Wine

It is no secret that blind tastings  offer a reality check on your wine temperament. I have  extolled enough, the virtues of  tasting wine blind  in my earlier post. This time I’m taking you to a Chardonnay blind tasting that we (a.k.a. my blind tasting group)  recently had at ITC Welcomhotel Dwarka in New Delhi. Our tasting room on second floor of the hotel had an optimum atmosphere  with a serene space and natural  lighting from the glass facade. This brings me to  list out the essentials of an ideal  wine tasting setup:

• Ample room for  comfortable seating and service facilitation.
• Table(s) big enough to accommodate several wine glasses, spit buckets,breads – and if ambitious- a cheese platter.
• Natural or white lighting. Coloured lighting interferes with observing the wine colour
• Insulated from kitchen/ food service area.
• White table linen for a neutral background to enable uninfluenced observation of wine colour.

For this tasting, we had the luxury of 8 wines brought in by the 8 attendees. It afforded us a good range to taste. Chardonnay is known to be a versatile grape varietal easily grown in different parts of the world. It offers a multitude of flavours. These broadly range from  “cold climate”  tree fruit/stone fruit to “warm weather”  tropical fruit flavours. The other attributes are  oak, minerality and dairy nuances et al depending on the terroir. The main challenge for the varietal however remains to maintain the acidity level especially when  cultivated in warmer areas.

Having handed over the shrouded wine bottles to the earmarked service staff dot on arrival, we were good to go by the time everybody assembled. The tasting started soon enough with the first of the wines poured out at just the right temperature.

I present to you the view from my seat. My immediate reactions  being denoted in italicised purple :

Wine #  1

Colour: Medium gold.
Aromas: Citrus fruits, apples, vanilla, hint of spice.
Palate: Dry, light body, semi crisp, ripe peaches, pears, oak towards finish.
My take on the wine’s provenance: South Australia.
Reason: Looked like a warm climate chardonnay with medium acidity and ripe flavours.
What it turned out actually: Westend Estate Down Under Chardonnay 2013 , South Eastern Australia

I was elated with a sense of pride – only to be grounded with the next wine.

Wine # 2

Colour: Deep lemon.
Aromas: Floral, tree fruits (apples, pears).
Palate: Dry, light body, refreshing acidity, complex yet subtle flavours with a mineral accent.
My take on the wine’s provenance: Old world (Not sure but I bet on Italy).
Reason: The acidity level, discernible minerality, restrained flavours made me narrow down to Old World. For this tasting I had brought an Italian wine from Friuli. Not having much exposure to Italian Chardys earlier I  ruled out the other regions by exception.
What it turned out actually: Finca Don Cano  Chardonnay 2012, Mendoza, Argentina

Oops! Had it totally wrong. My next mission should be to try more wines of this style from Argentina.

Wine # 3

Colour: Medium gold with green highlights.
Aromas: Citrus fruits, ripe peaches and wet leaves.
Palate: Dry, light body, gooseberries, stone fruits, leafy. medium acidity.
My take on the wine’s provenance: South of France
Reason: The typical flavour profile  experienced umpteen times earlier.
What it turned out actually: Laroche Chardonnay de la Chevalière 2012, South of France.

A wow feeling again but this time with the much required humility.

Wine #  4

Colour: Pale lemon with green highlights.
Aromas: Citrus and stone fruits (peaches, apricots).
Palate: Dry, light body, medium acidity, grapefruit, mineral.
My take on the wine’s provenance: Burgundy.
Reason: Appeared as a cool climate chardonnay with subtle flavours,  balanced acidity, minerality and no oak.
What it turned out actually: Fratelli Vitae 2013, India.

This one had me completely foxed!  It shattered the text book interpretation of a “warm climate” Chardonnay. If Fratelli is able to maintain the style (note that deviation from style is the bane of most Indian wines due to absence of  appellation regulations) then I would love to buy this wine often.

Wine # 5

Colour: Medium lemon with green highlights.
Aromas: Citrus and tropical fruits and hint of peppercorns.
Palate: Dry, light-medium body, medium acidity, pineapple, gooseberries, black pepper and oak towards finish.
My take on the wine’s provenance: South Australia
Reason: Distinct tropical fruits, acidity level and oak that was reminiscent of the South Australian style.
What it turned out actually: Lindeman’s Premier Selection 2013, South Australia.

Confidence restored encore.

Wine #  6

Colour: Medium lemon with green reflections.
Aromas: Citrus, dairy and brioche.
Palate: Appeared off dry first but quickly developed to dry, light body, low-medium acidity, buttery, oaky,
My take on the wine’s provenance: California.
Reason: Dairy and buttery character indicative of malolactic fermentation. Moderate acidity and oak treatment suggesting warm weather and new world respectively).
What it turned out actually: San Simone 2012, Friuli, Italy.

Ah there! This was the wine I brought. My palate certainly requires more  pixels on the American and Italian fronts.

Wine # 7

Colour: Deep lemon with green highlights.
Aromas: Very expressive nose of tropical fruits and mixed pastry shop  aromas.
Palate: Dry, light-medium body, medium acidity, mineral, alcoholic finish.
My take on the wine’s provenance: Chile.
Reason: Looked like a typical warm weather new world unoaked Chardonnay.
What it turned out actually: Norton Chardonnay 2013 Mendoza, Argentina.

A saving grace, since the wine came from the other side of the Andes.

Wine # 8

Colour: Light lemon
Aromas: Citrus and stone fruits
Palate: Dry, light body, crisp acidity, spice, mineral, long finish.
My take on the wine’s provenance: South America.
Reason: Again a new world like feel without oak treatment. The taste looked familiar of the region as well.
What it turned out actually: Cosecha Tarapaca 2014, Chile .

