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January 2006 |
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| March 2006 »
| One of the oldest and finest Italian wineries from Tuscany, Italy, Ambrigio E Giovanni Folonari Tenute is coming to India. The family which been producing wines for nearly 250 years has played a leading role in the modernization of Italian wine production and distribution. Three wines are being introduced and will be available at select hotels and restaurants and via distributors. They are the Chianti Classico "Nozzole" DOCG (2003), Brunello di Montalcino "Le Due Sorelle" DOCG (1999) and the Chardonnay "Le Bruniche" DOCG (2004). |  |
The Complete Indian Wine Guide is surely going to pique your interest in wine, particularly in Indian wine. This book aims to contribute to the wider awareness of high-quality Indian wines, even as it guides the Indian consumer through all brands, domestic and imported, available in the Indian market. You can purchase the book for Rs 295 at major bookstores across India or via the Roli Books website and searching for wine.
The book is written by Dr Aakash Singh Rathore who studied Enology in the US and Europe, and is a certified wine advisor. He is currently a Reader in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Delhi. |  |
The 1976 Judgement of Paris is to be recreated with two panels working simultaneaously through video as one will be in England and the other in California. The event will commerate the 30th anniversary of the "tasting that changed the world" in which the surprising showing of the American wines shocked the world of wine. The 1976 blind tasting showed that American wines could compete with the best Bordeaux wines when it came to quality and style. The 1973 Stag Leap Cabernet Sauvignon stood first in the original tasting which was judged by a panel of mostly French wine experts. Read more about the original tasting. Maybe sometime in the future, there will bea "Judgement of India tasting".
According to Decanter magazine, the quality of the Bordeaux 2005 vintage is considered extraordinary and as result prices are sky rocketing. "It is arguably a legendary vintage," Laurent Ehrmann of negociants Barrieres Freres said. Jancis Robinson who is an OBE, Master of Wine and award-winning TV host is worried that the top tier wines will be so expensive that they will only be accessible to the super rich.
Mr. De Laage De Meux of Chateau Palmer will be conducting a tasting of Chateau Palmer Grand Cru Classe, Margaux wines on February 27th, 2006 at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.
Chateau Palmer was originally established by General Charles Palmer who served under Wellington and arrived in France after the Penninsular War between Napolean and England. |  |
RESEARCH has revealed that a potent antioxidant in red wine dramatically slows ageing in organisms as diverse as yeast, fruit flies, fish and mice. And primates too! David Sinclair, who leads a research team investigating the ageing process at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA told an international genome conference in Victoria, Australia that antioxidant resveratrol protects against virtually all the major diseases of ageing in two ways - Resveratrol, which is found in plants, can prevent damage to DNA and proteins as organisms age.
Tulleeho is organizing a wine workshop on February 26th at Moksha in New Friends Colony. The New Delhi Session will be conducted by India's only Sommelier, Magandeep Singh who also happens to be a Sommelier India contributor. The cost is Rs. 1250 for individuals and Rs. 1000 per person for a group of 4 or more.
Upto 11 Indian and imported wines will be sampled including Mushal Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ( Sonoma County, California ), Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay ( Hunter Valley, Australia ), Antonin Rodet Pinot Noir ( France ), Baron Ricasoli Formulae ( Italy ), Penfolds Rawson Retreat Shiraz Cab ( Barossa Valley, Australia ), Michel Gonet Champagne, Vinsura Red Zinfandel ( Nasik ), Vinsura Sauvignon Blanc, Vinsura Chenin Blanc and Vinsura Rose. Register now or call Minakshi at 9312384339 for clarifications.
Global Fine Wines Inc. representing Long Island Wines from US conducted a Professional and Social 'Wine Tasting sessions' for F&B personnel and Club members showcasingtheir wines intended for Indian Sub-continent. Hyderabad Wine Club, in association with Hotel Viceroy hosted the event. A dinner followed the event.
4 wines from the winery Pindar of Long Island, New York will be tasted at a member's residence. Four Pindar wines, Pythagoras 2000, Mythology, Chardonnay Reserve 2001 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 will be presented with Indian snacks to match. A representative of the company will be at hand to talk about these wines.
