Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
UB's Four Seasons Wine Launch at Chennai 3rd & 4th Sep 2009
United Spirit’s Four Seasons wines was launched in Chennai on the 3rd September with a tasting organised by Terroir – Madras Wine Club for its members as well as a gliterring public event on the 4th September 2009 organised by UB along with Sheraton Park Hotel.
Terroir - Madras Wine Club event on 3rd Sep 2009 7 pm at 10 Downing Street Pub - T Nagar
I had met Mr Abhay Kewadkar at their official stand in Vinexpo at Bordeaux in June 2009. He had shown interest in introducing his wines to the members of Terroir –Madras Wine Club and so we started to organise the same and it finally happened on the 3rd Sep 2009. Mr Abhay Kewadkar was present to introduce his wines to the members of Terroir – Madras Wine Club. It was Terroir’s fourth event since its inauguration in Jan. It was held at the fashionable pub of Chennai called 10 Downing street. Mr Abhay Kewadkar, the chief wine maker and Business Head of the UB Wine division was present at the event attended by about 30 members.
While the members were sipping the BRUT and making their palate ready and fresh to taste the Four Seasons range, Mr Abhay Kewadkar gave a brief talk on the Bouvet Ladubay range and then introduced the members to the Four Seasons range of wines made at their Baramati winery. The five varietals of Four Seasons wines launched this year all over India – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Blush Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
The Chenin Blanc was an instant hit with the members of the Terroir compared
to the Sauvignon Blanc. The reds were soft and easy drinking too without too much of tannin. A few members preferred the white wines than the red ones and there was a comment from one of the members that India needs a few more years to experiment and come out with a good red wine. Mr Kewadkar emphasised that Four Seasons range of wines are simple wines which are light in body and have low alcohol content. He also pointed out the “ herbaceous” character of the wines.
Some members did like both the reds and I personally liked the Shiraz and all the members agreed that this vintage happens to be the first vintage from Four Seasons and we were all very confident that their wines will improve with every vintage with the able guidance of Mr Abhay Kewadkar who is right now India’s only well known “ Indian” winemaker and we should all be proud about that.
Mr Kewadkar answered the questions of some members about the winemaking process in Baramati winery and also shared with us Dr Vijay Mallya’s preference when it comes to Wines. The snacks offered by 10 Downing Street was a good accompaniment to the wines tasted.
Terroir was proud to have the first tasting of Indian wines from the Four Seasons range after having organised a few tastings of Imported wines from the old and new worlds. We look forward to organise such tastings to promote and popularise wines “ Made in India”.
Mera Bharath Mahan!
Official Public launch of Four Seasons by United Vintners in association with Sheraton Park Hotel -
The public launch at Chennai on the 4th Sep at Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers was hosted by Mr Virender Razdan GM of Sheraton Park Hotel and Mr Abhay Kewadkar. Mr Virender Razdan was a great host who stood at the entrance of the hall personally greeting and welcoming all the guests. There were quite a few officials present at the event from the Hotel as well as UB’s Chennai team to interact with the guests. The event was attended by more than a 100 guests. I could spot many industrialists, liquor industry representatives & distillery owners, members of Chennai’s diplomatic missions, socialites, members of foreign cultural and business associations, artists as well as an Australian cricket star Mathew Hayden.
Mr Virender Razdan welcomed the guests with a short speech and later Mr Abhay Kewadkar introduced the wines followed by a short presentation on the Four Seasons wines and its winery in Baramati. All the five Four Seasons varietals were served at different counters with matching veg and non veg kebabs. Apart from the Kebabs, there was also a spread of cheeses, salads and deserts to end the evening.
The 2 white wines were clearly the winners followed by the Shiraz and Cabernet sauvignon. Surprisingly the Blush Zinfandel was not appreciated by many present there. Personally I preferred the Chenin Blanc and Shiraz. I asked Abhay the secret of the Chenin Blanc success story and also if they had imported the “ technical expertise” for Chenin Blanc from their Bouvet Ladubay’s French experts in Loire valley which is the Mecca of france’s best Chenin Blanc. Abhay confirmed that its their own winemaking techniques and nothing was imported.
I am a big lover of Loire valley wines from France and have been visiting the wineries and vineyards since the year 2000 and I have visited Bouvet Ladubay twice ( once before it was taken over by UB and the second visit in 2007 after it was taken over by UB )and I am very thankful to UB and also proud about its acquisition because I could see a marked change in the way people related to the wine industry in Loire valley treated me as an Indian during my visits after 2006 ( the year Bouvet was bought by UB ).They were more warm and eager to welcome Indians and good vintage bottles were opened and bottles were even gifted.
This Four Seasons vintage happens to be the very first vintage from Four Seasons and we were all very confident that their wines will improve with every vintage with the able guidance of Mr Abhay Kewadkar who is right now India’s only well known
“ Indian” winemaker and we should all be proud about that. We will wait for their other varietals being released in the market in a few months from now as well as their Reserve wines.
Chinmaya Arjun Raja
www.chennaiwineclub.com
Terroir - Madras Wine Club event on 3rd Sep 2009 7 pm at 10 Downing Street Pub - T Nagar
I had met Mr Abhay Kewadkar at their official stand in Vinexpo at Bordeaux in June 2009. He had shown interest in introducing his wines to the members of Terroir –Madras Wine Club and so we started to organise the same and it finally happened on the 3rd Sep 2009. Mr Abhay Kewadkar was present to introduce his wines to the members of Terroir – Madras Wine Club. It was Terroir’s fourth event since its inauguration in Jan. It was held at the fashionable pub of Chennai called 10 Downing street. Mr Abhay Kewadkar, the chief wine maker and Business Head of the UB Wine division was present at the event attended by about 30 members.
While the members were sipping the BRUT and making their palate ready and fresh to taste the Four Seasons range, Mr Abhay Kewadkar gave a brief talk on the Bouvet Ladubay range and then introduced the members to the Four Seasons range of wines made at their Baramati winery. The five varietals of Four Seasons wines launched this year all over India – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Blush Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
The Chenin Blanc was an instant hit with the members of the Terroir compared
to the Sauvignon Blanc. The reds were soft and easy drinking too without too much of tannin. A few members preferred the white wines than the red ones and there was a comment from one of the members that India needs a few more years to experiment and come out with a good red wine. Mr Kewadkar emphasised that Four Seasons range of wines are simple wines which are light in body and have low alcohol content. He also pointed out the “ herbaceous” character of the wines.
Some members did like both the reds and I personally liked the Shiraz and all the members agreed that this vintage happens to be the first vintage from Four Seasons and we were all very confident that their wines will improve with every vintage with the able guidance of Mr Abhay Kewadkar who is right now India’s only well known “ Indian” winemaker and we should all be proud about that.
Mr Kewadkar answered the questions of some members about the winemaking process in Baramati winery and also shared with us Dr Vijay Mallya’s preference when it comes to Wines. The snacks offered by 10 Downing Street was a good accompaniment to the wines tasted.
Terroir was proud to have the first tasting of Indian wines from the Four Seasons range after having organised a few tastings of Imported wines from the old and new worlds. We look forward to organise such tastings to promote and popularise wines “ Made in India”.
Mera Bharath Mahan!
