Author: stupefied-tesla

For the love of wines and the craze of unsung Aussie wines, yet to explore India, Gurjit and Gagan reached the Australian High Commission to celebrate the opening of ‘Utsav! Australia’. A small, but intense, gathering of approximately 30 luminous of the hospitality and wine trade saw three wine houses showcasing their products. Harewood Estate and West Cape Howe, and well known Frankland Estate based out of the southern stretch of Great Southern Western Australia were the proud presenters for the evening.

‘Utsav! Australia’ is a seven month long Australian wine celebration where wines from hidden areas of the country will be put on tasting for the hospitality and trade section of Delhi. Organised by the Australian Trade Commission and the Wine Australia board, the evening was also a relaxing occasion for the hectic trade professionals to get under one roof and enjoy a light evening over some great wines.

To start the evening, there were 2009 Harewood Sauvignon Semillon and 2009 West Cape Howe Semillon Sauvignon blend . They were both refreshing wines and gave us the kick to keep going for the rest of our evening. Here are some of the notes compiled for the wines we tasted:

2009 Harewood Estate Riesling

Its an unaged light pale straw colour wine with green tinge. Sweet aromas with custard apple, honey + rock melon, pineapple coming through that assures refreshing characters. It is a clean young wine with low residual sugar + body balanced with good acidity. It throws peaches and white melons with citrus notes that lingers for long. Typical oily nuances with mineral and slate but no oak. Will be good with salads, poached chicken dishes and fried light flavoured starters.

2008 Rocky Gully of Frankland Estate Riesling:

Darker than the first one with pale straw and hint of gold. More matured cool climate Riesling with floral and fruity notes dominating with some spiced characters. It is a serious wine that can be enjoyed better with food. Residual sugar visible but not prominent. Fruit-driven palate, tank aged yet smoky. Passion fruit, grapes, green apple, bit rocky, mineral, peaches + pear, marzipan, citrus aftertaste but not intense. Will do great with pork belly,  grilled chicken dishes without charcoal influence and light seafood.

2009 West Cape Howe Unwooded Chardonnay:

Pale lime colour with green tinge. Fresh wine with exotic fruits, green apple and pears. Not much on the aromas. Clean fruit-forward light wine with fresh citrus, minerals and tropical fruits. A summer wine easy to enjoy, nothing prominent. Need  a few rounds of this wine before you start appreciating this style.

2008 Scalawag Late Harvest Riesling:

Attractive colour with light sunshine golden colour. A German Spatlese style Riesling full of figs, raisins and prunes. Clean palate with dried dates + cherries, figs, prunes, rock melon, raisins, “murrabba” (marinated sweet Indian pickle ressembling apricot or mango marmalade). Medium alcohol + body with short aftertaste. Can hold it for another year or so. Very well balanced.

2007 Harewood Shiraz Cabernet:

Young red wine with light ruby colour. Oak aged with pepper, earth, blueberry, eucalyptus, grounded coffee yet a bit green. Very light bodied cool climate wine with spiced, plum, blueberry earthy and oak flavours. Very high alcohol with low tannins + body with short-lived after taste. We found it off-balanced.

2006 Scalawag Mount Baker Shiraz Cabernet:

A good looking aged dark ruby red. Sweet plum, dark berry, spiced, inky notes which add complexity to it. Berry flavours found prominent but a bit sweet, chocolate, cumin, mustard seeds, pepper and earthy. Typical cool climate red. Low tannins, body + aftertaste. Food-centric wine or can be enjoyed with a nice cheese platter

2007 Isolated Ridge Vineyard Shiraz:

Star of the evening. Mystifying dark ruby inky red colour with aged rims that are yet intact throwing shades of purple. Traditional Aussie Shiraz with fennel, pepper, oak, eucalyptus, dark berries and beetroot notes. Full bodied red with fresh clean tannins, bit powdered, fruit flavoured. Beetroot, pepper, spiced, salmon, smoked mushrooms, dark berries, smokey and earthy. A great food-centric wine that can be enjoyed and experimented with.

Australia has always been an experimental country in terms of its offerings and has surprised the wine lovers over and over again for decade. With wine slowly getting its well deserved place in the Indian society, we would like to see more wines on the shelf and some surprising produce with rough in-your-face Aussie style. The wines for the evening gave us a refreshing experience but how well do they do in Indian context will be a wait and watch scenario.

Wines are becoming a fashion fiasco now. While some choose to hold and pose, some really dedicate some time to learn for themselves and educate others about the magical potion in their copas. The people we bank with are also now offering such interactive sessions for their clients over relaxed evenings. The venues were one of India’s leading banking institutions’ branches in Delhi and the matter of discussion was liquid assets of a different kind: wines.