Many of us derive pleasure from drinking new wines especially in pleasant settings and with appropriately matched food. That alone is reason enough for us to buy the occassional bottle and drink with friends and family.
Still, we've grown to believe that wine drinking is healthy and that if we want to live longer, what better way than to drink wine regularly. In this Better Homes and Garden article, the author asks whether women should drink wine for their health? The answer - red wine certainly can't hurt you but don't expect your doctor to be prescribing wine as a cure anytime soon.
It is now considered common knowledge that a glass or two of wine a day will make for a healthier and longer life. Various studies in the last eight years appear to have explained the French Paradox - why Frenchmen are able to drink wine everday and yet live the longest. Apparently, the oxidants in the wine reduce blood clotting.
Still not everyone buys this theory. An example is is Silvia Casabianca from the Naples Sun Times. She believes that researchers can prove any hypothesis when asked to prove something within the context of certain experiment controls. In a recent article, she discusses how the wine as health theory maybe a creation of the wine industry itself.
Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), the non-profit, professional trade organization representing 270 Napa Valley wineries and responsible for the promotion and protection of the Napa Valley Appellation, announces that the 26th annual Auction Napa Valley (ANV) will be held June 1 through 4. Napa Valley Vinters has raised and distributed more than $60 million in its 25-year history for social service and health care organizations.
The last few years have been difficult for the French Wine industry and the Iraq war certainly hasn't helped. Decanter Magazine points out that an unofficial boycott of French wines in the US has cost the country an estimated US$112m (£64m). The National Bureau of Economic Research points out that, at its peak, the boycott resulted in a 26% slump on weekly sales of wine with 13% lower sales in the six months following the US invasion of Iraq.
If you enjoy a glass of red wine at the dining table, there's good news. Recent studies have confirmed that red wine contains polyphenois which are powerful antioxidants. The polyphenols inhibit platelet formation, which reduces the risk of blood clots. They also slow cell deterioration. These factors can lead to a reduced risk of both heart disease and stroke.
An article published in March 2005 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons stated that drinking a moderate amount of red wine daily is good for the heart. A study in the January 2006 issue of Stroke concurred that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of strokes caused by blockage of blood vessels.
Vijay Mallya is looking to acquire or partner with international wine firms in France, South Africa and parts of South America. Wine production is an attractive segment, growing at 30 per cent in India for his company McDowell. The company is also looking to acquire a local wine producer.
The Tasting Room, Mumbai's first wine bar and store is offering a complimentary glass of wine with the purchase of an entree until March 15th, 2006. Restrictions do apply. The Tasting Room is located at Good Earth, the premium lifestyle store at Raghuvanshi Mill, Lower Parel.
Joe Davis, Founder of Arcadian Winery was interviewed by Graperadio.com recently. His controversial interview created a storm in the international wine community has he had some strong comments on how wines age and whether wines are designed to appeal to critics versus consumers.
Grape Radio is a web based radio dedicated to the world of wine. If you're a serious wine enthusiast, you'll definitely want to check them out.
India has been pressing for greater access to the European Union markets, while the EU has called on New Delhi not to block agricultural products such as wine and cheese. Needless to say, the Indian wine industry is conflicted with regards to regulation.
Champagne Indage said on Wednesday it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with UK-based Harvey Miller Wine Agencies Ltd. to acquire a wine distribution company called McKinley Vintners. Harvey Miller will import, sell and promote brands of the Indian company in the UK. This is good news for consumers in the UK who will have greater access to Indian wines now.
| The Indian hospitality industry certainly owes St. Valentine something for creating Valentine's day as it serves as one of busiest night outs in the year.
Hotels across India have designed special Valentine's Day packages which include fine wine and courses of sumptuous food. For example, Delhi's Shangri-La’s 19 Oriental Avenue package includes a glass of wine paired with a five-course meal for Rs 1,500 per couple. Along a similar vein, the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel is offering a massage at Club Renaissance and then a meal, fine wine and a live band —all for Rs 2,000 per couple, with a free glass of Kir Royale. |  |
Sopexa, (the Food and Beverage Marketing and Promotion Board of France) has launched wine appreciation courses for third year hotel management students across India. Their goal is to raise the general awareness and appreciation of French wines in India. Sopexa is giving students access to French wines and knowledge via a visiting faculty of oenologists and sommeliers.