I had played safe by specifying the region rather than a country and it seemed to work. But no wishing away the  practice  required to distinguish between wines from the two countries.

The reality check complete , we finally settled down to enjoy the respective wines that each one of us liked.

Lessons learnt and conclusions drawn until the next rendezvous.

Les gens que vous rencontrez par hasard, sont souvent ceux qui deviennent une partie importante de votre vie. Thus goes the French proverb which means “People whom you meet by chance are often those who become an important part of your life. Most of us have experienced this dictum sometime or the other . I, along with Shalini Kumar, editor Spiritz magazine, experienced it in June this year when we met Emma Llorens Navarro, Brand Ambassador Torres, at the 14th century Milmanda castle which is part of the eponymous Torres winery. As luck would have it, the other person from Torres who was to accompany us on our further visit to La Rioja could not arrive on time due to a delayed flight, and Emma was deputed at the eleventh hour to accompany us for the next two days that involved a delightful 5 hour road trip and stay at Logroño- the capital of La Rioja. What followed was a deep personal rapport between us and Shalini and me concluded our trip to Spain, promising a reunion during Emma’s proposed visit to India later in the year.

Came November and one fine day I received a call from Shalini “ Emma is here and we propose to meet at my place on Saturday afternoon. I have invited a couple of other close friends too”. Knowing Shalini’s hospitable nature and her love for whipping up delectable cuisine I could see that Madame Editor would have her hands more than full. Hence I volunteered “What would you like me to contribute with ?” Shalini admonished me “Why are you so formal- you’re no longer in the Army- so forget the social propriety and just be sure to arrive somewhat in advance to look into the arrangements with respect to wine”. I was glad that at least somewhere I could pitch in.

The D day, as I arrived at Shalini’s residence around noon, the wine glasses were being given the polishing touches under the diligent eye of Bishan Kumar (Shalini’s husband- and the Group Editor of Blue Ink Media group)- a wonderful host again! So my designated job was already under progress. Nevertheless, I rolled up the sleeves pronto and got into action. Guests too, started pouring in shortly thereafter.

Our wait for Emma along with the Prestige Wines and Spirits team (the importers of Torres wines in India) led by Sumit Sehgal, their CEO, stretched a little- courtesy a traffic bottleneck, which in Delhi depends on one’s celestial configuration for the day! Since the wines too arrived with them, we put the whites to chill and poured out one of the reds – the drool worthy Ibéricos Crianza (100% Tempranillo) – to the anticipative gathering. Emma instinctively took over her role of describing the wine, literally painting the Rioja region into the guests’ minds. Shalini had laid out a vast array of Indian homemade delicacies as well as native charcuterie which were totally new to Emma’s palate. Her favourites turned out as the lamb seekh kababs (skewered minced lamb cooked over charcoal fire) and lamb biryani (mutton cooked with rice and Indian whole spices in a dough-sealed pot over slow flame) . The other wines for the day were Mas Rabell (100% Parellada), Viña Esmeralda (Moscatel and Gewurztraminer) and Gran Coronas (Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo) , which found worthy companions in a host of other dishes that the guests were encouraged to experiment with.

As the gathering was enjoying wine and food, I saw Emma being whisked away inside by Shalini, and before I could reason out, she emerged as a next door Indian girl in a salwar-kameez- a traditional Indian ensemble that Shalini had procured specially for her. We were amazed to see how good a fit it was for Emma and Sumit could not help but call her Emma Kumari (a respectful name suffix for an unmarried girl in India) in this getup.

It was time for some quirky photographs and uninhibited laughter as the wines continued to pour out. Several goblets and umpteen conversations thereafter, it was time again to bid adieu and as we hugged amid mixed feelings of joy and melancholy, one thing was confirmed- relations of heart are beyond the realm of social propriety and cultural diversity.

 

In the Indian wine milieu, the year 2014 clearly belonged to the Austrians. With the last of their trilogy of wine events completing in November, the Austrians through well planned presentations showcased their wines for the Indian palate to explore them in ample measure. They began with the first master class in April this year and built on the splash, diving deeper with two other similar fixtures organized for different sets of audience. The third master class held in November did essentially the same — presenting a diverse range of as many as 60 wines for guiding the audience, primarily from the wine and F&B trades.

It goes to the credit of the organizers that each master class had some element of freshness in terms of range of wines showcased and its focus on different wine regions of Austria. A bonus of these tastings was the congenial environs of the residence of the Austrian Trade Commissioner Dr Wolfram Moritz in the upscale and pollution-free Lutyen’s Delhi zone.

As Sommelier Magandeep Singh started the third session,I could discern the fine tuning in the serving of wines as compared to the earlier two sessions in April and September. This time around, the wines were served in clockwork tandem with the proceedings under way on the stage, which implied that we were holding the same wine whose attributes the sommelier was discussing with the audience. Not that the timing was awry in the earlier two sessions, this time the calibration was perfect to the tee. A sudden chill in Delhi’s weather caught everybody by surprise, which was also too cold for some full-bodied reds for their aromas to emerge. However, Magandeep was quick to guide the gathering on warming up the wines by cocooning the goblet in the palms, which did wonders.

The wines that I really admired were:

Huber Riesling “Berg” 2012

As brought out by Magandeep, “Berg” here signifies a particularly notified area equivalent of a Premier Cru of France. The wine itself lived up to its status by virtue of delightful aromatics, well balanced acidity and a complex palate.

Huber Rosé Sparkling HUGO

An interesting sparkling with a petillante (lightly sparkling) palate. Classified as Extra Dry ( 12-20 gms per litre residual sugar), it appeared  like a Sec (17-35 gms per litre residual sugar) maybe because of the intense red fruit flavours.  This could be a very good wine for wine brunches.

