Which wine to serve at a party
A question Sommelier India often gets asked is which wines to serve at a party and our advice is, serve a wine that's appropriate for the kind of event you are planning and the number of guests invited. "Trophy wines will not do well at a large gathering. In fact, you would be doing the wines a disservice," says Reva Singh.
The easy drinking, approachable wines that were chosen for the recent Sommelier India Wine Reception were very popular with guests, who included wine connoisseurs and novices alike, as well as a large number of Scotch drinkers. Although wine was the only alcohol served, we heard no 'whining' (pardon the pun) from Scotch traditionalists!
The three wines were Bouvet Brut, a Loire Valley bubbly from France, a Pazo Barrantes 100% Albarino varietal white from Spain and a Gérard Bertrand Syrah from Languedoc-Roussillon as the red wine option. By the end of the evening to our surprise, because we had an ample supply, all the wine had been consumed. Not a drop was left!
An ever popular sparkler, Bouvet Brut is the flagship brand of Bouvet Ladubay, a winery with a heritage of 158 years in the Loire and now a 100% subsidiary of The UB Group. Abhay Kewadkar who heads the Wines division of United Spirits Ltd noted that the grapes are selected exclusively from Saumur's AOC vineyards and strictly processed in limestone cellars according to the traditional method used for Champagne. "Characterised by fine persistent bubbles dominated by a fruity bouquet with aromas of white flowers, the varietal blend is 80% Chenin Blanc which gives backbone and structure to the wine and 20% Chardonnay which brings in finesse," he said.
Craig Wedge of Finewinesnmore, explaining why he thought their white and red wines went down so well, said, "The Pazo de Barrantes Albarino is a fabulous white from the Rias Baixas region of Spain, showcasing all the delightful hallmarks of this region. It was excellent for the evening because it was uncomplicated yet absolutely desirable - zesty and fresh, with beautiful peachy tropical flavours offset by bone crunching acidity.
"The red wine showed all the wonderful attributes of the Languedoc Syrah and the deft hand of Gérard Bertrand with delicious, spicy red berry flavours and an underplay of fine-grained tannins and textural mouthfeel. Again, its popularity was due, in short, to its sheer drinkability and approachability."
All three wines are available in five star hotels and most fine dining restaurants.
Retail price in Delhi:
Bouvet Ladubay Brut: Rs 1500 app.
Pazo De Barrantes Albarino - Marques De Murrieta - Rs 2536/-
Classic DOC Syrah - Gerard Bertrand - Rs 1225/-
