Roasted fig with Collioure wine

This is a simple and voluptuous dessert, where both the fig and the wine have deep-rooted, Homeric, even biblical connotations. The temptation is to associate the fig with history-laden wines, or to go for geographical affinity with the Mediterranean. The Commandaria wine from Cyprus is one of the oldest wines in the world. Made from dessicated grapes, lightly vinified at the end of the fermentation process and aged in solera, it has deep amber color and crystallized fruit aromas of fruit paste, quince paste, orange and cocoa. The aromatic range is beautifully complex. Banyuls also meets the geographical and taste analogy. The sweetness of the wine goes with the dessert sweetness, releasing candied aromas of fig, dried fruit, cocoa and praline, a light note of rancio but also an underlying affinity with Collioure wines.

Banyuls wine

The Banyuls appellation was established in 1936 and covers the towns of Port-Vendres, Cerbère, Collioure and Banyuls. The terraced vineyards are planted on steep slopes which overlook the sea. The oxidative type Banyuls - that is those which spend a long time on wood - contain at least 50% Grenache, whereas the grands crus have at least 75%. Like all natural sweet wines, they are fortified in one of two ways. With short maceration, vatting time is limited to approximately three days. Devatting takes place just before fortification, solely on the must. These wines often slightly lack a bit of color and tannin. With the alcohol maceration, which continues three weeks, fortification takes place directly on the macerating grapes ("mutage sur grain") during vatting - the wines are richer in color and tannin. Residual sugar density depends on the richness of the grape and the fortification. There are also dry Banyuls with 40-50 g of sugar per liter, medium-dry with 50 to 80, and sweet Banyuls with over 80 g of sugar per liter.