Markowitsch Pinot Noir 2011

A pleasant and lusciously  fruity Pinot Noir with light tannins going from fiber to steel as it progressed to  the finish. This wine was easy drinking as well as gourmet capable.

Leth St. Laurent Reserve 2011

One of my favourites of the evening, this was the wine with an excellent structure and an indulgent mouthfeel. St. Laurent closely compares with Pinot Noir in characteristics, but I found that this wine had a firmer structure with all the advantages that a Pinot Noir fan would expect.

Angerhof-Tschida Samling 88 Beerenauslese 2012

Beerenauslese implies “Berry level picking” i.e. it is ensured that all the berries for making the wine are fully ripe and hence have higher sugar and more alcohol potential. The wine had good acidity-sweetness balance which is very important for a sweet styled wine. The flavours ranged from quince, honey and white peppers. You could pair this wine with main course as well as desserts. Of course with main course it would have to be something deliberate, like a honey glazed chicken or any preparation that has a sweeter connotation.

As this  series of master classes came to a close, Shanay Hubmann, the Deputy Trade Commissioner at the Austrian Embassy highlighted “Our ultimate goal is to see more Austrian wine available in the Indian market – at bars, restaurants, and in people’s homes. We are aware that at the moment, Austrian wines are rare in India – partly due to typical grape varietals and partly because of their limited current availability in the country. With these tastings, we hope to create more demand for Austrian wine and to motivate importers to place orders”. Speaking about the effectiveness of these sessions, she said- “The awareness part was certainly achieved, and we hope to see the first orders coming in soon!”

Another visible advantage of these master classes was the highlighting of the major wine regions of Austria, which apart from aiding the understanding about the region specific wines might also have potential in the tourism domain. But according to the Austrian Trade Commission, it could be a while before such spin offs are actively considered. The first step to them remains creating awareness of Austrian wines, going beyond the ubiquitous Grüner Veltliner – by far the most popular varietal wine from the country. According to Shanay, an overwhelming feedback from these three tastings has created possibilities of having smaller, more personalized tastings and wine dinners, for focus groups of wine lovers.

With the Institute of Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR’s) pegging the Indian wine market growing to 73.5% from the current levels in the period 2013-17, this optimistic approach may well prove to be a watershed for Austrian wines in India.

Having six Champagne glasses in front of you with  corresponding bottles to be poured in distant vision is a proposition most of us would call fit for a dream. Add a tasting sheet in the foreground and the context changes from pure indulgence to a surrounding rim of onerous responsibility – a responsibility to objectively and platonically dwell into the virtues of Champagne- a fine beverage, subordinate only to the life sustaining aqua.

As Thibaut Le Mailloux, Director of Communication at Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC)  gave finishing touches to his Champagne Masterclass presentation and  the perfectionist Rajiv Singhal, Ambassador of Champagne in India  deftly stroked the final touches at JW Marriott, Aerocity, New Delhi this November, I greeted them with “Bonjour- Vous allez bien?” and saw Thibaut’s face light up with instant recognition. I had met Thibaut  in Epernay, in 2012 during my scholarship trip to CIVC in Rajiv’s company and it looked that the bond had just rekindled.

The Champagne Masterclass, which is held regularly across the globe by CIVC aims at reinforcing the simple fact- that Champagne comes only from Champagne, with the historical perspective thrown in to emphasize the beverage’s centuries old tradition through the crests and troughs of  time. But besides the veritable history, it  dives deep  into various styles of Champagnes, peculiarities of different regions within the arrondissement  (department) and different styles of Champagne – to name a few.

Beverages managers from different star properties (for whom the masterclass was meant) had their skills polished by Thibaut in this rendezvous, and their exuberance was quite palpable by the type of questions coming in- from dosage issues to simple but relevant ones like which Champagne out of the six for the day was Thibaut’s favourite? The seasoned professional but naturally, handled all the volleys with élan.

Coming to the Champagnes, these depicted the amount of brain racking that must have gone into their selection to emphasize each style. The table below amplifies the sequence:

The beauty  of the session was that it did not solely depend on sampling wines but to create the right perspective before the first verre was lifted. For hospitality industry it becomes absolutely essential to understand the evolution of iconic beverages like Champagne, to be able to present them better to their valuable clients for driving home the value derived. To that effect I think that the session achieved that and much more within a third of a day’s proceedings.

Some random  ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ gathered from the session were :

• The Champagne viticultural practices are  highly environment focused with advanced R&D being incorporated at all stages of production. One  such measure is ‘Sexual Confusion’ wherein plastic capsules containing phermones are located strategically within vineyards. These phermones emit same sex perfume for pests, deterring them from reproducing and hence pesticides are not required for their control.
• The Champagne Appellation has faced brand infringement issues not only for sparkling wine producers but also global luxury brands making perfumes, shampoos, cigarettes  et al. It has successfully contested many such cases in the courts. 14 Champagne Bureaus located in top 10 export markets as well as BRIC countries  act as Champagne’s vanguards. In India the bureau  is headed by Rajiv Singhal.
• No Champagne bottle across the world  is available without a proper label indicating its provenance. If one is lured by a purported Champagne without label  at a bargain price- it would most certainly be a fake.
• 83% of Champagne sales are consumed within 10000 km radius of the region. This is due to ease of geographical access as well as taxation issues.
• Out of the 11 mn € of wine and spirits exports of France, two thirds is wine and out of this, two thirds is Champagne. Many Champagne houses have interesting stories  to their names. For example, Drappier Champagne comes from a family enterprise, which started its business with bed linen several centuries back and switched over to Champagne production when it started becoming popular in early nineteenth century. In French language Drapsmeans Bed sheets and hence the name.

