Antaraa: A New Blend from Good Earth Winery
Good Earth Winery recently launched a Cabernet-Shiraz blend, Antaraa, to their portfolio of wines. "We wanted to include a red wine to the easy drinking Raga Collection," Girish Mhatre told Sommelier India correspondent, Brinda Gill. Good Earth already has the Concerto Collection comprising the reserve wines, Basso which is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Brio, a Shiraz, while the Raga Collection has Aarohi, a Sauvignon Blanc.
Antaraa means verse in Hindustani classical music, and has been introduced as a sister wine to Aarohi, which refers to ascending notes in Indian music.
"The idea was to create a less tannic, more immediately approachable red than the reserves," noted Mhatre, Director, Good Earth Winery. "Hence we chose to use an unoaked, younger Cabernet. However, since we wanted a little bit of tannic backbone to give the wine structure, we blended it with a small amount of reserve Shiraz."
The wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet from stainless steel tanks and 25% Shiraz that has been aged for six months in an oak barrel. As each barrel and each tank is different, even in a particular vintage, Good Earth conducted careful tastings, identified particular barrels and tanks for blending, and is pleased with the results.
"Antaraa is like an unruly teenager when you first open the bottle, as if it is struggling to be let out. But after a few minutes of breathing it settles into a smooth, but structured wine that exhibits increasingly complex flavours. Blends always do that, but blends also integrate better with bottle aging," says Mhatre. "In the bottle for only two months, Antaraa will taste even better in six months. You can certainly drink it now, but you can also buy it and lay it down for a few more months at home before opening the bottle."
The tasting notes state that the wine has subtle flavours of plum, blackcurrants and spice that are held together by a backbone of soft tannins. Recommended food pairings include milder curries, hard and soft cheeses, spicy pizzas and creamy pasta dishes. It is also recommended that the wine be chilled and should ideally be served around 15ºC to make it more suitable for Indian weather conditions.
Included in the Good Earth gift box with a bottle of Antaraa wine is a beautiful Burgundy wine glass. With a purchase of 24 bottles you get a complimentary wine cooler. A purchase of 12 bottles entitles you to complimentary Vitiquette service where the company provides glasses, decanters, crackers/breadsticks, and knowledgeable staff to serve the wines for a customer's party. A menu of food specially paired with the wines is also available for an extra charge.
Antaraa is priced at Rs 825. For more information call Rina at 9011261234; email: info@goodearthwinery.com; or check www.goodearthwinery.com