Official Public launch of Four Seasons by United Vintners in association with Sheraton Park Hotel -
The public launch at Chennai on the 4th Sep at Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers was hosted by Mr Virender Razdan GM of Sheraton Park Hotel and Mr Abhay Kewadkar. Mr Virender Razdan was a great host who stood at the entrance of the hall personally greeting and welcoming all the guests. There were quite a few officials present at the event from the Hotel as well as UB’s Chennai team to interact with the guests. The event was attended by more than a 100 guests. I could spot many industrialists, liquor industry representatives & distillery owners, members of Chennai’s diplomatic missions, socialites, members of foreign cultural and business associations, artists as well as an Australian cricket star Mathew Hayden.
Mr Virender Razdan welcomed the guests with a short speech and later Mr Abhay Kewadkar introduced the wines followed by a short presentation on the Four Seasons wines and its winery in Baramati. All the five Four Seasons varietals were served at different counters with matching veg and non veg kebabs. Apart from the Kebabs, there was also a spread of cheeses, salads and deserts to end the evening.
The 2 white wines were clearly the winners followed by the Shiraz and Cabernet sauvignon. Surprisingly the Blush Zinfandel was not appreciated by many present there. Personally I preferred the Chenin Blanc and Shiraz. I asked Abhay the secret of the Chenin Blanc success story and also if they had imported the “ technical expertise” for Chenin Blanc from their Bouvet Ladubay’s French experts in Loire valley which is the Mecca of france’s best Chenin Blanc. Abhay confirmed that its their own winemaking techniques and nothing was imported.
I am a big lover of Loire valley wines from France and have been visiting the wineries and vineyards since the year 2000 and I have visited Bouvet Ladubay twice ( once before it was taken over by UB and the second visit in 2007 after it was taken over by UB )and I am very thankful to UB and also proud about its acquisition because I could see a marked change in the way people related to the wine industry in Loire valley treated me as an Indian during my visits after 2006 ( the year Bouvet was bought by UB ).They were more warm and eager to welcome Indians and good vintage bottles were opened and bottles were even gifted.
This Four Seasons vintage happens to be the very first vintage from Four Seasons and we were all very confident that their wines will improve with every vintage with the able guidance of Mr Abhay Kewadkar who is right now India’s only well known
“ Indian” winemaker and we should all be proud about that. We will wait for their other varietals being released in the market in a few months from now as well as their Reserve wines.
Chinmaya Arjun Raja
www.chennaiwineclub.com
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wine - Presentation and tasting of French wines on 7th March 6 pm
The presentation on 7th March 6 pm at Alliance Francaise of Madras is on -
WINE - Enjoying wine in the spirit of Plato's banquet relating to the historical meeting of a famous Greek Pythagorean and an Indian Brahmin in teh 1st century AD in India.
A brief introduction to the wine making process and the tradition of wine in France will also be given.
Reuilly Rose AOC - a refreshing rose wine from Loire valley wine making region of France, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune AOC - a red wine from Burgundy region are some of the wines which will be tasted in the guided tasting session after the presentation.
The presentation will be done by Dr Bruno Monange, a french doctor and winemaker and Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja, President of Alliance Francaise of Madras and a wine enthusiast.
Participation Fee - Rs 300 for non-members and Rs 200 for members of AFM. Please register at the AFM Reception before 6th March 2009.
WINE - Enjoying wine in the spirit of Plato's banquet relating to the historical meeting of a famous Greek Pythagorean and an Indian Brahmin in teh 1st century AD in India.
A brief introduction to the wine making process and the tradition of wine in France will also be given.
Reuilly Rose AOC - a refreshing rose wine from Loire valley wine making region of France, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune AOC - a red wine from Burgundy region are some of the wines which will be tasted in the guided tasting session after the presentation.
The presentation will be done by Dr Bruno Monange, a french doctor and winemaker and Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja, President of Alliance Francaise of Madras and a wine enthusiast.
Participation Fee - Rs 300 for non-members and Rs 200 for members of AFM. Please register at the AFM Reception before 6th March 2009.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Invite & Details - Burgundy Wine Story & Tasting session
Wine - A story of a relationship between man and nature in Burgundy
The session is about the influence of monks in the development of vineyards in Burgundy and the traditional work in the vineyards of Burgundy around the year with some cultural and historical references. A brief introduction to the wine making process will also be given.
In Burgundy, the 100 Appellation d’Origine Controlee ( AOC ) wines for all life’s special moments is rooted in the terroir. The AOC is a quality label, guaranteeing the product’s characteristics, i.e. the terroir where it comes from, production methods, the history of the product and the producer’s expertise. The notion of the terroir is very wide which includes both natural factors and human factors. It is thanks to the richness of the Burgundy wine-growing area that it is made up of enormous patchwork of thousands of frequently small-sized plots called “climats”. Complexity is a major element in Burgundy cultural heritage, and the identity of each of her many wines depends on that wine’s particular characteristics. Each vineyard plot, secure behind its own fence or stone wall, is unique. Burgundy’s most famous monastic vineyard is the Clos de Vougeot (seen in picture), where the Cistercian monks first planted vine in the 12th century.
The 100 Burgundy appellations are divided into 4 levels of appellation : Regional appellations, village appellations, Premier cru appellations and Grand cru appellations. They are divided in to 5 wine-growing areas : Chablis-Grand Auxerrois, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais.
Burgundy is the native land of two prestigious varieties of grape, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay is a golden white grape used for White wines and Pinot Noir is a black grape with white juice used for the legendary ruby red wines of Burgundy. Aligote and Gamay are other grape varieties used in certain appellations.
The session will be followed by a guided wine tasting of 2 or 3 wines from the Burgundy region of France – Bourgogne Blanc AOC, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune AOC and Cremant de Bourgogne AOC.
A special “ Gold Wine” will be uncorked at the end to celebrate the Valentine’s day !
A bottle of wine will be gifted to one participant in a lucky draw contest!
The session will be conducted by Dr. Bruno Monange and Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja.
Dr.Bruno Monange is a medical doctor by profession and winemaker by passion. He has a small vineyard in Burgundy where he produces his own wine every year. He does all the vineyard related work all by himself in the traditional way.He is very knowledgeable about wines from the Burgundy region of France.He visits India frequently to offer his services to free medical camps organized by NGO’s in South India. His sessions are informative as he gives emphasis to the cultural and historical aspects of wine as well as the health benefits of drinking wine. He has been a witness to the developing interest in wines and wine making in India. He has conducted many wine appreciation sessions in Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Chennai.
Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja is a Chennai based businessman, wine enthusiast and President of Alliance Francaise of Madras. He is passionate about wines after having visited many wineries, interacted with many winemakers and attended tasting sessions all over France, Germany and Napa valley in the USA since the last 8 years. He has a wine consultancy called Diwine Raga and organizes wine appreciation and training sessions through a forum called Chennai Wine Club.
www.chennaiwineclub.com
Important Note : This session is a cultural and historical presentation on wines from Burgundy wine-growing region of France and about wine appreciation. Its open only to people above the legal drinking age. Moderate wine drinking is advised for health benefits. Wine has between 5% and 14% alcohol content. Abuse of alcohol is injurious to health.
Event on Saturday 14th Feb 2009 at 6 pm – AFM Auditorium
Please register at the reception before Friday the 13th of Feb 2009
Participation fee : Rs 300 for non members and
Rs 200 for members of Alliance Francaise of Madras
Priority to AFM members
For further information please contact Mr Chinmaya Raja : 9789059024
The session is about the influence of monks in the development of vineyards in Burgundy and the traditional work in the vineyards of Burgundy around the year with some cultural and historical references. A brief introduction to the wine making process will also be given.
