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May 2008 |
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| The Shangri-La Wine Club is hosting a tasting on June 20th, 2008 where Joseph Phelps 'Los Carneros' Chardonnay, Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Stag’s Leap Merlot, 2004 and Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, 2004 will be tasted. |  |
| The Chilean Wine Festival, on 6th June, 2008, at The Oberoi, New Delhi, was like the proverbial curate’s egg – good in parts!! You certainly cannot ask for a more stylish setting than The Oberoi, New Delhi, so it was with anticipation that I made my way to the Nilgiri Room, where the Guided Wine Tasting – the start of the Festival – was being conducted by reputed Sommelier, Magandeep Singh. Avininder Singh reports. |
Pictured above at the Chilean Wine Tasting: Isheeta, Nanda and Ranjit Gupta, Amfora Pvt Ltd
| India is no stranger to wine. Tracing the history of the drink, its origins can be found in old religious writings. During the Vedic period, wine was often referred to as ‘Somarasa’. Hindu Gods Indra and Varuna are believed to have tasted a mixture of wine and herbs as per the Yajurveda. Reva Singh of Sommelier India is quoted in this Times of India article discussing the Indian wine culture. |  |
 | Back in the January/February issue of Sommelier India, the Grapevine talked about the Bordeaux-based wine merchant who in the middle of the 19th century shipped several barrels of claret to an Indian maharaja who did not find the wine to his taste and sent them back to Bordeaux. Well, Sanjay Menon of Sansula saw that tidbit in the magazine and sent us this which goes a little deeper into the story. |
| The "Popular Pages Today" gadget shows you which of the thousands of pages on Sommelier India are being clicked on the most. The second which is more useful to advertisers tells you where visitors to the site are geographically based. Called "Recent Visitors" it shows that we have lots of visitors from the tier two metros in India and internationally too. Both features are on the lower right hand side of the home page. |  |
In another chapter of the controversy surrounding Brunello di Montalcino, the US embargo is still scheduled to take effect starting June 23rd, 2008. However, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has now dropped its stipulation that all imports be lab tested and scientifically certified.
 | The Rotarians Wine Fellowship of India, held a Winemaker's dinner with Bouvet Ladubay on June 6, 2008. Guests arrived to the Bouvet Brut Rosè, a salmon pink sparkling wine with notes of red-currants and peach, complimented by oak smoked chicken Bruchettes and marinated tomato and feta cheese crisps. RWFI members have been discovering Rosès over the last few events, and have voted it as their favourite wine style. |
A new sensation for the palate comes from the Canary Islands, which has a history of winemaking going back to the 15th century. A family vineyard in northern Tenerife is using its speciality Macho vinegars to flavour gourmet chocolates. The owner of Bodegas Monje, Felipe Monje, hit upon the idea when talking to local chocolate maker El Aderno.
| The India Wine Challenge 2008, now in its second edition is accepting entries. The cost is Rs. 7,400 per wine entered and the deadline is September 19th, 2008. Chaired by, and organised in association with Robert Joseph, the event will recognise excellence in wines from India and around the world. |  |
| When describing wine, Professor Emeritus of Oenology at the University of Toulouse, Pierre Casamayor speaks of a “menage à trois, a subtle interaction of soil, grape varietal and natural conditions. Man is the composer of this natural symphony that needs to be orchestrated… and signs each piece," he says. |  |
Aiguillettes of French Duck Breast with Manuka Honey Liqueur and a Duet of Asparagus paired with Maison Louis Jadot wines: Orient Express restaurant at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.
 | Importers of French food and beverages wooed Delhi residents at an annual French Sopexa gastronomic event. Stalls were set up around the Shangri La hotel ballroom in Delhi to introduce the Indian consumer to a range of French food and wines in a French market place or “Le marché” setting. |
| Wine sales in Bangalore have been somewhat dull of late, what with the April heat and mid-year holidays having taken lots of consumers away from the city, as also state elections in May that kept watering holes closed for five full days apart from placing various restrictions on supplies. Alok Chandra reports. |  |
 | There's more proof that red wine may extend human lifespan based on recent research. The study, which dosed mice with resveratrol, was conducted by Sirtris, a startup that was recently sold to GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million. Resveratrol is an ingredient in most red wines. Scientists have long derided the idea of life-extending elixirs, but the door has now opened to drugs that exploit an ancient biological survival mechanism, that of switching the body's resources from fertility to tissue maintenance. |
| “I was a single-malt guy and now I enjoy wines,” says Ranjit Dhuru, the brain behind the Chateau d’Ori winery at a wine dinner on 22 May 2008, at Deccan Rendezvous Hotel, Pune. Five wines from the Château d’Ori cellar were launched on the occasion.Brinda Gill reports. |  |
In a major setback to the US, a WTO panel today ruled that America has no case in its complaint that India has put excessive duties on import of wine and liquor. "The United States has failed to establish that the additional duty on alcoholic liquor is inconsistent with WTO rules," the panel ruled as reported by the Press Trust of India. The story was picked up by the Telegraph in Calcutta as well.