Choosing the top sommelier from a country as large as a continent is not an easy job. It entails sifting through reams of applications, shortlisting the eligible candidates, orienting them towards the championship and  conducting the acid test itself. Recently, I attended the  Indian Sommelier Championship in its 7th edition conducted by Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd, headed by Magandeep Singh,- India’s best known sommelier. The championship is the only  fixture of its kind  in India since its inception in 2008 and this year, 13 finalists slugged it out at hotel Leela Ambience, Gurgaon,  vying for the top honours that would open new portals of opportunities for them in the super-specialised field of Sommellerie .

This  culminating event  was preceded by  shortlisting  of 100 applicants representing 12 states and around  50 F&B establishments- who were then trained by industry leaders before taking a preliminary exam that churned out the final 13.

1. The finals progressed with  each contestant coming up to the stage and performing a set routine as under:
2. Open and serve six equal glasses of a sparkling wine (without any wastage and without going back to a glass already poured), taste it and identify it.
3. Open, decant and serve a still wine, taste it and identify it.
4. Pour the perfect pint of beer.
5. Identify two spirits in a blind tasting.
6. Pair wines to go with a menu presented to them.
7. Answer questions posed by the judges.

The degree of difficulty for the above sequence increased manifold with a 13 minutes time limit and the requirement to maintain good humour with the judges and the audience.

Observing the candidates, I noticed that they looked like having been put on an even keel  courtesy the preliminaries stated above. It was now only a matter of wits and handling the pressure of performing in front of judges and audience. The judges on their part encouraged the contestants in order to put them at ease, but at the same time, were hard task masters. As the competition progressed, the audience too had a chance to sample the corresponding drinks being poured at the stage.

The Judges

The panel comprised of three judges, with each judge representing a different expertise area- from winemaking to hospitality and business aspects.  Aishwarya Nair from the Leela Group of Hotels,  Alessio Secci, co-owner, Fratelli Vineyards  and  Andrew O’Brien, GM, Treasury Wine Estates for South Asia, Korea and Japan formed this distinguished panel.

The Prizes

The top prize for the Champion Sommelier was an ‘Immersion Trip’ to  Penfolds Australia during harvest time to their prestigious Magill estate. Only five such awards are given annually worldwide, with the Indian Sommelier Championship being one of the privileged recipients. Apart from this, there were several other prizes for winners in different categories.

The Winners

After a gruelling 5 hours or so, the competition part of the day was closed with a debriefing cum pep talk by Magandeep , bringing out the upsides and downsides of the contestants’ performance . The results compilation then started with announcement of winners scheduled during a gala to be held in the evening separately. I only wish that the winners were announced at the end of the competition so that people like me who did not get to attend the evening fixture could go home without the suspense. However I learnt later that the gala was conducted with equal finesse. Photos of  the Top 3 and and a complete list of winners is given below:

The Complete List of Winners 

Bonne chance to all the winners! Competitions are meant to pick winners, but the spirit of a competition lies in utmost professionalism and  the desire to excel. To that effect I found that all the contestants had something about them that made them stand apart in a unique way.

In all probability you may discover that too when you go visiting as their guest next!

For several years  now, the Chilean embassy in New Delhi has been hosting a reception for wine and food lovers that sees good attendance from a diverse section of denizens of the Indian capital, at just the right time of the year when you neither sweat in a jacket nor shiver without one. This was my first year  at the do, and it had me really impressed with the exquisite collection of wines and gourmet spread that conveyed the essence of the country fittingly. It was also an opportunity  of privilege to meet the newly arrived Ambassador of the country H. E. Andres Babre Gonzales and  Trade Commissioner Nestor Riveros , who has been the driving force over the years to popularize Chilean culture in India.

Being an early bird at The Lalit, Barakhamba Road where the event was held, I had a good opportunity to take photos of  the place at leisure and meet my friends from the wine industry who had put up their wines for tasting. In an event of this kind, it is a tough proposition to sample everything on offer,  hence the most effective way is to shortlist the ‘must try’ items on agenda- which again is facilitated by arriving early. I decided to pursue the wines, with food being an indulgent factor as an  aftermath.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words (a megabyte in  the digital age); and the focus here being the event itself, it would be best to let the pictures  do the talking. However, some  facts  on Chile with reference to its wines would definitely not be out of place:

 

• Chile has the distinct advantage of having mountains, ocean, forest and desert surrounding its different directions and hence, produces varied styles of wines. The largest and the oldest wine producing region of the country is the Central Valley  comprising of Maipo, Rapel (incl Cochapoal and Colchagua), Curicó and Maule), but other regions too(see map), have come up progressively in the preceding decades.
• Though Chile has a wine history dating back to 16^thcentury, it is counted amongst the new world wine producing nations due to its wines really coming to world’s attention in the last one century. Moreover, it gives prominence to   cépage (grape varietals) rather than terroir (region), which is typical to the new world wine production philosophy.
• Owing to its  geographic location, Chile was spared the scourge of the deadly  pest Phylloxera, that wiped out  large swathes of vineyards across Europe, meaning that it still produces a lot of wine from original ungrafted vine rootstocks, which makes them quite unique.
• Chile is the world’s eighth largest producer and fifth largest exporter of wine. It exports 70 percent of its overall production, making it one of the most export-oriented wine producing countries.
• The grape varietals typical to Chile are Carménère  and País both of which are red . Whereas Carménère  is a thick skinned varietal that produces deep coloured and full bodied wines, País is one of the oldest Chilean varietals that produces lighter bodied and flavourful wines.
• Main grapes cultivated in Chile in the present day are mostly the international varietals with Cabernet blends ruling the roost, and Merlot aplenty. Due to investments by major producers from Spain, France and the USA , the ambit over the period has spread to other varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier and Malbec as well. The Spanish wine giant Miguel Torres (see my earlier post Torres, Tapas and Toro) has had a large role to play in Chile for developing the wine  industry.
• As compared to equivalent wines from elsewhere, Chilean wines are priced  highly competitively (as you would see from the average prices given with the wines listed below). Most of them have fruit orientation and less of ageing potential. However, with increased use of oak, there are some age worthy wines too.

