The Wines of West Africa: History, Technology and Tasting Notes

For centuries West Africans have made wines from palm sap, and hard liquor (gin) from palm wine. This essay describes the role of palm wine in West African society, attempts to regulate its production and consumption since colonial times, the basics of the production process, and the appearance, bouquet and flavor of unpasteurized palm wine as it ages through its useful life of a day or two.