How did the change happen?
From a nation weaned on lassi and Whisky and from the image of Dharmendra threatening to jump off the water tank with a bottle of booze, we have come a long way from savoring, tasting, and appreciating wine like professionals at soirees. Drinking habits are evolving by the day. Wine clubs are mushrooming across the country and they are regularly conducting wine appreciation events further creating awareness about the veritable message of wine. Wine is a must at any party or social gathering make it a necessity. So, how did this change happen, and exactly when? The real change happened along with the brain gain when the well-heeled and well-traveled Indians started coming back to the country for good and they brought with them the European habit of drinking a glass of wine or two as part of socializing as well as along with the meal. Also, because of the health benefits of wine and the newfound interest in all things healthy the average hard drink lover also started taking interest in this beverage.
The country boasts of being the only Asian country to be a member of OIV and the number of wineries running in three digits, IWBS, Institute of Wine and Beverage Studies, a world-class wine and beverage institute in New Delhi. http://iwbs.in/
Recently the country has also witnessed the opening of various wine-based restaurants such as The Wine Company at Cyber Hub in Gurgaon among others.
Must-try wines:
I am regularly asked if I wish to recommend a good Indian wine. Nowadays it’s a tough call to take considering the good quality of Indian wine around. Here is a mention in no particular order that one must try.
- Fratelli Sette
- Reveilo Chardonnay Reserve
- Zampa Grover Sparkling Soiree
- Sula Late Harvest Chenin Blanc
- Grover’s La Reserve
- Vallone Cabernet Sauvignon
- Chateau D’Ori Cabernet Syrah
- Chateau de Banyan Bellissima Late harvest Muscat
The list will go on and has been kept short keeping space constraints in mind.
Wine update
A few days ago three Indian wineries have launched their sparkling wine simultaneously i.e. Fratelli, Sula, Chandon (from the French Group of Moët Hennessy, yes the French house has decided to make sparkling wine in India.)
Chandon’s launch has not only added a boost to the morale of the local grape farmers but also further solidified the faith of foreign wineries wishing to enter the promising Indian wine market.
Retail stores are also ensuring that the wine shopping experience becomes a pleasant one and have invested in swanky interiors with temperature-controlled display shelves and wine-educated staff to help the purchase. This is in complete contrast to the yellow jail bar vending liquor shops.
What makes good quality wine. How to select a wine
Another question we are frequently asked is what makes a good quality wine and how does one know which wine will with which food.
Unfortunately, the key to knowing if the wine is worth the money is only by tasting it. Label information is a good source of knowing if the wine has undergone any special treatment such as oak aging, extended periods of maturation among others. What will make it easy to select is to check on the grape variety mentioned on the label and the year. In India, one must buy and drink wine young. It is also helpful to make a selection if the customer knows what food they are going to drink the wine. Heavier textured and intense flavored dishes are able to handle fuller wines as compared to dishes that are delicate in flavor, gentle flavors are best paired with delicately flavored wines.
In the end, one piece of advice that I would like to leave the readers with is to experiment and enjoy the journey of exploring new tastes and flavors. If one pairing does not work then maybe the next one will.
Wine drinking is here to stay and Indian wine is holding the flag high within the country and across the world.