Napoleon was not a gourmet, he ate his meals quickly and did not require anything fancy.
In contrast, the emperor loved wine.
Gevrey Chambertin, a great Burgundy wine, had its favors, as did champagne.
But in exile on the island of Saint-Hélène, it was another nectar that he drank until the last day of his life: the wine of Constance.
Simon Van Der Stal, the first governor of the Dutch colony of Cape Town, founded the estate in 1685, a farm between Cape Town and the famous Cape of Good Hope. He planted muscatel feet and made wine in 1692. He gave the estate his wife's first name, Constantia, and very quickly, this sweet wine with a unique taste conquered the greats of the world of the time. The wine arrived on the European market in 1761; Statesmen, poets (including Baudelaire who evokes it from Les Fleurs du Mal), intellectuals make its reputation. Napoleon also fell under the spell of its notes of candied fruit, spices and dried fruits. It is said that he drinks a 50 cl bottle of it daily. A habit that was perhaps fatal to him ...