Sommeliers Gurjit Singh BARRY and Gagan SHARMA travelled across the length and breadth of the capital to infect the prestigious clients of the organisation with vinous charms. The wines were sponsored by Gurgaon-based wine importers Vin Opera, who bring fine Italian wines to India. With their wines and Wi-Not team’s charms the evenings were joyous, fun, and interactive. Not only did the attendees like the wines, they enjoyed the session for the knowledge they took home with them as well. Even the staff attended the sessions and came back to ask for more of such activities and with questions on wines. All in all, the evenings were successful and everyone left happy and with, well, “lifted” spirits!

Finally, a much awaited drink comes to India. To celebrate the Chilean National Day on the 19th September 2009, H.E. Ambassador Alfonso Silva Navarro of Chile, gathered all “friends of Chile” at the Claridges, New Delhi. Post the National anthems,  we were introduced to PISCO. Sommelier Magandeep SINGH introduced the distinguished guests to this irresistible South American spirit which was once immortalised in the words of the poet Pablo Neruda as “bottled sunshine.”

The evening was set on a ‘high’-roll with three major attractions, Pisco, Pisco cocktails and the Pisco man of India, Mr. B. Srinivas Rao. Mr. Rao works as an Administrative Assistant at the Chilean Embassy but his hidden powers include the ability to make some super-duper Pisco cocktails. He has been serving and relishing the elixir there for the past 16 years. No man claims to have made as much Pisco Sour as him in India. He definitely had the Wi-Not team’s attention and respect!

Pisco is essentially a grape based spirit which is made in similar style as a brandy, but with grapes limited to the Muscat family. It was traditionally aged in clay casks but new ones may be aged in barrels. Pisco, like most spirits, is diluted to bring down to around 40% alcoholic strength before being sold. But with old Piscos, they may not be diluted, in order to not interfere with the nuanced flavours. Therefore, older the Pisco, stronger in alcohol the maker tends to leave it. To enjoy this gem, it is preferred to have it either straight, on the rocks, or as the base for cocktails like Pisco Sour (Pisco + lime juice  in equal measure, sugar + and egg white of one egg to build the froth), Mango Sour (Pisco + mango juice + lime), Piscola (Pisco + Cola) or in White Piscola (Pisco + Lemonade). Its origin is yet untraceable, or debatable, but what is important is that on the 19th of September 2009 in the year of our Lord, this drink was consumed and thoroughly enjoyed right here in India.

As Magan enlightened Pisco admirers about the drink, the ‘Pisco Man’ displayed his magical Pisco Sour recipes on stage. Later, Mr. Rao was kept busy concocting for all gathered luminaries. while the Wi-Not team enjoyed some Mutton and Cheese empanadas, a delicacy prepared and presented from the Ambassador’s residence. The evening saw some beautiful Chilean wines as well but Pisco remained the Star of the show.

Where else can you be asked for your wine preference at 4am in the morning or for breakfast and not be judged an alcoholic? Where else but on international flights. Wi-Not’s next stop was the training centre of India’s leading domestic and international flight carrier. As a part of the trainings of their executive class section and lounge crew, Wi-Not conducted a wine training session for them where the wines were sponsored by Mumbai-based wine importer, Wine Park. Over a three-hour training, Sommelier Gurjit Singh BARRY discussed topics like definition and classification of wines, how to taste a wine, differences between New and Old World wines, storage and service basics, food and wine pairing principles, reading wine labels and…whew…finally, tasted five wines. The event went well and the wines were thoroughly appreciated.

With monsoons and winters approaching, hotels’ Human Resource departments have pulled up their socks. We have quite the clients under our belt and trainings at various properties have begun already. There is some extensive travelling to be done and some expensive bottles to be uncorked, all for love of wine education.

The interactive, sense-of-humour infected, alcohol-laced, joyous sessions cover serious topics like wine basics, tasting theory, tasting methodology, reading labels and pronunciation tips, food and wine pairings, and service and storage principles ending with an hour-long exam and blind tasting practicals. All this is normally spread over a few days of training at every property we visit.

The day begins with an introductory session with wine definitions followed with basic tasting and pronunciation exercises, moving on to wine service practicals and finishing off with a couple of wine tasting sessions with two brackets of reds and whites. Finally, at the end of the training, students are put to the test of taste with a blind tasting and theory exam. Shaken up with a serious bout of questions, the attendees were then made happy with their favourite dishes – Indian, continental and oriental – paired with some excellent wines. This exercise remained the star of the sessions too. Food and wine pairings not only lifted the spirits (literally), it was also voted to be the most knowledgeable one. The day, and so the training, were sealed with tastings of some bubblies and sweet wines. CHEERS!!