 | Neal and Judy Ibbotson, the owners of the New Zealand Saint Clair Family Estate, visited India last month and spent time meeting key customers and developing a closer understanding of the market. Saint Clair is one of New Zealand’s largest family-owned wineries and is recognised as New Zealand’s leading producer of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. |
The wines are available at JW Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Four Seasons and the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. They are imported by the Wine Park.
| With gas prices soaring around the world and no ceiling in sight, this photograph struck a chord. While we certainly don't condone excessive drinking or have an opinion on drinking versus driving, a little bit of humor is certainly warranted. Wouldn't you agree? |  |
 | I was privileged to be invited to attend the first International Congress of Chinese Cuisine and Wine in Beijing at the China World Hotel between the 23rd and 25th of May. The Congress was organised by Ch'ng Poh Tiong of Singapore to see how international wines pair with Chinese food. Pictured is CH'NG Poh Tiong with Thomas ROOCH one of the panelists at the ICCCW. |
Enterprising Australian vigneron Joanne Woodhouse has found a new use for the wine lees (grape skins and seeds) from the family vineyard in Victoria – she’s using them as the base for a range of handcrafted soaps, body care products and candles. The Chardonnay soap is said to be good for make-up removal, the Cabernet Sauvignon is for exfoliation, and the Shiraz for shaving. Her company, The Curly Vine, is now supplying outlets in Asia, Europe and the South Pacific. Sandra Westbrooke reports.
| Very special La Brancaia vertical tastings were held in Mumbai and Delhi recently led by owner and producer, Martin Kronenberg himself. Meticulously arranged at The Spice Route Restaurant, The Imperial, under the professional eye of resident sommelier, Stephane Soret, the Delhi tasting took place on May 21, 2008. Pictured to the right are importer Vishal Kadakia and Martin Kronenberg. |  |
 | Domestic wine consumption touched more than 10 million litres in 2007 and it may go up to 15 million litres for 2008. In 2001, consumption was just 1 million litres. Even more interesting, as the Economic Times reported, Jaideep K Kale, technical coordinator at Grape Wine Park, Maharashtra believes that the consumption of foreign wines has only increased by 400,000 litres since 2001 while domestic consumption jumped. |
| A few months ago while lunching at Le Bernardin in New York, I had a brief but illuminating conversation with the Sommelier, a certain Aldo Sohm. Little did I know that a few months later he'd win the title of Best Sommelier in the World in a competition organized by the Italian World Sommelier Association. |  |
 | At the recently concluded Decanter World Wine Awards 2008, Chateau Indage was commended for five of its wines namely the Indage Merlot 2006, Indage Chantilli Chardonnay 2007, Indage Chantilli Chenin Blanc 2007, Indage Ivy Merlot 2006 and the Indage Marquise de Pompadour NV. Mercury was also commended for the Mercury Winery Aryaa - Chenin Blanc 2007. |
| The Independent from the UK ran a story on how Indian wines are slowly getting more accepted in UK restaurants. First it was just in the Indian restaurants in London but now others too are starting to carry Indian wine. The article also includes an interesting "Beginner's Guide" box that describes popular grapes grown in India. For more on the grapes in India, visit the National Research Center for Grapes. |  |
 | Food and wine, like wine itself is a balance. Although in this case opposites do balance such as a lightly sweet white with very spicy food of any type, never underestimate pairing similar flavors. Similarly, match flavors. The grapefruit/citrus taste of Sauvignon Blancs goes with fish as well as and for the same reason that lemon does. For more insights on food pairings, study this chart. |
LiveMint is reporting that the Indian government is considering a uniform and rational duty structure across India. This would mean that wine would cost exactly the same across the country in retail shops. The excise duty on wine ranges from Rs70 a litre to a high of 200% of the base price of the wine. Sommelier India contributor is quoted as saying that this will lower prices in some states too. Read the full story.
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