"sweet wines" news and stories

• Vikram Vij writes about eating in Mumbai and shares a recipe for Yogurt and Tamarind-Marinated Grilled Chicken.
• Darned tourists! Tokyo's tuna auctions are closed to visitors until January 17 for behavior that includes: flash photography, climbing on forklifts, and licking the tuna. Some people are just weird.
  
• Read more about dessert and the sweet, sweet, sweet wine.
• Looking to serve a cheese plate this season? Check out this run-down for serving a delicious platter of cheese.

The Observer Food Monthly has a taste test offering the best sweet wines from £5 to £50. Tasting through 20 different wines the choices are eclectic; the top 8 are:

1. Renaissance Domaine Rotier Gaillac Doux 2002 (£10.85 50cl Vine Trail) "beautiful, super-sexy palate of honey, cream and nuts" Gaillac is a delightful area in the South-West of France; believed to have been the first viticultural area of ancient Gaul.
2. Inniskillin Gold Vidal Icewine 2004, Canada (£49.95 per 37.5cl Liberty Wines) "very lush and viscous - orange peel and peaches". Rediculouly priced but superlative wine.
3. Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 2002, Chile (£5.49 per 35.5cl Majestic) "lovely golden colour with a nose of dried fruits and honey". Worth their Best Buy sticker as this nutty-caramel wonder is super at the price.
4. Domain Léonce Cuisset Saussignac, 2004, France (£7.99 per 37.5cl Sainsburys) "Rounded marmalade and apricots". Saussignac is another South Western France region producing sweet wines from Semillon grapes.
5. Isole E Olena Vin Santo, 1998, Tuscany, Italy (£26.95 Liberty Wines) "a profound maple and nut nose". Vin Santo is the Tuscan 'holy wine' made by drying Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes on straw mats.
6. Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls Vieilles Vignes, 1996 (£25.75 per bottle Vine Trail) "tastes of Christmas cake". Would go superbly with Christmas cake too!
7. Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling, 2005, Australia (£14.49 per 37.5cl, Liberty Wines) "Smoky bacon scents, pale gold colour,a zesty finish".
8. Torcolato Maculan, 2003, Veneto, Italy (£14.49 Oddbins) "Funky dessert wine with a nose of fennel. It's spirty and has an range liqueur taste"