Shamita Singha, right, brand ambassador for Four Seasons, conducted the wine appreciation session for guests who were seated at smartly laid out round tables. Four Seasons Viognier, Blush, Shiraz and Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were served as Shamita informally took guests through a wide-ranging presentation on understanding the different styles of wines, the winemaking process, wine service, the importance of responsible consumption, wine and health, and food and wine pairing. Despite covering so much ground, she reassured guests that wine was not difficult to understand as guests warmed up to the nuances of discovering new tastes and aromas in the wines they sniffed and sipped.

Along with the wines came a choice of delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters with tasty dips that reflected Executive Chef S. Elangovan's passion for delving into the nuances of cuisines and experimenting with tastes and textures. Among the small innovative bites were Crumb fried prawns with sesame and onion seeds andripe papaya relish, Lamb rillette with saffron bread and cucumber cream, Fermented spiced rice dumplings with ginger chutney, Curry dressed paneer with olive caper tartare, and Hand crushed baby potato with raw mango and coriander dust.

The wine appreciation session was followed by an enjoyable programme of traditional music from different countries, especially Ireland and Scotland. Anna Tanvir sang evocative folk songs as she played the guitar and the harp in a musical experience without boundaries.
Left: Anna Tanvir performing at Vivanta by Taj - Blue Diamond, Pune