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Percentage increase in sales last year of pink tequila, closely followed by pink gin (which grew 16%), according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis and as reported in the newsletter SevenFifty Daily. The continued upward success of rosé wine (sales growth of 118% between 2015 and 2020) continues to spill over into spirits, creating a pink tsunami across beverages.

In Australia, the “cigar” is a wine reference to what?

A. A shiraz made with stems, giving it a slightly bitter, smoky character

B. A clone of pinot noir with an earthy tobacco character that was imported to Victoria from France in the 18th century

C. A strip of limestone soil in South Australia on which cabernet is planted

D. Historically, the time after dinner when Australian men (minus any women) would retreat to another room to smoke and drink Australian “port”

The “cigar” refers to a famous nine-mile long strip of soil in Coonawarra (Aboriginal for “honeysuckle”) on the Limestone Coast of South Australia. The soil (called terra rossa) is a reddish colored mixture of porous clay soil and limestone. It is considered (along with Western Australia’s Margaret River) one of the best places in the country for cabernet sauvignon. These cabernets are often full of black currant and something green, like chaparral. Australian producer Yalumba makes a cabernet sauvignon called “The Cigar” as a tribute to the region.

“Water is necessary to live, but wine expresses the abundance of the feast and the joy of the celebration.”

—Pope Francis
in his weekly public address in St. Peter’s Square (6/8/2016), on why weddings should include wine.

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