A mere decade ago, consumers were routinely shelling out $50-100 for bottles of Australian Shiraz. For the most part those wines were over the top, displaying mind-boggling levels of tannin, ripeness and alcohol.

The recession of 2008 put a stop to all that. In addition to undergoing a permanent reset in their buying habits, wine buyers began seeking a cleaner and more natural style of wine. The Aussie wine industry is finally responding, producing a more balanced product from cooler climates. Last week's profile of Adelaide Hills highlighted that trend.

In other news, we ran pieces on Cruzan Rum and George Dickel Tennessee Whisky. Not surprisingly, everyone has heard of Jack Daniels, a brand that churns out over 10 million cases annually. With a production of 500,000, George Dickel is the David to Jack Daniels' Goliath.

Even as I write this, out correspondent Ken Schechet is on a food tour of Singapore and Vietnam---watch for his coverage in the weeks to come.

Here are last week's posts:

Cruzan Rum

Adelaide Hills: The New Face of Australian Wine

George Dickel: The Other Tennessee Whisky