In Burgundy, the 100 Appellation d’Origine Controlee ( AOC ) wines for all life’s special moments is rooted in the terroir. The AOC is a quality label, guaranteeing the product’s characteristics, i.e. the terroir where it comes from, production methods, the history of the product and the producer’s expertise. The notion of the terroir is very wide which includes both natural factors and human factors. It is thanks to the richness of the Burgundy wine-growing area that it is made up of enormous patchwork of thousands of frequently small-sized plots called “climats”. Complexity is a major element in Burgundy cultural heritage, and the identity of each of her many wines depends on that wine’s particular characteristics. Each vineyard plot, secure behind its own fence or stone wall, is unique. Burgundy’s most famous monastic vineyard is the Clos de Vougeot (seen in picture), where the Cistercian monks first planted vine in the 12th century.
The 100 Burgundy appellations are divided into 4 levels of appellation : Regional appellations, village appellations, Premier cru appellations and Grand cru appellations. They are divided in to 5 wine-growing areas : Chablis-Grand Auxerrois, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais.
Burgundy is the native land of two prestigious varieties of grape, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay is a golden white grape used for White wines and Pinot Noir is a black grape with white juice used for the legendary ruby red wines of Burgundy. Aligote and Gamay are other grape varieties used in certain appellations.
The session will be followed by a guided wine tasting of 2 or 3 wines from the Burgundy region of France – Bourgogne Blanc AOC, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune AOC and Cremant de Bourgogne AOC.
A special “ Gold Wine” will be uncorked at the end to celebrate the Valentine’s day !
A bottle of wine will be gifted to one participant in a lucky draw contest!
The session will be conducted by Dr. Bruno Monange and Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja.
Dr.Bruno Monange is a medical doctor by profession and winemaker by passion. He has a small vineyard in Burgundy where he produces his own wine every year. He does all the vineyard related work all by himself in the traditional way.He is very knowledgeable about wines from the Burgundy region of France.He visits India frequently to offer his services to free medical camps organized by NGO’s in South India. His sessions are informative as he gives emphasis to the cultural and historical aspects of wine as well as the health benefits of drinking wine. He has been a witness to the developing interest in wines and wine making in India. He has conducted many wine appreciation sessions in Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Chennai.
Mr Chinmaya Arjun Raja is a Chennai based businessman, wine enthusiast and President of Alliance Francaise of Madras. He is passionate about wines after having visited many wineries, interacted with many winemakers and attended tasting sessions all over France, Germany and Napa valley in the USA since the last 8 years. He has a wine consultancy called Diwine Raga and organizes wine appreciation and training sessions through a forum called Chennai Wine Club.
www.chennaiwineclub.com
Important Note : This session is a cultural and historical presentation on wines from Burgundy wine-growing region of France and about wine appreciation. Its open only to people above the legal drinking age. Moderate wine drinking is advised for health benefits. Wine has between 5% and 14% alcohol content. Abuse of alcohol is injurious to health.
Event on Saturday 14th Feb 2009 at 6 pm – AFM Auditorium
Please register at the reception before Friday the 13th of Feb 2009
Participation fee : Rs 300 for non members and
Rs 200 for members of Alliance Francaise of Madras
Priority to AFM members
For further information please contact Mr Chinmaya Raja : 9789059024
Tasting of Frescobaldi Wines at Taj Coramandal
Frescobaldi Wine tasting at Taj Coramandal - 10th Feb 2009 6 to 7:30 pm
Tasting of 4 wines from the famous Italian wine maker Marchesi de'Frescobaldi was organised by Terroir wine club and Taj Coramandal at the Fort St George Bar on the 10th Feb 2009 from 6pm to 8pm. President of the Marchesi de'Frescobaldi-Marquis Leonardo Frescobaldi and the Export Director, Mr Giuseppe Pariani were present to talk about their famous wines. The Marchesi de' Frescobaldi is one of Italy's oldest wineries. They have recorded history dating back to the 14th century. The Frescobaldi family have been producing wines for more than 700 years.
Though the members of Terroir were asked to be there on time, i was invariably late ( even after deciding to take my bike instead of my car to help me reach Taj much faster from Thiruvanmiyur during peak traffic ) and reached the venue only at 6:20 pm. Couldnt see much what was happening inside the bar as the lights were dim and the place was dark , a typical bar ambience ( but not at all ideal for a wine tasting session ) but found a seat right at the front where i could see Mr Leonardo Frescobaldi giving a talk. (Thanks to Mr Arindam Kunar, the GM of Taj and Mr Arjun Nair, President of Terroir, who both waved and helped me find a seat next to Arindam ).I was looking " all blue" as my seat was just below a dim blue light of Fort St George!
Apparently the session started at 6:15 pm only and so i would have missed only a few minutes of his talk. Pleased to note that the wine glasses were all empty and they had'nt started with the wine tasting. Mr Frescobaldi spoke about his family and his estate in Tuscany and about their quality wines. The family currently owns around 1,200 hectares of vineyards shared by nine estates. They produce some of Italy's most premium wines like DOCG, DOC and IGT ( the italian equivalent of AOC and other appelations a la francaise ) wines.
Pomino Bianco 2003:
P
ater 2006 - Tuscan Sangiovese:
The second wine in the list was a red wine called Pater from 2006 Vintage. Its a Tuscan 100% Sangiovese red wine. Though its paired with meat dishes, i tried to experiment with all the cheese served in the cheese platter along with other cocktail eatables kept on the tables. This was not my favourite wine but was not bad to start the red wine tastings..
Luc
e 2000:
Luce means light in Italian and its the name of the wine made jointly by the Frescobaldi Family and Mondavi Family. In the year 1995 both the families came together to make a world class Italian Wine. Its the first wine in Montalcino region of Italy to be blended with Sangiovese and Merlot grape varieties. The percentage of the blend depends on the vintage and other factors. The Luce of Vintage 2000 is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Sangiovese ( it may be 60% sangiovese or 55% sangiovese or 50% sangiovese and the rest merlot depending on the vintage). The wine had flavours of red berries and had a spicy touch with a lingering aftertaste.
Morm0reto 2004 - The Italian Bordeaux Blend:
Tasting of 4 wines from the famous Italian wine maker Marchesi de'Frescobaldi was organised by Terroir wine club and Taj Coramandal at the Fort St George Bar on the 10th Feb 2009 from 6pm to 8pm. President of the Marchesi de'Frescobaldi-Marquis Leonardo Frescobaldi and the Export Director, Mr Giuseppe Pariani were present to talk about their famous wines. The Marchesi de' Frescobaldi is one of Italy's oldest wineries. They have recorded history dating back to the 14th century. The Frescobaldi family have been producing wines for more than 700 years.
Though the members of Terroir were asked to be there on time, i was invariably late ( even after deciding to take my bike instead of my car to help me reach Taj much faster from Thiruvanmiyur during peak traffic ) and reached the venue only at 6:20 pm. Couldnt see much what was happening inside the bar as the lights were dim and the place was dark , a typical bar ambience ( but not at all ideal for a wine tasting session ) but found a seat right at the front where i could see Mr Leonardo Frescobaldi giving a talk. (Thanks to Mr Arindam Kunar, the GM of Taj and Mr Arjun Nair, President of Terroir, who both waved and helped me find a seat next to Arindam ).I was looking " all blue" as my seat was just below a dim blue light of Fort St George!
