The first course comprised Fungi Ripieni Al Forno or stuffed mushrooms gently cooked with garlic, lemon, wine and parsley and Crostini Al Salmone Affumicato or crostini slices topped with smoked salmon, parsley and finely chopped onions, sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil. The wine served was a refreshing Chantilli Sauvignon Blanc.

As Joseph introduced Château Indage wines and the Chougules – India’s first wine family – he stressed that there were no hard and fast rules to food and wine pairing as long as they complemented each other. The main course, Risotto Alle Verdure, a mixed vegetable risotto, cooked with butter and Parmesan, and Scallopini Di Pollo Ai Funghi, grilled chicken with cream, mushrooms and garlic with roasted rosemary potatoes, was paired with a soft and silky Chantilli Merlot and a White Zinfandel, which was a light and fruity rosê.

Amol Palekar, actor and director

The delicious finale was Tiramisu paired with a crisp Marquise de Pompadour.Champagne Indageís popular sparkling wine was first produced in 1984 and exported to the U.K. in 1987.

Joseph kept the proceedings lively with nuggets of information, quizzing guests with wine related trivia such as: How many bubbles in a bottle of sparkling wine? How many grapes go into making one bottle? Where does the name Marquise de Pompadour come from? Right answers, anyone??

— Brinda Gill