 

Coming to the pictorial:

Brand: Miguel Torres Chile

Region: Central Valley, Limari Valley

Importer: Prestige Wines and Spirits Pvt Ltd

Wines: Santa Digna Estelado (Sparkling Rosé) Santa Digna(Cabernet Sauvignon). , Hemisferio (Sauvignon Blanc),  Hemisferio (Cabernet Sauvignon) , Cordillera (Chardonnay), San Medin (Cabernet Sauvignon)
Price Range: ₹ 1290 – 3000

My favourites: Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 2900)– Big bold and flavourful with rounded tannins and a solid backbone.

Santa Digna Estelado (₹ 2950): An energetic and fruity Rosé Sparkling – the only one in the world made  from  Chile’s indigenous and one of the oldest País grape varietal.

Brand: Balduzzi

Region: Central Valley (Maule)

Importer: Natures Bounty Wines

Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva and Merlot Reserva

Price Range:  ₹ 1450 each

My favourite: Balduzzi Merlot Reserva (₹ 1450) : Deep ruby with an explosively fruity nose. Full bodied on the palate with flavours of wild berries rounded tannins and a long finish.

Brand: Anakena

Region: Central Valley (Rapel)

Importer: High Spirits

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc,  Syrah Rose, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Price Range:  ₹ 1320 – 1850

My favourite: Anakena Chardonnay ( ₹ 1530 )– Light lemon colour and aromas of tropical fruits with a light, minerally palate of ripe fruity flavours.

Brand: Emiliana

Region: Central Valley, Casa Blanca Valley

Importer: Hema Connoisseur Collections Pvt Ltd

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Price Range: ₹ 1400 each

My favourite: Emiliana Sauvignon Blanc (₹ 1400 ) – Pale lemon with green tints, citrus and tree fruit aromas, complex on the palate.

Brand: Montes Alpha

Regions: Central Valley , Casa Blanca Valley

Importer: Brindco

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Price Range: ₹ 1330-1470

My favourite: Montes Merlot (₹ 1410) A well structured and rounded wine with ripe red fruit aromas and a voluptuous body.

Brand: Cono Sur

Region: Central Valley

Importer: Sula Selections

Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Price Range: ₹ 1000-1960

My favourite: Cono Sur Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 1960) – Firm as steel wine with black currant, dried fruits aromas , silky tannins and a refined palate.

Brand: Valdivieso

Region: Central Valley

Importer: Agnetta International

Wines: Single Vineyard Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Blanc de Blanc, Brut Sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc

Price Range:  ₹ 1500-3060

My favourite: Valdivieso Pinot Noir (₹ 2850) A fresh and juicy wine with vegetal and red fruit aromas.

A wine  rendezvous  quite obviously entails tasting of wines and food to go along. It is only theorientation of such events that sets them apart on the basis of aspects like-  the venue, exclusivity of wines and food and the profile of guests in attendance. Recently, the launch of Vijay Amritraj  (VA) Reserve collection  by Grover Zampa Vineyards (GZV) in New Delhi   witnessed these elements, befitting  the stature of the event that  saw Mr Vijay Amritraj himself fly in from Los Angeles to mingle with wine lovers of Delhi.   The venue was the expansive 2nd floor terrace of Hotel Leela Palace at Chanakyapuri where the who’s who of Delhi’s wine fraternity descended to enjoy the wines amidst an evening full of festive revelry (Diwali, the festival of lights being just a day away)- and some classy hors d’œuvres.

Having been launched earlier at London, Mumbai and Bangalore, the VA collection is the first ever attempt by an Indian producer to model wine around a celebrated personality. This bold step could probably not be taken by anyone else than one of the  oldest and the most respected wine brands of  India. Mr Kapil Grover, Chairman GZV informed the gathering that the wines had been developed in close coordination with the tennis ace over a span of two years, and as such, incorporate many aspects of his versatile personality of being a Hollywood actor and producer, UN messenger of peace and a wine connoisseur . Two variants  – a red and a white, form this premium collection,   which  retail at Rs 1200.00 and £ 14.99 a bottle in India and the UK respectively.

The evening started with rounds of GZV’s sparkling wine Zampa Soirée Brut as the guests engaged in animated conversations with the top brass of the company present on the occasion. Shortly after the tennis legend arrived, the collection was launched with short and humorous talks by him and Mr Grover. The wines were then uncorked and flowed freely for the guests to sample. Around the wines I had the opportunity to have passionate discussions with both Mr  Amritraj and Mr Grover that enabled me draw my own inferences on the legend’s specific personality traits  mapped to the respective wines.   I am listing these below:

The Wines

VA Collection Red:
Grapes:  Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Viognier
Alcohol: 14%

Wine lovers would know that Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are two robust grape varieties with good level of tannins that are often used to provide backbone to a blend. Only a warm weather region could pull off the coup of having these two varietals to facilitate a blend that has sufficient ripeness while retaining an excellent structure. As I spoke to Mr Kapil Grover, inquiring about the premise of adding Viognier, he highlighted the reason being the desired upping of the fruitiness quotient- a common practice in the renowned  blends coming from the famous Rhône valley in France.

