and maybe drown her sorrows in the unique wines they produce. The balcony in question is (allegedly) in Italy’s Verona, which is one of two provinces – the other being Brescia – encompassed by the…

MOLDOVA has not experienced an earthquake for nine years, so it seemed symbolic that the tectonic plates chose to shift on a night when an international group of journalists were in the country to assess the opportunities for its wines in the global market. The 5.3 Richter scale shake that rocked the capital, Chisinau, was all anyone could talk about the…

THE ARCHETYPAL INDIAN OCEAN  paradise island, Mauritius has it all – white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, swaying palm trees. It has a melting pot of cultures, having been variously invaded by the Dutch, French and English before gaining independence in 1968 and finally becoming a republic in 1992. It has miles of sugar cane fields. It has vanilla and pineapples and lychees. It…

The world’s first female master blender in Scotch whisky, Rachel Barrie, was originally destined for the medical profession – but her nose scuppered that particular line of work.  “I left school to study medicine and realised I had a very sensitive sense of smell. When I started doing anatomy and carving up dead bodies I realised it was not for me – the…

The two-day event was backed by Enterprise Mauritius and hosted by global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, overseeing blind tastings, cocktail masterclasses and lectures at the Sugar Beach hotel. A second day of the event at the annual Maitex (Mauritius International Trade Exhibition) show opened its doors to the public. While Mauritius has been producing molasses rum for many years, it was only…

If ever anyone represented the case for nominative determinism, Joy Spence, Appleton Estate’s master blender, is surely that person, for she does indeed seem to find joy in everything. A powerhouse of energy, enthusiasm and ideas, at 61, Spence still marvels at the way her life has turned out and has firm plans to ensure her good fortune spills over into the lives of others.