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.
Thursday, February 26, 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of vineyards in Burgundy and the traditional work in the vineyards of Burgundy around the year with some cultural and historical references.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
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