Tasting Notes: Deep ruby red colour with a very expressive nose of red fruits, spice and discernible oak. Well structured with rounded tannins, a taste of red fruits and a long finish. Those who do not prefer prominently oaked wines may do well to reserve the bottle for an year or so, to enable the wood tannins to mature further. Ideal for pairing with rustic meat or well textured vegetarian dishes.

How it matches to VA’s personality: The potent volleys of the tennis ace are represented well by the wine’s bold demeanour. The aromatics (fruits, flowers,spice) imparted by Viognier bring out his colourful charm as a Hollywood artist- not to forget the wine’s complexity rendered by ageing in French oak barrels that signify  his many skills.

VA Collection White:
Grape:  Viognier
Alcohol: 13.5%

The main challenge in a Viognier based wine is in getting the right acidity level, as the wine starts getting flabby with increasing ripeness. So what was boon for the red in our context could well have been a bane for this one. But  I would say that VA Collection White has been managed very deftly going by its sprightly acidity that complements its fruity and floral notes rather well. The wine has been barrel-fermented which makes it toasty and creamier along with an extra chutzpah imparted by barrel maturation.

Tasting Notes: Straw coloured wine having aromas of white flowers and stone fruits. On the palate it is fruity with pleasing acidity and mild spiciness. A versatile wine that could be enjoyed as an aperitif or with food.

How it matches to VA’s personality: The noble grape varietal that has been adapted extremely well to the Indian conditions signifies Vijay’s momentous achievement of putting India on the world tennis map wherein he stood at No. 16 in the world rankings, beating well known worthy competitors such as Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. This Viognier may well establish India as being highly competent in producing a single varietal wine that defies traditional perceptions about terroir influences.

During my interaction with  Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO Grover Zampa Vineyards, he brought out that apart from India, the key markets envisaged for these premium wines are UK, USA Europe and South East Asia, where the initial response to the wines has been very encouraging.

With GZV wines winning 05 medals at the recently concluded Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA) 2013, the VA Reserve collection has lots to cheer about. Developing wines around a famous personality may also work well in the interest of the consumer, as the producer will be obliged to maintain the wine style over the years- a quality measure that has so far been lacking in the unregulated Indian wine scene.

If you hold a glass of wine at the lawns of the Austrian Trade Commissioner residence in Lutyen’s Delhi, chances are that bumblebees may want to befriend you. Don’t be wary though, as they come visiting for the aromas pervading the area due to the frequent wine tastings happening at the place!

Austrian wines ready for tasting at the Master Class Metaphors apart, the Austrians have indeed unleashed a blitzkrieg of their quality wines in the Indian wine space, seeking to capture their share of the growing Indian goblet. I recently attended their second master class in New Delhi, within six months of attending the inaugural one, and both tastings- though similar in format- had distinct USPs by virtue of the diverse range of wines.

The event, aptly named so for its partly sit-down guided tasting format, was conducted by Sommelier Gurjit Singh Barry of Wi-Not, a well known beverages concern based at New Delhi. Christian Dworan, Marketing Manager from the Austrian Wine Marketing Board was specially present to highlight Austria and its wine regions as a precursor to the tasting.

According to Shanay Hubmann, the Austrian Deputy Trade Commissioner in New Delhi, the master classes are being organised to raise awareness of the quality and variety of Austrian wines in India, with a view to help Austrian wineries in entering the Indian market by stimulating their demand. Shanay also brought out that as a start, three such events were planned in Delhi- the last one in the series scheduled to take place early in November this year.

Participative, energetic tasting

A whole lot of wines across the Austrian wine quality pyramid (see Boxes 1 and 2 towards the end of this post) were available winery-wise for tasting at the stands. These ranged from international as well as Austrian native varietals representing a diverse portfolio. I found it particularly interesting to get a practical feel of the Austrian classification system by sampling the different categories in a vertical graduation, starting from a Spätlese and finishing with a Trockenbeerenauslese.

Out of 59 wines on offer, 17 were tasted on the stage and the remaining were available for the guests to explore in a walk around tasting. Here are some that I liked in particular:

Winery: Pleil
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (white)
Tasting notes: A refreshing straw-coloured wine with grassy and white fruit aromas accompanied by spice overtones. Complex palate of white fruits and gooseberries, with a peppery finish.

Winery:Wieninger
Wine: Wiener Gemischter Satz 2013 (white)
‘Wiener’ indicates a wine from Vienna, and Gemischter Satz is the term used for a mix of grapes used for the wine.
Tasting Notes: Light golden-coloured crystal-clear wine with unmistakable aromas of tropical fruits, most prominent being lychee. A well balanced acidity accompanied by ripe fruity flavours on the palate made it refreshing yet delectable.

Winery:Weinrieder
Wine: Grüner Veltliner “Schneiderberg” 2012 (white)
Tasting Notes: Light gold colour with a floral, honeyed and spicy nose. A complex palate, seemingly off dry due to intense fruity character that was well accompanied by the supportive acidity. A lingering spicy finish.

 

Winery: Kracher

Wine: Kracher Cuvée Auslese 2012 (sweet)

Auslese is a wine quality term literally meaning ‘select harvest’. This is done by picking grapes at full ripeness at the bunch level resulting in quality wines.

Tasting Notes: A blend of Chardonnay and Welschriesling, this wine had medium gold colour with green highlights and floral and tropical fruit aromas. The palate had flavours of quince, melon and white pepper along with a long finish. A well balanced sweet wine.

Winery: Weingut Bründlmayer
Wine: Bründlmayer St. Laurent Ried Ladner 2011(red)
St Laurent is a black grape variety typical to Austria and is quite close in characteristics to Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes: A medium ruby colour with rounded tannins and flavours of raspberries and plums. Quite juicy on the palate, the wine had a medium spicy finish that makes it ideal with casual meals where not much planning may be required.