Apparently the session started at 6:15 pm only and so i would have missed only a few minutes of his talk. Pleased to note that the wine glasses were all empty and they had'nt started with the wine tasting. Mr Frescobaldi spoke about his family and his estate in Tuscany and about their quality wines. The family currently owns around 1,200 hectares of vineyards shared by nine estates. They produce some of Italy's most premium wines like DOCG, DOC and IGT ( the italian equivalent of AOC and other appelations a la francaise ) wines.
Pomino Bianco 2003:
We proceeded with the tasting session of Frescobaldi wines. The first wine was a white wine called - Castello di Pomino - Pomino Bianco DOC 2003 Vintage. This refreshing white wine is made mainly from Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco grapes. Very few know that Chardonnay is produced in Italy too. Infact the Frescobaldis were the first in Tuscany to import French /international varieties like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir etc. The Pomino Bianco was refreshing to the palate as an excellent aperitif wine with lemon and floral notes and the required acidity. Mr Guiseppe Pariani added that the serving temperature is very important for this Pomino Bianco as it should not be too chilled. It was difficult to guage the colour of the wine as the place was quite dark. The wine was hazy blue in colour at the place where i was sitting!
P
ater 2006 - Tuscan Sangiovese:The second wine in the list was a red wine called Pater from 2006 Vintage. Its a Tuscan 100% Sangiovese red wine. Though its paired with meat dishes, i tried to experiment with all the cheese served in the cheese platter along with other cocktail eatables kept on the tables. This was not my favourite wine but was not bad to start the red wine tastings..
Luc
e 2000:Luce means light in Italian and its the name of the wine made jointly by the Frescobaldi Family and Mondavi Family. In the year 1995 both the families came together to make a world class Italian Wine. Its the first wine in Montalcino region of Italy to be blended with Sangiovese and Merlot grape varieties. The percentage of the blend depends on the vintage and other factors. The Luce of Vintage 2000 is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Sangiovese ( it may be 60% sangiovese or 55% sangiovese or 50% sangiovese and the rest merlot depending on the vintage). The wine had flavours of red berries and had a spicy touch with a lingering aftertaste.
Morm0reto 2004 - The Italian Bordeaux Blend:
The best wines are served at the end ! So we had to wait to get the taste of the elegant red of the day - Mormoreto ! Mormoreto is a single-vineyard cru of Castello di Nipozzano. It's a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc ( the famous Bordeaux Blend ) and recently they have also started using Petit Verdot along with this blend. The tannins were very smooth and the wine had very spicy aromas along with flavours of red fruits. The best wine for the cheeses of the day! Thanks to the Taj Coramandal's staff, i could always get some vegetarian short eats and the different cheeses to compliment the wines of the day. This was my first taste of an Italian Bordeaux Blend. Quite an interesting wine! Getting a good Bordeaux blend right is a dream of many winemakers in the new old! Here we have a case of an old world country trying to compete with the original French Bordeaux!
The event was priced at Rs 850 for the members of Terroir. There were about 30 to 35 people for the session. Though we could ask questions to Mr Frescobaldi and it was an interactive session, the seating arrangements could have been better.
Lighting for a wine tasting session :
The most important aspect of any wine tasting is " Light " and we have to have enough light to see the wine before tasting the same. The " Look" is as important as the " Nose" as well as the " Sip". All the three compliment each other! Wine tasting sessions should never be conducted in a Bar like atmosphere with dim lights ! It takes away the whole fun of wine tasting. I wish it was held at the Prego restaurant or in any small room with good lights. The experience would have been much more fulfilling both for wine tasting as well as getting the value for the money spent!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Gold Wine
They say wine is liquid gold and voila we now have a white wine called Gold Wine imported in India by Chennai based Wine Legend India Pvt Ltd. The CEO of the indian branch of Wine Legend ( based in New Jersey area USA ) Mr D K Raju has been trying to make a lot of efforts to distribute his wines in some main Indian Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and ofcourse Chennai. Gold Wine is a wine from the famous Jayson Woodbridge wines based in Napa. GOLD wine is basically un-oaked, non-malolactic Chardonnay blended with other varietals like Viognier and Gewurstraminer with pure 24 carat gold flecks added in to the bottle. Woodbridge bottles and releases the Gold Wine twice a year which happens to be a new concept in the world of wines. The wine released in July is apparently from Australian grapes and the wine released in November is from californian grapes. The attractive glass bottles which are sourced from France is fired with 24 karat gold labels.
When i first tasted Gold Wine a few months back, was quite surprised that i couldnt feel the gold flecks inside my mouth. Its so fine and you dont realise you are having them inside. I did a few guided tasting sessions of a few wines including the Gold Wine for Wine Legend India at a few chennai hotels like Le Meridien and Courtyard Marriot. Mr D K Raju requested me to help them train a few hotel staff and let them know the basic wine making process and do a guided tasting of a few wines like Gold Wine, Pink Gold Wine and other Australian wines.
Gold Wine considered a good marketing idea for a wine. The wine comes in an attractive bottle and just shake the bottle against some bright light, you will see the gold flecks everywhere inside the bottle.
The company is branding it as a Celabration wine! Indians love gold and lets see if Gold Wine tries to capture the celebration market! Why not celebrate Diwali with Gold Wine ? It will also be an ideal gifting option for corporate houses or even big jewellery shops in Chennai to gift it to its best customers! I am imagining a chennai mami with her kanchivaram with pure gold zari borders adorned with gold jewellery holding a glass of Gold wine, gold flecks glittering ...
Champagne was a great marketing success story even a few hundred years back! A perfect celebration drink in any part of the world!
Gold wine is available in many hotels in Chennai like GRT Grand, GRT temple bay, Hotel Ceebros Raintree, Le meridien, Courtyard marriot etc and prices are between Rs 2500 and Rs 4000 per bottle depending upon the restaurant and hotel! Few restaurants have been giving Gold Wine as a welcome drink for some occasions.
Madras wine scene
The city of Madras / Chennai is a traditional city compared to Bangalore, Bombay or Delhi. Its a difficult city for a Wine lover. Its such a difficult task to find good wines here, even the good Indian Wines like Grover's or Sula or Chateau Indage wines. We get only bad quality wines like Golkonda and Port wines made in India by manufacturers who themselves don't know what wine is all about. TASMAC shops all over Tamil Nadu stock only Beers and other IMFL bottles. Recently they have started distributing an imported French wine bottled in Pondicherry called The Warehouse. The quality is better than the indian made Golkonda wines but nothing else can be said about this wine too. I have given details of this wine in another Post in my blog.
