The third edition of the Indian Wine Day (IWD) kept its date with 16 Nov 2019 and one can safely say that it is here to stay, much like the Beaujolais Nouveau Day with which it coincided two years ago. Indian wines over the years, have been impressing with their quality if international awards and restaurant listings are anything to go by. Events like Indian Wine Day serve well to emphasize this position further.
Much like the previous years,this year too the IWD saw its main thrust being spearheaded by The Lalit Hotels. “The Lalit” properties in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata, Udaipur, Chandigarh and London hosted specially curated dinners with Indian wines and cuisine from their Indian restaurant The Baluchi. The engagements were received warmly by wine lovers at all these places.
Apart from the marquee events, this year the IWD also featured week long celebrations of Indian wines from 15-21 November. To this end, several restaurants offered wine flights with finger food at very reasonable prices (Rs. 700 upwards) for a flight of 3-5 wines. There were also special discounts by some wineries on winery visits, restaurant bills and free bottles of wine on specific minimum purchases.
New Delhi- The Hub Centre of Indian Wine Day
Subhash Arora, a key founder of the IWD was at his energetic best at the event in New Delhi that happened indoors as opposed to the al-fresco setting of the previous years owing to some regulatory issues. Each setting having its distinct advantages, the advantage this year emerged as the convenience in serving the food that arrived hot and timely for each diner (around 70 of us) thanks to the proximity to the kitchen. Another benefit was better acoustics inside the expansive restaurant that facilitated crystal clear communication while the wines were presented with each course.
The evening started with Sula Brut Tropicale, a Methode Traditionelle sparkler which is an interesting blend of several grape varietals such as Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Riesling, its composition varying across vintages.
A delectable spread of Indian “Tapas” style starters made the aperitif wine shine as the guests got mingling. I particularly liked the Achari Masala Lamb Leg Mousse on Karara Toast which worked like magic with the wine.
Next came the sit-down dinner with York Sauvignon Blanc, Sula Chardonnay, Fratelli Sette and York Arros being served with well paired meals. My choice of the main course was the Parat ka Murg Tikka with its accompaniments that visually appeared like a Lasagna but was a layered preparation of fine chicken tikka chunks and Filo sheets. Two powerful Indian Reds viz. York Arros and Fratelli Sette were served with this course and both of them worked well with their great structure.
The evening concluded at Kitty- Su, The Lalit’s prolific night club with chilled bubbly doing the rounds and toasts being raised to yet another successful edition of the Indian Wine Day.
The Essence of Indian Wine Day
Speaking on the occasion, Subhash Arora a.k.a. “WineGuyIndia” said – “The objective of Indian Wine Day is to create more awareness about Indian wines through as many programs as possible, where people can enjoy the wines and hopefully learn a bit more about Indian wine as also their quality levels and taste profiles.”
Ravindra Kumar, General Manager Corporate Food and Beverage ,The Lalit added- “We are the first hotel to serve cuisine with our in-house produce, thus reducing our carbon footprint. We are also the first Indian hotel chain to promote “Make in India” with our domestic and traditional gastronomy. A large credit for bringing together Indian wines and cuisine through Indian Wine Day goes to our Executive Director Mr. Keshav Suri who has been a firm believer of the inherent harmony between Indian food and wine.
Speaking on the future of the Indian Wine Day, The Lalit’s Corporate Sommelier Donnadieu Charles– the man behind the ground level success of IWD ever since its inception- expressed hope that in the coming years, the Indian Wine Day would proliferate much beyond The Lalit properties in order to grow both in its scope and reach.
A thought that the world of Indian wines would undoubtedly welcome with open arms.