Winery: Wellanschitz
Wine: Wellanschitz Zweigelt Classic 2012 (red)
Tasting Notes: Made from another Austrian native grape varietal Blauer Zweigelt, it is a medium purple coloured wine with inky highlights. The nose indicated oak usage that happened to mask the other aromas, maybe because the wine was served on the colder side. The palate however had good structure and flavours of black fruits with the oak getting reaffirmed. I would like to revisit this wine sometime again with ample time on my side.

Winery: Wellanschitz
Wine: Wellanschitz Cabernet Sauvignon “Rüsselgrund” 2011
Tasting Notes: A deep ruby wine with a garnet rim and appetizing pastry shop aromas (vanilla, chocolate, fruits et al). A well-structured red with flavours of blackcurrants and spice and a long finish. One of the best reds of the evening.

Considering the overall quality of wines presented at the last two tastings and the apparent response of the importers and F&B professionals at these events, Austrian wines may well be poised to delight the Indian wine lovers in a big way. It however remains to be seen as to how these wines are positioned in the price-sensitive and regulatory Indian market to fare against the competition. As for the Indian wine lover, getting spoilt for choices may well have found a new benchmark.

As for the bumblebee bit, it wasn’t entirely a metaphor!

 

 

This October 9th as I attended the reception hosted by H.E. Gustavo de Aristegui, Ambassador of Spain in India to celebrate Spain’s national day that falls on 12 Oct, it was quite logical to expect some good Spanish wines . Amidst the celebrations as the guests stood in attention to the reverberating Indian and Spanish national anthems rendered by the synchronous Indian Navy band, it was also a Guns to Gewürztraminer moment for me since the Spanish national day also happens to be their Armed Forces day! Wine being an important part of the Spanish culture, I thought it was a good occasion to refresh my knowledge on the major Spanish grape varietals that I am sharing in this post.

Background

The third largest country in Europe, Spain is amongst the top three wine producing nations of the world, the other two being France and Italy. Wines in Spain are made largely from native grape varietals but international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay too are being increasingly planted.

Red Varietals

Tempranillo (Tempra-neeyo)

Also called Tinto Fino, this thick skinned grape varietal produces age worthy wines quite close in style to Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the highest planted red varietal in Spain, particularly so in the famous Rioja region. Wines from Tempranillo have dark berries and spice characteristics . You may like to keep these wines few years from the date of bottling before uncorking them!

Garnacha

Dark coloured and thinner skinned than Tempranillo, this varietal produces luscious and juicy wines with red fruit flavours that can easily classify it in the gourmet league. It is the second most planted red grape varietal of Spain and is the same as Grenache of France. It also has a refreshing and flavourful white version called Garnacha Blanca.

Monastrell

Also known as Mourvèdre in France and Mataro in Australia, this varietal originated in Spain but is lesser planted in the country of its origin. It has concentrated sugars due to its small berries and hence a potentially high alcohol content and good level of tannins. The flavours are dark fruits with savoury characteristics and it is used mostly in blends with Garnacha.

Cariñena (Kari-nyena)

Also known as Carignan in France , Cariñena has been considered a difficult to cultivate varietal for long due to its susceptibility to various vine afflictions but is being revived on both sides of Pyrenees mountain ranges in France and Spain. It is used mostly in blends but single varietal wines are also becoming popular of late.

White Varietals

Parellada (Paa-rey-yaada)

Together with the following two varietals (Macabeo and Xarel-lo) this grape varietal from Catalunya region is well known for producing the Spanish sparkling wine Cava. It is also used for single varietal still wines or blended with Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc and Garnacha Blanca. On it’s own it has floral as well as fruity flavours with decent acidity but if not made properly, could turn out insipid easily.

Macabeo(Maka-beeyo)

A Catalan grape varietal again, it is intriguingly called by another name (Viura) in the Rioja region of Spain. The wines from this grape have floral characteristics but the acidity level has to be carefully handled like in case of Parellada. The USP of this varietal is that it can tolerate the vagaries of weather rather well and hence is widely planted in Northern Spain. Used mostly in blends, notably so with its Cava compatriots.

Xarel-lo (Sha-rello)

One of the powerful white varietals, it is known to give Cava it’s citrus and fruity overtones. As a still wine too, it has vegetal to stone fruit flavours and good acidity/sweetness balance.

Albarino

Cultivated mostly in the Rias Baixas region in Spain, this varietal is known as Alvarinho in Portugal which lies south of this Spanish region. The grape is thick skinned and produces aromatic wines with good acidity levels and a slight element of bitterness you would probably encounter in a Viognier.

Moscatel

One of the oldest grape varieties, it is also known as Muscat in France and Moscato in Italy. It has further sub varieties and in Spain, Moscatel de Alejandria is widely cultivated. The wines from this varietal are aromatic and with good alcohol potential. Moscatel is largely used for sweet and fortified wines.

Palomino

Connoisseurs of Sherry would need no introduction to this varietal. Cultivated mostly in the Andalucia region in south-west Spain where the iconic town of Jerez is located, this grape varietal has low acidity and sugars that make it suitable for sherry production. Palomino is also popular as a table grape.

Pedro Ximinez (Pedro Shiminez)

A thin skinned white grape varietal which is traditionally dried in the sun to produce sweet and syrupy wines that are mostly used for sweetening the fortified blends. Also known as PX, this varietal is native to the Andalucian region.