I wish the TN Govt at least allows TASMAC shops to sell good Indian made wines produced in the neighbouring state of Karnataka and Maharashtra. These wines can be much better than the imported wines which are exported from the country of production as low quality wines and sold in the importing country as Premium wine. This is another case of importers trying to fool the consumer in the absence of laws regulating the quality of wine ( both imported as well as produced in India )
I wish the TN Govt at least allows TASMAC shops to sell good Indian made wines produced in the neighbouring state of Karnataka and Maharashtra. These wines can be much better than the imported wines which are exported from the country of production as low quality wines and sold in the importing country as Premium wine. This is another case of importers trying to fool the consumer in the absence of laws regulating the quality of wine ( both imported as well as produced in India )
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Clos des Lambrays - My first Grand Cru experience in Burgundy
Went for a long drive with Bruno through the Route des Grands Crus of the Cote de Nuits sub region of Burgundy on the 14th Oct. Its not easy to meet the winemakers and visit the domaines in the first 2 weeks of October as the grape harvest just got over in the last week of september and people are either busy with the initial winemaking process or taking a break after a hectic schedule. We passed through all the vineyards of famous villages like Gevrey -Chambertin and Morey Saint Denis. We thought we will try our luck and went to Clos des Lambrays, one of the very famous domaines of the region and producer of a great grand crus red wine considered to be one of the 100 best red wines of the world. The Domaine has history dating back to the 14th Century.Though we visited the domaine without any prior appointment, we were given a very warm welcome by Mr Thierry Brouin, the Managing Director and Oenologist. He requested a trainee to show us around the estate and give a brief about the vinification of the Clos. The estat
e and the whole area around the stainless steel vats etc were being cleaned by spraying water and it looked extremely clean. The trainee took both of us around the estate and then to the wine cellar. The oldest part of the cellar dates back to the 17th century. We were then joined by Mr Brouin whom i found extremely humble and frank. He apologised for the delay in joining us as he was with some german buyers. The Domaine is owned by a german named Gunter Freund which he purchased in the year 1996. Mr Gunter Freund recently became Commandeur at the Chevalier du Tastevin.
e and the whole area around the stainless steel vats etc were being cleaned by spraying water and it looked extremely clean. The trainee took both of us around the estate and then to the wine cellar. The oldest part of the cellar dates back to the 17th century. We were then joined by Mr Brouin whom i found extremely humble and frank. He apologised for the delay in joining us as he was with some german buyers. The Domaine is owned by a german named Gunter Freund which he purchased in the year 1996. Mr Gunter Freund recently became Commandeur at the Chevalier du Tastevin.We all spoke about the vintage of the year and the recent grape harvest and problems with the weather and pests in Burgundy. Clos des Lambrays produces only around 30,000 to 35,000 bottles of the Grand Cru and its all reserved in advance and he doesnt have wine to sell. But he said he is interested to sell a few bottles of his wine to countries like India to expand his markets. 
We then proceeded to the tasting and to be frank i never tasted such exciting red Burgundy wines before. He made us taste grand cru red wines of 2 vintages 2007 and 2006 from the barrels. The wine was very supple and elegant with fresh aromas of red fruits and rich tannins and one of the best burgundy red wines i ever had (with my little experience ).
(Photo on the right - Bruno on my right and Mr Thierry Brouin on my left at the Cellar)
I was not bothered about the tasting terminology and the tannins and aromas and aftertastes. I simply just liked the wine i was drinking! I decided that very moment that i need to earn money to drink only the Grand Crus of Burgundy! They are all soooo costly ! But one has to taste the best wines to know the difference!
I was a very happy man that day sipping that wonderfull red wine at the right temperature and at the right place with natural cellar temperature, just next to the vineyard where these Pinot grapes were grown. Temperature and climate is absolutely important for wine. It also improves the tasting sensation. And when you taste the best wine at its own cellar and with the company of the oenologist who made the wine talking about his wine, thats the best you can ask for!Burgundy wines tastes best in Burgundy! Thanks to Bruno for having taken me to Clos des Lambrays!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
SIAL Fair in Paris
I attended the SIAL 2008 in Oct 2008 - one of the world's biggest Food fair held in Paris once in 2 years. This was my 3rd SIAL fair which was different from the previous 2 SIAL fairs which i attended because this time i was a visitor and not the Exhibitor. All our African clients generally come to this fair in Paris.Though its a food fair, there are always a lot of beverages stalls mostly dedicated to juices and energy drinks but a few stalls are invariably wine and liquor stalls. I make it a point to visit all the wine stalls as much as i can in the general halls as well as the country specific halls where you get to taste wines from different countries like Italy, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Bulgaria and other eastern european countries. Indian wine maker Grover, had their stall in SIAL 2004 if i am not mistaken or may be it was 2006 in the Indian section full of basmati rice, spices, nuts, pulses and cereals stalls.
Tasted quite a few Italian wines made with italian grape varieties apart from wines from Bordeaux like Pessac Leognan which is one of my favourite wine regions of Bordeaux and other east european wines.
They also have a innovation prizes for food , packaging as well as wine packaging and innovative labels and ideas.
This time the fair had organised interesting lectures and seminars about wine by some prominent people from the wine world. Will give a brief of many such lectures shortly.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Visit to Bouvet Ladubay in Saumur - Vijay Mallya's French Wine House
I was at the Bouvet Ladubay in the small city of Saumur in the Centre Region of France in October last. This is the one which Dr Vijay Mallya purchased in the year 2006.I visited Bouvet along with 2 elderly couple friends from a city called Tours in France.
Will continue the rest shortly...
Wine Tasting at IFE 2008 Delhi
IFE is the annual food & wine fair held at New Delhi. I visited the previous IFE in 2007 and found the tastings organised by Mr Subhash Arora very informative. The tastings of the IFE 2007 which he organised were excellent, the different Spanish wines, Austrian wines and Italian wines were very interesting as well as the Austrian Ice wine and Spanish Sherry tastings were very informative.
This year i was at IFE with my friend Dr Bruno Monange who is from the Burgundy region of France. We attended all the wine tasting sessions organised by Indian Wine Academy and Delhi Wine Club president Mr Subhash Arora. Bruno and myself were also happy to be with our friend Mr D K Raju of Wine Legend India , an upcoming wine importer based in Chennai. Wine legend had also got a few awards in the wine competition organised by the Indian Wine Challenge.
We attended 4 tasting sessions - French wines, Australian Wines, New Zealand wines, American wines and South African Wines.
List of French Wines :
1. Chablis " Les venerables "
2. Chateau Grenouilles - Grand Cru
3. Pouilly Fuisse 2006 from Boutinot
4. Fleurie - La Madone - Beaujolais
5. Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune
6.Hospices de nuits - Nuit St. George 1er Cru 2004 " Les Didiers"
7.Petula - Grand Vin Luberon 2007
8.Grande Toque - Cotes de Luberon
9 Ortas - AOC Rasteau
List of Wines from Australia :
1. Oceans Estate - Sauvignon Blanc from Marjorie river
2. Hay Burner - Chardonnay 2006
3. Penmara - 2006 from Orange Region
4. Matildas - 2004
5. Hartz Barn Wines - 2005 Shiraz from Borossa
List of Wines from New Zealand :
1. Summerhouse - Marlbrough - NV Blanc de Blanc
2. Bolitho 2003 - Waimea Estate
3. Lowburn Ferry Central Otago - Pinot Noir 2007
4. Unison Vineyard - Hawkes Bay 2006 Syrah
List of Wines from South Africa :
1. First Cape 2008 - Cape of good hope
2. Pecan Stream - 2008 Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch
3. Oakville 2005
4. Constantia Glen 2008 - Sauvignon Blanc
5. Beyerskloof - Pinotage Reserve (Pinotage - flowers of Pinot Noir & Cinsault cross polinated, a south african speciality)
6. Kevin Arnold - 2005 Shiraz
7. Alee Bleue- 2006 Shiraz
8. Kanonkop - 2003 Stellenbosch
Will update ths tasting notes for some wines and personal preferences shortly.