A 200-year-old bottle of Sauternes was recently sold for US$90,000 making it the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold. The 1787 Chateau d'Yquem to a private American collector. This equates to approximately US$15,000 per glass.
| In an insightfulinterview with Business Standard, Kapil Grover of Grover Vineyards discusses how they're exporting to France and the United Kingdom. He also admits that Grover has historically been a "sleepy brand" when it comes to marketing. And he ends by discussing Grover's planned introduction of Stelvin caps for some of their wines. Chateau Couhins Lurton, Chateau La Louvière and Chateau Bonnet are the first Bordeaux wine makers to use Stelvin caps.
Recently Decanter Magazine of the UK rated La Reserve from Grover Vineyards as the Best New World Red Wine. |  |
If you're a serious wine enthusiast, check out Nat Decants Free Wine Newsletter: Wine picks, articles and humor from Natalie MacLean, recently named the World's Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. There are no ads and all e-mail addresses are kept confidential. To sign up, visit www.nataliemaclean.com.
The Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref proposed providing state support to begin exporting Russian wine to India. He had given Indian officials two cases of Russian wine on a recent trip to India. Soon after India expressed an interest in buying quality Russian wine for the domestic market.
Mr. Frederic Engerer, President of Chateau Latour recently visited India to present some of the finest vintages including the 1999, 1995, 1988 and 1982. The tasting was held at the Oberoi hotels in Delhi and Bangalore and at Indigo restaurant in Mumbai where the wines are also on the wine list. Find more coverage in the print edition.
Here Mr. Frederic Engerer takes a quiet moment at the tasting to sniff his own wine |  |
| Edouard Moueix, son of Christian Moueix presented a vertical wine tasting of Dominus 1995, 1998 and 1999 wines at Diva restaurant on January 20th, 2006. A vertical wine tasting is when different vintages of a single wine are tasted together. Edouard was also interviewed by The Economic Times. |  |
In his latest column for Business Standard, Sommelier India contributor Alok Chandra discusses the need for policy changes in the Indian wine industry. Quite simply speaking Indian and foreign wines are far too expensive in India largely because of State and Central government taxes. As a result, individuals are reluctant to invest in the wine industry.
Italian wine exports have jumpted 9.5% while domestic consumption has dropped by approximately 5% in the last year according to the Coldiretti farmer's union in Italy. The three fastest growing international markets were China (117%), followed by Russia (86.7%) and India (64%)! No wonder we've been seeing a lot of Italian wine producers in the country lately.
The Delhi Wine Club hosted an event at Chilli Art Restaurant, Saket on February 3rd where Dr.Loosen's Gunderloch rieslings were tasted.
This weekend Sommelier India attended the 15th Annual Boston Wine Expo in the United States. The expo attracted approximately 18,000 visitors. 440 international and domestic wineries from 14 different countries "poured" over 1,800 different wines for attendees.
The expo also included dinners, celebrity chefs like Todd English and seminars for both novices and connoisseurs. Unfortunately, Indian wine wasn't represented but hopefully that will change in the coming years.
Crowds throng the main exhibition floor at the Boston Wine Expo
The 7th edition of the Wine Evolution was held at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, France on January 30th and 31st. This trade only event is organized for leading wine executives from around the world. Rajeev Samant, CEO of Sula Vineyards served addressed the group according to friends of Sommelier India who were attending, did the country's wine industry proud.
Rajeev Samant addresss attendees of Wine Evolution 2006
Wine in India is no more going to be a southern phenomena if Chateau Indage and Sula Vineyards have their way. According to The Economic Times both wine producers are keen to extend wine production to the north and specifically to Punjab. They are both also looking to open wine bars.
 | Bhaichand Patel writes the High Spirits column in Brunch, the Sunday magazine of The Hindustan Times newspaper.
“I have been always partial to Beaujolais for the simple reason that the wine saw me through my lean years. When I was in college and later as a struggling barrister, I learnt to trust Beaujolais. It was always inexpensive and you didn’t have to be a wine expert to choose a bottle. As long as you bought a bottle that was young you couldn’t really go wrong with Beaujolais. It may not have the pedigree to be a classic wine but that’s fine with me. |
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