Château D’Ori Wines come to Delhi Region
| October 9 saw the launch of Chateau D’Ori’s 2007 bouquet of five Bordeaux style wines in the Delhi region at one of Gurgaon's newer eateries, the Ho Shi Nian Nian Szechuan fine dining outlet, reports K. Singh. The Estate bottled wines are Viva (Chenin Blanc), Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet-Merlot and Cabernet-Syrah. |
Pairing wine with Szechuan food is never easy as the chef has to be careful in not excessively ‘chilly-spicing’ the food as this would overpower the finesse of any wine no matter how good it is. This was one such evening.
On its own, I found the Sauvignon Blanc nice and refreshing, and easy to drink after the long drive from Delhi. It went well with some of the starters as did the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the less spicy fish and bean curd preparations.
As these are wines created with passion, from the vine to the bottle, using estate grown grapes, the best equipment, and new oak barrels with an eye to quality, the consumer is assured of a superior end product! But that evening did not do them justice.
Finewinesnmore (FWM) an import firm headed by the dynamic Dharti Desai, are the national distributors and marketers of Château D’Ori, and this is the only Indian wine label they represent. Retailed in Gurgaon through Veekay & Company, hopefully the wines will also be readily available in Delhi soon.
Importers, distributors and marketers, FWM, a Regency Group Enterprise, imports fine wines and beverages from eight countries and is present in 13 cities across India.
For more information about Château D’Ori, read Brinda Gill’s article, “Besotted by Bordeaux” in Sommelier India, The Wine Magazine July/August 2008. Email ao@indianwinemagazine.com for back issue information. Click Subscribe Today at the top of the Home page for subscription information.
Comments
First of all,let me express my deep appreciation for such an elaborate, informative, colourful and vibrant website for wine lovers.
I have a small query. I often wonder why in Delhi, we do not have some exclusive wine bars. Generally, one has to go to a five-star hotel to experience a good wine. If some wine makers can look at the possibility of establishing wine boutiques in Delhi, it will be great and create more awareness about good wines.
Director (LSN) Dawnay Day Hotels India Pvt.Ltd., a part of Dawnay Day UK, Member - The Press Club of India, Active Member - AF, & Italian Cult.Inst.Delhi
Dear Mr.Kamboj,
International wines in India are a somewhat expensive affair, primarily because of a Central Customs Duty of 160% on Imported Liquor. Add to that Transportation, VAT & TCS of 21.33% and, in Delhi, a Vend Fee of Rs.150/- per bottle, and you can see how the costs add up.
On the domestic wine front, naturally, the scene is better in terms of base cost, but it would be far more customer friendly if the various States - primarily Maharashtra and Karnataka - would give up squabbling with each other and imposing tit-for-tat duties and local taxes.
Today, in Delhi, we have a host of very good stand-alone restaurants - Diva, Olive Beach, Manre, Smoke House Grill, Punjabi by Nature - who have excellent Wine Lists. Do bear in mind, however, that after taking into account their Liquor Licence Fee and sundry overheads, the general markup on wines will be in the 300% to 400% range. So the cheapest domestic will be around Rs.1200/- the bottle and the cheapest International around Rs.1600/- the bottle.
This position will not change unless the Duty and Excise Laws change and, since excise is a State Subject, don't hold your breath for anything pathbreaking to happen!!
BOTTOMLINE - with due apologies to my friends in the Hospitality industry - if you want to enjoy really good wine, at a decent price, buy it yourself and savour it at home!!