This year i was at IFE with my friend Dr Bruno Monange who is from the Burgundy region of France. We attended all the wine tasting sessions organised by Indian Wine Academy and Delhi Wine Club president Mr Subhash Arora. Bruno and myself were also happy to be with our friend Mr D K Raju of Wine Legend India , an upcoming wine importer based in Chennai. Wine legend had also got a few awards in the wine competition organised by the Indian Wine Challenge.
We attended 4 tasting sessions - French wines, Australian Wines, New Zealand wines, American wines and South African Wines.
List of French Wines :
1. Chablis " Les venerables "
2. Chateau Grenouilles - Grand Cru
3. Pouilly Fuisse 2006 from Boutinot
4. Fleurie - La Madone - Beaujolais
5. Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune
6.Hospices de nuits - Nuit St. George 1er Cru 2004 " Les Didiers"
7.Petula - Grand Vin Luberon 2007
8.Grande Toque - Cotes de Luberon
9 Ortas - AOC Rasteau
List of Wines from Australia :
1. Oceans Estate - Sauvignon Blanc from Marjorie river
2. Hay Burner - Chardonnay 2006
3. Penmara - 2006 from Orange Region
4. Matildas - 2004
5. Hartz Barn Wines - 2005 Shiraz from Borossa
List of Wines from New Zealand :
1. Summerhouse - Marlbrough - NV Blanc de Blanc
2. Bolitho 2003 - Waimea Estate
3. Lowburn Ferry Central Otago - Pinot Noir 2007
4. Unison Vineyard - Hawkes Bay 2006 Syrah
List of Wines from South Africa :
1. First Cape 2008 - Cape of good hope
2. Pecan Stream - 2008 Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch
3. Oakville 2005
4. Constantia Glen 2008 - Sauvignon Blanc
5. Beyerskloof - Pinotage Reserve (Pinotage - flowers of Pinot Noir & Cinsault cross polinated, a south african speciality)
6. Kevin Arnold - 2005 Shiraz
7. Alee Bleue- 2006 Shiraz
8. Kanonkop - 2003 Stellenbosch
Will update ths tasting notes for some wines and personal preferences shortly.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Terroir - Wine Club
Terroir, a wine club in Chennai was officially launched with a grand ceremony followed by wine tasting and dinner on the 22nd of Jan 2009 at the Taj Coromandel.
The event was sponsored by the Taj Coromandel and Brindco, India’s largest importer of wine. Terroir will be an exclusive club of serious wine lovers with invited membership. People interested to join will have to pass through a selection process.
The club will be expanding its list of members shortly.
Capt Arjun Nair is the first president of Terroir, Mr Sudhir Rao is the Treasurer and Mr Sabu Balagopal is the Secretary. Mr Mukund Padmanabhan, journalist working at The Hindu, who also writes a fortnightly column on Wine in The Hindu Metro Plus is one of the founding members of Terroir. The website is www.terroir.in
Capt Arjun Nair and Taj Coromandel General Manager Mr Arindam Kunar unveiled the logo of the club and spoke on the occasion. Capt Arjun Nair briefly explained how the club was formed and Mr Arindam Kunar promised to price wine “aggressively” in the near future and also said that the “wine by glass” prices will be comparable to Coke and Mineral water. This is indeed very good news for wine lovers in Chennai as well as wine lovers in India. If other hotels follow this example, there will be a tremendous increase in the interest of wine and eventual sales of wine in the star hotels. Mr Arindam Kunar also informed the gathering that his hotel will be organising monthly wine events from Feb 2009 which will also be aggressively priced and Terroir members will be given further discount. They plan to bring in experts in the field to talk about wine and share their knowledge.
Mr Aman Dhall, Executive Director of Brindco India’s largest importer of wine was also present at the function. He spoke about his company and the position it enjoys in India’s wine imports. Mrs Reva Singh, Editor of Sommelier India who came all the way from Delhi to participate also spoke a few words about the wine clubs in the country and also distributed a few free copies of the latest edition of her magazine.
There were more than a 100 people who were invited for the Inauguration including the Terroir club members and their spouses, guests of Taj Coromandel, press people and other important Chennai personalities.
The highlight of the evening was the wine tasting. Wines were not served at the specially decorated dinner table, but at the country specific counters. It was more like a small wine fair with wines from 6 countries (both new and old world) - France, Italy, Australia, Chile, Spain and Portugal. There were about 32 different wines apart from the Italian Grappa and Portuguese Port. This would probably be the first time in India wherein a wine club was launched with such a grand tasting with so many different wines to choose from. France and Italy counters were the most popular among the participants.
I started with the French section as I found quite a few bottles of my favourite wine region Burgundy. An article in the chennai edition English newspaper reported that there were 12 grand cru wines in the French section which I feel is wrongly reported, I remember having seen only 1 Grand Cru in the Burgundy section which is the Echezeaux Grand Cru of Domaine du Clos Frantin and I am not sure if the Clos Frantin Gevrey Chambertin is a grand cru as I didn’t see the Grand Cru on its label and the other Grand Cru from Bordeaux - Saint Emilion First Grand Cru Classe B Chateau Belair , the rest were Premier Cru and AOC village appellation wines. So there were only 2 Grand Cru wines, one each from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Most of the wines were from 2000, 2001 and 2002 vintages.
The best among the Burgundy section was Pommard 1er Cru “Les Epenots” from Maison Louis Latour, Gevrey Chambertin from Maison Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin and Aloxe Corton 1er Cru “Clos des Marechaudes”. Echezeaux Grand Cru of Domaine du Clos Frantin was a disappointment, may be it was corked and was not stored properly. This is a problem with wines from Burgundy. It tastes best in Burgundy!
I would like to mention a short note about Burgundy wines. A winemaker in Burgundy once told me that Burgundy wines are very sensitive as it should not be subjected to frequent travel and bad storage and humidity is its main enemy. He narrated an incident which happened recently when he travelled to Australia for a wine fair to promote his wines and to his utter disbelief his wines tasted completely different when he served it to his guests and he had tears in his eyes and kept repeating to people that “this is not the wine I made”. A bottle of Burgundy opened in Chennai will taste different than the same bottle stored for a few days and opened in a hill station like Ooty for example! This happens to all fine wines and Burgundy in particular. Burgundy is not a “travel friendly wine” exclaimed a top official working for the Burgundy Chamber of Commerce whom I met at his Dijon office. There are people doing research to find different ways of storing Burgundy wines which retains the same structure and freshness in a Pinot Noir for example.
The Bordeaux wine Saint Emilion Chateau Belair 1er Grand Cru Classe B was another fine wine of the evening. Its one of the 13 Premier Grand Crus of Saint Emilion classification and belongs to the Class B (2 wines are in Class A and the rest 11 wines are in Class B).
The Italian section had good wines like Speri Amarone della Valpolicella Sant Urbano DOC and Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino DOC. I didn’t quite like the Chianti served – Chianti Classico Le Ellere DOCG. The Italian section had a Moscatello di Montalcino as the dessert wine and Grappa from the famous wine maker GAJA.
Australia’s Shiraz “ Weighbridge” Peter Lehmann , Chile Maipo valleys Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Spain’s Tempranillo Rioja D.O from Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Pomal “ Crianza” were other interesting wines of the session.
Apart from helping others with the selection of wines and especially a few ladies who wanted to drink only the sweetest wine available, I must have been one of the few who made it a point to taste all the wines except the port, grappa and eventually had to rush to the empty dinner hall to grab a bite while the others were busy with their conversations.