Wines at Spanish National Day celebrations 2014

White

Torres Viña Sol– Parellada
Torres San Valentín – Parellada and Garnacha Blanca
Torres Viña Esmeralda – Moscatel and Gewürztraminer

Red

Torres Mas Rabell – Garnacha and Cariñena
Torres Celeste– Tempranillo
Torres Coronas– Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

Sweet

Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro– Muscat de Alejandria

 

Asador is the Spanish word for Barbeque. This June, as I sat at one of those in the Spanish wine country of La Rioja savouring the Patatas Riojana and Vine Grilled Lamb Rack, the wine to accompany was extra special. Not only because it was one of the finest from the Torres stable, but also due to the winemaker himself giving us company at lunch! As I took the first sip of  Altos Ibéricos  Crianza 2011, with Julio Carreter de Granda, the Manager and Winemaker at Torres winery in La Rioja,  the instant thought that came to my mind was- how would Julio rate his own wine outside the hallowed precincts of his winery? How did he think his wine had moved- in the right or the wrong direction?

Having tasted the same wine just an hour ago with Julio, the question became all the more relevant, and I popped it out to him without delay. The answers came pronto giving an instant peep into the winemaker’s mind. However, my inquisitiveness had some more miles to it, and on the way back to Barcelona, I decided to pose the same question to another winemaker Montserrat Catasús Asenjo whom I was scheduled to meet the following day at the Torres winery at Pacs del Penedès. What followed was a revelation of sorts but on the much anticipated lines of wine handling, transportation and the final value derived by the end consumer. Interestingly it made me conclude that a winemaker is like a film star who sees his/her own face on the hoardings only to imagine the original photoshoot – to be  either delighted or disappointed on account of many variables that come into play from studio to the billboard.

The candid conversation with Julio and Montse  as follows, confirmed the same. Over to Julio and Montse for  the remaining post..

Name: Julio Carreter de Granda
Job Title: Manager and Wine Maker
Company: Soto de Torres

My Wine:

Altos Ibéricos : Deep cherry colour. Intense nose with traces of plum and black fruit compote accompanied by dark-roasted spice notes from ageing in barrel. Sweet on the attack with mild tannins. The impression of fruit along with soft tannins make it a great match for all kinds of tapas. This sets it apart from the classic local wines that are more strongly defined by oak.

My best experiences with my  wines elsewhere

When it has been served with the right food and in right condition. Altos Ibéricos has been created specifically with the latest trends in avant-garde cuisine in mind.  The soft tannins and exquisite fruit combine perfectly with all types of tapas prepared with fresh ingredients, including red meat, oily fish and cheese. It is absolutely exquisite with cured meats. Hence it is necessary that apart from the right condition it is served at the right temperature of 14-16°C.

And my worst experiences

When the wine is served without any time in bottle or when the temperature is unduly high (in any case it should not go upwards of 18 °C). Some time in bottle is very important. All components of the wine will be more integrated and there will be more harmony and soft tannins. If the temperature is very high, the wine will like more alcoholic and less fresh.

Given an opportunity, what would I change between the wine leaving the winery and being served to the consumer.

I would like to have lesser agents or intermediaries between the winery and the consumer. Direct contact with the consumer is necessary for a personal touch as  also for reducing the extent of handling and storing of wine at different points. Given a chance, I would also want to make it more affordable to the consumer by trimming undesirable costs.

Name: Montserrat Catasús Asenjo (Montse)
Job Title:  Winemaker
Company: Miguel Torres SA

My Wines:

Gran Sangre De Toro, Gran Coronas and  Atrium.

I work in a team comprising of Joan Calvet (Team Leader) and Montse Rossell and Enric Ginesta (fellow oenologists).

Gran Sangre de Toro

High colored wine of intense violet rim and steely tones with floral aromas of violets, spice and subtle hints of strawberry. Nice entry on the palate with good structure and a fresh finish.

The combination of Syrah and Garnacha with a touch of Cariñena is typical of the new world’s wines (Australia) and southern France (Côtes du Rhone). In its elaboration, we are looking for the new and old wine world complexity. On the one hand, we have the fruitiness, and on the other, the structure and fat texture in the mouth.

Atrium Merlot

Medium bodied with rounded tannins and red fruit flavors.

The key to this wine is the maceration and fermentation at 20°C. This allows us to get round tannins and preserve the fruitiness of Merlot. Finally, the personality of the wine is rounded with the light touch of the barrel.

Gran Coronas

Great complex aromas with spicy notes, black pepper and cloves with a background of forest fruits and dried leaf. Its passage through the mouth is ripe and candied, with structured tannins and good concentration. It could be defined as a silky elegance wine.

Made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo varieties, it can compete with both, the Bordeaux  and the big Spanish wines. The wine has two emblematic varieties of each of these countries that work together with unparalleled synergy

My best experiences with my wines elsewhere

My best experience is when I taste Atrium at 15°C, Gran Coronas and Gran Sangre de Toro at 17°C, with a good glass and with a nice food pairing. For example; Atrium with Cod, prunes and pine nuts. Gran Coronas could be paired with Magret de Canard and finally, Gran Sangre de Toro goes very well with Confit de Canard.

And my worst experiences

When I taste the wine either too cold, at less than 12-13°C or too hot, maybe at more than 19-20°C. It’s also a bad experience to taste it with a wrong food pairing or with a non-appropriate glass.

Given an opportunity, what would I change between the wine leaving the winery and being served to the consumer.

I think the perfect conservation of the wine is really important. Some wines are badly conserved, mostly during the transport or during the storage in the different shops or restaurants; with too much direct light, high temperature, vibrations, bad humidity, etc. All these things are very important, because if we don’t take proper care, the wine could change immensely.

Torres wines are imported in India by Prestige Wines and Spirits Pvt Ltd
Current Delhi retail prices of wines listed in this post are:
Altos Ibéricos Rs. 2150.00, Gran Sangre de Toro Rs. 2000.00, Atrium Merlot Rs. 2000.00, Gran Coronas Rs. 2400.00

This story has been published in the Sept 2014 edition of Spiritz Magazine.