In the latest issue, Steven Spurrier who is a living legend in wine circles around the world, tastes and scores Indian wines. Beware, the results may surprise. Jancis Robinson tries to understand why the Chinese are so fascinated with Lafite among all the first growths. It begs the question, will India develop a special relationship with one of the first growths too? And will that be Lafite?
Inder Raj Ahluwalia takes the reader on a journey to Barossa, the famous wine region of South Australia while Alok Chandra interviews South Australia's premier in an exclusive for Sommelier India.
Raghu Bahadur shares with us his experiences in shopping for wine in the Arabian Gulf and India. Not surprisingly, he finds shopping for liquor an uphill task. Robert Joseph of the Indian Wine Challenge fame, contemplates the impact of global warming on the future of wine and Janaki Bahadur visits Madhu Jaffrey to discover her secrets of success. And if that wasn't enough to read, Brinda Gill interviews Jean-Manuel Jacquinot, food columnist Preah Narang adds flavor and Michele Shah discusses her favorite Tuscans in the new vintage.
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Yesterday, my brother-in-law introduced me to Continuum. The new wine from Robert, Marcia and Tim Mondavi. And it was a unique experience not just because the wine was special (and rather expensive at $130 a bottle) but also because it marks a new beginning for an iconic wine family.
As many of you may know, Robert Mondavi is something of a living, albeit tragic legend in Napa Valley and wine circles around the world. The Mondavi Winery which was established in 1966 grew to be one of the biggest and most reputable of Napa Valley wine brands in a short thirty year period.
Time Out Delhi featured Reva Singh, publisher of Sommelier India in its latest issue. She was asked about her wine preferences, the growth of the Indian wine market and predictions for the future of the Indian wine market. Keep reading for the interview
Did you know that Sommelier India, The Wine Magazine is available in select retail outlets across the country? For example, you can find the magazine in any of the Oberoi Hotel bookshops in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkota, Bangalore and Delhi. The magazine is also available at the Taj Hotel's Nalanda bookshop in Mumbai. Good Earth Stores in Mumbai and Delhi carries the magazine as does Mumbai's Indigo Delicatessen. The magazine is also available at Khan Market in New Delhi. Read the Table of Contents and subscribe today. It makes learning about wine fun!
Sometimes a cartoon is worth a thousand words. This cartoon seems to tell it all. We can't find the original source so apologies to the original publisher. Its a uniquely Indian and uniquely wine cartoon.
Update: As a follow up the source of this wonderful cartoon has been identified. It was originally published in L'Aperitif - IFOWS News Magazine, on the occasion of IFOWS - India food & Wine Show.
Everywhere across the world Valentine's Day is being celebrated. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Across India, Valentine's Day is a huge phenomena with Rs.15 crores in related sales last year.
So what should you drink on Valentine's day? Experts believe that Champagne is the best drink for Valentine's Day. Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial is always a great choice. You may want to try Sula's new Dia wine which targets Indian women. The wine costs Rs 180 per bottle and only 8% alcohol as against the more normal 14%. It is a little sweeter than most other wines. Sula produces this wine in partnership with Bosca.
Fiona Beckett an occasional contributor to Sommelier India-The Wine Magazine (www.matchingfoodandwine.com) offers some interesting pairings of wine (and other drinks) to match Valentine’s Day favourites. "If you’re planning a Valentine’s dinner on Thursday and haven’t got round to the wine here’s a quick list of my picks with the world’s most sensual foods. Bear in mind that the pairings are suggested with Valentine’s night in mind. There may be better matches but they’re less romantic ones!"
Who has had the most impact on the F&B business in India in 2007? Business Standard took a stab at the list. Interestingly, the list mentioned some wine people - Abhay Kewadkar, Head of winery division, UB group and then Aman Dhall of Brindco and Ritu Dalmia of Diva in the context of Italian people pushing wine. The others on the list included Anjan Chatterjee of Speciality Restaurants, Jack Aw Yong, executive chef, projects, Hyatt International and Dhiraj Arora of Shalom, the bar, and Soul Vacations, the hotel.
French chef Bernard Dance's priorities are clear. The wine precedes, and decides the food to follow. That sounds radical; but after all, he is working at Möet and Chandon's Chateau de Saran, the company's private centre for entertaining a select few. Visiting Mumbai and Delhi, he elaborates on pairing wine with Indian food.
Over the last few years bartending has become a hot career option. No more is it a poorly paid career as it once was. Some of the top bartending schools in the country include the Johnnie Walker Academy which runs a six month training programme. If you are interested in a bartending career, this LiveMint article is a must read.
Do not expect too much or too little from your wine. Unique, fine wines for instance should be reserved for occasions when they can be enjoyed with deliberate awareness of the unusual pleasure they provide. Save them for a contemplative evening with other wine lovers. If you choose an unsuitable wine there is the risk that a good wine will be wasted and the occasion itself badly served. Read on for a mulled wine recipe at the end article too.
You can now get blog updates in your email by just entering your email address in the "Blog Updates" box at the top right hand corner of the home page. You will receive an email as soon as the Sommelier India blog is updated. Subscribe to the print magazine today for feature stories and lots more from some of the best wine writers in India and the world. It'll make the perfect Christmas gift!
Is this really an ad or a movie? Martin Scorsese plays a leading role in this promotional wine video clip. The story centers around a key to a box that houses a bottle of Freixenet Reserva and is made on behalf of Spanish winemaker Freixenet. Are you more likely to drink Freixenet wine after watching this? Freixenet is one of the most renowned and largest cava house in Spain, similar in quality, size and importance to France's Moet & Chandon.
(Cava is the Spanish sparkling wine equivalent to France's champagne.) The Freixenet cava business started in 1914. More on the ad at Businessweek.
Wines made from certain grapes — chardonnay, semillon, the Bordeaux reds and so on — gain complexity and add layers of flavor when aged in new oak barrels. However, the type of barrel and the time in barrel can vary infinitely explains this Seattle Times article.
Oak may be sourced from various forests in Europe and America, and once harvested, may be air-dried or kiln-dried, aged for different lengths of time and then toasted to different degrees. Winemakers love to play with the wide range of flavors available to them, which they often compare to a chef's spice rack. This is all well and good, but the final results, as always, depend upon the skill of the artist.