After an interesting and extended “ Aperitif ” session of 32 different kinds of wines, the buffet had an equally interesting menu with quite a choice for a vegetarian like me. What was striking to note was most of the vegetarian main courses and accompaniments had a fruity touch – Strawberry risotto with glazed baby carrots and pinot noir reduction, exotic vegetable and fruit kebab with spicy cranberry and red currant jus , mausambi pulao, rosemary naan etc. May be the Chef wanted us to continue having a fruity flavour with the food as well and associate them with the fruity aromas which we experienced with the wines. We were also asked to order a glass of wine to accompany the food and I again selected a glass of Gevrey Chambertin to show my partiality towards Burgundy wines!
To finish the wine experience of the day I took a sip of the dessert wine from Italy Moscatello di Montalcino along with the desserts – Cappuccino mousse in brandy snap and the Rum and raisin white chocolate tart. Felt that the dessert wine was too sweet for that moment. A friend of mine seated next to me was a whisky lover ( he is not a wine lover but he happened to be there for the evening as his wife is a wine lover and member of Terroir ) and he ordered for a Grappa from Gaja Italy and didn’t quite like it as he thought it was too “synthetic” for his taste. Will have to ask Gaia Gaja to comment on his remark during her next trip. Incidentally Taj Coromandel had organised a wine dinner a few months back at their famous PREGO – Italian Fine dining restaurant with GAJA wines and Gaia Gaja was there to talk about her wines and we had also tasted her Grappa.
The list of all the wines were displaced on each dinner table and it was all sponsored by Brindco. The vintage years were not mentioned along with the name of the wine. The vintage is equally very important I feel to judge the quality of the wine even before tasting it and the terroir’s name for example must be mentioned first followed by the cru details and the wine negociants/brand names.
Participants were eager to know the name of the wine and the Taj staff standing behind the counters kept saying, “this wine is called Maison Albert Bichot” instead of saying “ Aloxe Corton” or “ Echezeaux”. I immediately tried to correct them but the Brand name or the name of the negociant, maison or domaine is prominently printed on the labels with a big font size and people do get confused. A lot of training needs to be done for the hotel staff working at restaurants in hotels all over India as most of the imported wine is consumed at these high end restaurants and they are the final contact with the client who knows very little about the wines and this training is equally important for the wine education and appreciation in India.
It was surely a grand launch for a wine club. A fellow member remarked that launches are easy but it has to succeed in the long run. I am sure the club will succeed! Another member’s wife felt a bit shy and exclaimed that she just came to know Merlot was a grape variety as she has been thinking it’s a name of a wine. I told her that she should be happy she has finally come to know and thanks to Terroir & Taj Coromandel.
The event was sponsored by the Taj Coromandel and Brindco, India’s largest importer of wine. Terroir will be an exclusive club of serious wine lovers with invited membership. People interested to join will have to pass through a selection process.
The club will be expanding its list of members shortly.
Capt Arjun Nair is the first president of Terroir, Mr Sudhir Rao is the Treasurer and Mr Sabu Balagopal is the Secretary. Mr Mukund Padmanabhan, journalist working at The Hindu, who also writes a fortnightly column on Wine in The Hindu Metro Plus is one of the founding members of Terroir. The website is www.terroir.in
Capt Arjun Nair and Taj Coromandel General Manager Mr Arindam Kunar unveiled the logo of the club and spoke on the occasion. Capt Arjun Nair briefly explained how the club was formed and Mr Arindam Kunar promised to price wine “aggressively” in the near future and also said that the “wine by glass” prices will be comparable to Coke and Mineral water. This is indeed very good news for wine lovers in Chennai as well as wine lovers in India. If other hotels follow this example, there will be a tremendous increase in the interest of wine and eventual sales of wine in the star hotels. Mr Arindam Kunar also informed the gathering that his hotel will be organising monthly wine events from Feb 2009 which will also be aggressively priced and Terroir members will be given further discount. They plan to bring in experts in the field to talk about wine and share their knowledge.
Mr Aman Dhall, Executive Director of Brindco India’s largest importer of wine was also present at the function. He spoke about his company and the position it enjoys in India’s wine imports. Mrs Reva Singh, Editor of Sommelier India who came all the way from Delhi to participate also spoke a few words about the wine clubs in the country and also distributed a few free copies of the latest edition of her magazine.
There were more than a 100 people who were invited for the Inauguration including the Terroir club members and their spouses, guests of Taj Coromandel, press people and other important Chennai personalities.
The highlight of the evening was the wine tasting. Wines were not served at the specially decorated dinner table, but at the country specific counters. It was more like a small wine fair with wines from 6 countries (both new and old world) - France, Italy, Australia, Chile, Spain and Portugal. There were about 32 different wines apart from the Italian Grappa and Portuguese Port. This would probably be the first time in India wherein a wine club was launched with such a grand tasting with so many different wines to choose from. France and Italy counters were the most popular among the participants.
I started with the French section as I found quite a few bottles of my favourite wine region Burgundy. An article in the chennai edition English newspaper reported that there were 12 grand cru wines in the French section which I feel is wrongly reported, I remember having seen only 1 Grand Cru in the Burgundy section which is the Echezeaux Grand Cru of Domaine du Clos Frantin and I am not sure if the Clos Frantin Gevrey Chambertin is a grand cru as I didn’t see the Grand Cru on its label and the other Grand Cru from Bordeaux - Saint Emilion First Grand Cru Classe B Chateau Belair , the rest were Premier Cru and AOC village appellation wines. So there were only 2 Grand Cru wines, one each from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Most of the wines were from 2000, 2001 and 2002 vintages.
The best among the Burgundy section was Pommard 1er Cru “Les Epenots” from Maison Louis Latour, Gevrey Chambertin from Maison Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin and Aloxe Corton 1er Cru “Clos des Marechaudes”. Echezeaux Grand Cru of Domaine du Clos Frantin was a disappointment, may be it was corked and was not stored properly. This is a problem with wines from Burgundy. It tastes best in Burgundy!
I would like to mention a short note about Burgundy wines. A winemaker in Burgundy once told me that Burgundy wines are very sensitive as it should not be subjected to frequent travel and bad storage and humidity is its main enemy. He narrated an incident which happened recently when he travelled to Australia for a wine fair to promote his wines and to his utter disbelief his wines tasted completely different when he served it to his guests and he had tears in his eyes and kept repeating to people that “this is not the wine I made”. A bottle of Burgundy opened in Chennai will taste different than the same bottle stored for a few days and opened in a hill station like Ooty for example! This happens to all fine wines and Burgundy in particular. Burgundy is not a “travel friendly wine” exclaimed a top official working for the Burgundy Chamber of Commerce whom I met at his Dijon office. There are people doing research to find different ways of storing Burgundy wines which retains the same structure and freshness in a Pinot Noir for example.
The Bordeaux wine Saint Emilion Chateau Belair 1er Grand Cru Classe B was another fine wine of the evening. Its one of the 13 Premier Grand Crus of Saint Emilion classification and belongs to the Class B (2 wines are in Class A and the rest 11 wines are in Class B).
The Italian section had good wines like Speri Amarone della Valpolicella Sant Urbano DOC and Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino DOC. I didn’t quite like the Chianti served – Chianti Classico Le Ellere DOCG. The Italian section had a Moscatello di Montalcino as the dessert wine and Grappa from the famous wine maker GAJA.
Australia’s Shiraz “ Weighbridge” Peter Lehmann , Chile Maipo valleys Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Spain’s Tempranillo Rioja D.O from Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Pomal “ Crianza” were other interesting wines of the session.
Apart from helping others with the selection of wines and especially a few ladies who wanted to drink only the sweetest wine available, I must have been one of the few who made it a point to taste all the wines except the port, grappa and eventually had to rush to the empty dinner hall to grab a bite while the others were busy with their conversations.
After an interesting and extended “ Aperitif ” session of 32 different kinds of wines, the buffet had an equally interesting menu with quite a choice for a vegetarian like me. What was striking to note was most of the vegetarian main courses and accompaniments had a fruity touch – Strawberry risotto with glazed baby carrots and pinot noir reduction, exotic vegetable and fruit kebab with spicy cranberry and red currant jus , mausambi pulao, rosemary naan etc. May be the Chef wanted us to continue having a fruity flavour with the food as well and associate them with the fruity aromas which we experienced with the wines. We were also asked to order a glass of wine to accompany the food and I again selected a glass of Gevrey Chambertin to show my partiality towards Burgundy wines!
To finish the wine experience of the day I took a sip of the dessert wine from Italy Moscatello di Montalcino along with the desserts – Cappuccino mousse in brandy snap and the Rum and raisin white chocolate tart. Felt that the dessert wine was too sweet for that moment. A friend of mine seated next to me was a whisky lover ( he is not a wine lover but he happened to be there for the evening as his wife is a wine lover and member of Terroir ) and he ordered for a Grappa from Gaja Italy and didn’t quite like it as he thought it was too “synthetic” for his taste. Will have to ask Gaia Gaja to comment on his remark during her next trip. Incidentally Taj Coromandel had organised a wine dinner a few months back at their famous PREGO – Italian Fine dining restaurant with GAJA wines and Gaia Gaja was there to talk about her wines and we had also tasted her Grappa.
The list of all the wines were displaced on each dinner table and it was all sponsored by Brindco. The vintage years were not mentioned along with the name of the wine. The vintage is equally very important I feel to judge the quality of the wine even before tasting it and the terroir’s name for example must be mentioned first followed by the cru details and the wine negociants/brand names.
Participants were eager to know the name of the wine and the Taj staff standing behind the counters kept saying, “this wine is called Maison Albert Bichot” instead of saying “ Aloxe Corton” or “ Echezeaux”. I immediately tried to correct them but the Brand name or the name of the negociant, maison or domaine is prominently printed on the labels with a big font size and people do get confused. A lot of training needs to be done for the hotel staff working at restaurants in hotels all over India as most of the imported wine is consumed at these high end restaurants and they are the final contact with the client who knows very little about the wines and this training is equally important for the wine education and appreciation in India.
It was surely a grand launch for a wine club. A fellow member remarked that launches are easy but it has to succeed in the long run. I am sure the club will succeed! Another member’s wife felt a bit shy and exclaimed that she just came to know Merlot was a grape variety as she has been thinking it’s a name of a wine. I told her that she should be happy she has finally come to know and thanks to Terroir & Taj Coromandel.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
French Wine in Chennai TASMAC shops
French Wine in an Indian Bottle -Recent import of French bulk wine made from Grenache and bottling it in Pondicherry does not make this simple and expensive red wine anything special and it certainly does not deserve the Premium label, writes Chinmaya Raja . TN State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) liquor shops in Chennai and are displaying a red dry wine that says it is a 'typical French wine made out of Jurançon and Grenache grape varieties of France and matured in the oak casks to enrich the mellow bouquet.' The Warehouse red is made from the blend of the grape variety grown in the south west region of France and imported in bulk and 'processed and bottled" in Pondicherry, our own little France, by Vinbros & Co.
The bottle displays 'Red Wine' on the label as if the colour of wine is not visible enough. The reason to mention 'Dry wine' may be to distinguish it from the other fortified sweet wine, Globus Fortified Port wine, which is sweet as a cough syrup. The bottle mentions alcohol content to be 12%. But a taste of wine gives the impression of much higher alcohol content. Of course, wines from Jurançon ćepage in France are anyway considered to have more alcohol content. Incidentally, one must not confuse this grape variety with the AOC Jurançon Sec Appellation, a famous dry white from the southern region close to the Pyrenees Mountains near the Spanish border which does not use this grape variety.
While tasting this wine with other wine lovers in Chennai and France, it was a consensus that this wine was simple and had no aftertaste. The only good news is that The Warehouse is definitely a lot easier drinkable than the Golconda wine from Andhra, also being sold at these shops.
The wine bottle mentions the serving temperature as 16-18°. But the way these bottles were stored in the TASMAC shops, one wonders how the wine will taste after storage. This wine can be termed as a basic entry level imported wine and in no way can be termed as a "Premium" wine. The quality is worse than a good table wine from France.
It is disappointing to see TASMAC distributing such low quality imported wines when better wines can be distributed after some changes in the state Govt policies. It appears such bulk wines imported, processed and bottled are marketed to helpless consumers just to make profits.
TASMAC must appreciate that wine is not just hard liquor and it needs a different marketing approach. Its shops are often uninviting and people think twice before going to buy liquor and beer. Wine shops like the ones in Bangalore or Pondicherry would be greatly welcome.
The Warehouse wine sells for Rs 650 ($14) each. According to the sales people of these shops off-take of these wines is limited. The customers find it very costly and instead prefer the cheaper Globus Port Wine, a fortified wine that costs Rs 300 a bottle. With the alcohol content at 14% and more, they also find it more intoxicating.
According to a newspaper report the company plans to sell an ambitious 10,000 cases a month. The CEO RammSukaesh expects to make a profit of Rs. 15 million every month from this portfolio. He claims his company has already supplied 8,800 cases of both the labels to TASMAC.
Vinbros claims to have invested Rs. 50 million to get the know-how and technology from the French collaborator, Chateau Bouscaillous. They already have manufacturing alliance with UB group. One wonders how long these wines will be available, however. The government of Tamil Nadu is considering Prohibition in the state due to pressure from the opposite political party to which the anti-alcohol lobbyist, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramados belongs. There is a lot of pressure also from the anti alcohol NGOs.
According to the new policy, TASMAC shops will remain open only till 10 pm. No licences will be issued for new shops and the number of existing shops will also be reduced gradually.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
My first grape harvest in Burgundy 1
I was in France to participate in the vendanges ( grape harvest ) at my friends garden vineyards in the month of October 2008. My Friend Dr Bruno Monange is a medical doctor and passionate winelover who also makes wine as a hobby. He lives in Remilly en Montagne, a small village on the hills about 30 mts drive from Dijon. He has a small vineyard at the side of his beautiful house. He had invited his family and friends to help him harvest the grapes which is an annual affair anytime from mid september to mid october depending upon the weather forecast. The only difference this time was an indian participating with the group to get the feel of the actual vendange. I have seen people picking the grapes and the procedures involved at the vendanges during my earliar visits to vineyards in Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon and Bourgueil in the Loire valley region and in vineyards in Alsace region of France. But this was the first time i got myself involved in the process. I went to the small garden vineyard dressed in smart casuals and my shinning black shoes. Bruno smiled at me and requested me to quickly go and change my dress as i was not properly dressed for the occasion. He also gave one of his thick knee length boots. Back to the vineyard after having changed my shirt and with those thick knee length boots, i was in to action. I picked up a small harvest basket and a grape pruning scissor and started cutting the bunches of grapes with a little help from Bruno at the start.
...to be continued...
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