Below are the tasting notes of some of the wines that were tasted blind during the exams:

Wine 1: 2007 Kendall – Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, USA

Clear young wine with pale lemon yellow shades and tinge of green and medium(-) intensity.

Clean bouquet with off-dry notes of fruity sweetness, dominant peaches, pear, guava, apricot, passion fruits, granny smith apple, pineapples and white fruits. Citrus punches and overpowers most of the bouquets.

Off-dry clean palate with a fruity impact showing white stoned fruits, steely, minerally, citrus notes with a layer of exotic fruits, dry powdered ginger, lemon, pineapple, peaches and melons- both rock and honey-dew. Mid palate notes hints of kiwi, figs and slightly oxidised apples, fresh cut grass and asparagus. Medium(+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium(-) body and aftertaste ranging not over 4 seconds but leaving palate wet and refreshing with acidity to come back for.

Med-price range. Consume now or in another 6 months. Pair it with blue eyed cod dishes, salads, light seafood with mild flavours, light appetizers and starters. Great to drink on its own too, a summer wine.

Wine 2: 2006 Henri Bourgeois Pouilly Fumé, Chavignol, FRANCE

Clear young wine with a clean pale lemon yellow sight with hints of greenish tinges

Clean bouquet with a fresh smell of exotic and white fruits. Stone and mineral impact at first but not aggressive or attacking. Notes of fresh honey dew melon, peach, pear, guava and asparagus follows and finishes off with a citrus touch, fresh cut green apple, cotton and ripe white mango

Clean dry palate with medium(+) intensity, hitting with citrus notes at first. Moves on to passion fruit, white spices, lemon, cut and kept fresh apple, smoke and oak, steely finish to stay with. Medium(+) acidity, medium alcohol, light body, short aftertaste not remaining over 4 seconds but acidity appeals to come back to; fruity notes vanishes off sooner. Mineral, smoky, steely characters to look out for.

A great aperitif wine to hold on to and pair with crisp and light dishes. Not too complex, a good value wine ready to be enjoyed now.

Wine 3: 2004 Brand’s of Coonawarra Chardonnay, Coonawarra, AUSTRALIA

Clear wine with dark lemon colour reaching to golden hues with medium(-) to medium intensity

Clean nose with sweet white fruit aromas dominating with citrus, ripe white grapes, mineral, creamy, banana aromas to follow. Definite notes of malolactic fermentation with no prominent signs of oak treatment, though sight suggests so. Pineapple touches and leaves, doesn’t stay

Dry wine with a clean palate. Citrus notes with hint of spicy characters hitting afresh throwing notes of oak as it leaves. Medium(+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, aftertaste longing up to 5 seconds. Nice balance between fruity sweetness, fresh acidity and moderate alcohol levels. Malolactic fermentation notes leaves a clean soft, round and balanced aftertaste begging for more.

Overall, crisp white wine with citrus notes and oak character, well balanced with fruity palate. Can be enjoyed on its own and appreciated with crisp high acid/citrus soft white smoked and grilled chicken, pork, fish and prawns meat dishes. Value for money wine

Wine 4: 2006 Louis Jadot, Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, FRANCE

Clean well aged wine with ruby red core with faded rims ranging from very light ruby red to tawny.

Clean bouquet with medium intensity. Earthy and berry aromas with a hint of commercial LPG gas notes (when opened, slowly went away).Oak is visible but does not dominates. Smells of dusty tannins but not very powerful ones.

Clean dry palate with citrus/acidic attack, salty and tannic. By the virtue of it being an aged wine, earthy oak flavours, plums, berries (red and dark), jamuns, nutty, dusty woody tannins forms a nice structure that becomes a character to come back to. Medium(+) acidity, medium tannins and alcohol, body ranging between medium and medium(+). Red fruits with dusty tannins lingers with acidic touch remaining on the aftertaste that hangs on for up to 5 seconds.

A mid-price range wine which should be consumed now. Pair it with nice saucy, meat based pasta or mild red meat dishes from continental side of the menu to appreciate it better.

Wine 5: 2000 Sartori Amarone Della Valpolicella, ITALY

Clearly an aged wine with a dark rich garnet colour with fading rims ranging from brick red approaching tawny, orange shades.

Clean to smell, medium(+) intensity of aromas, mainly spices, aged plums and earthy wet soil. Very Italiano, complex notes with red fruits (both dark and soft), blueberries, blackberries, dried cherries and meaty aromas.

Dry clean well aged wine with medium(+) intensity palate that grows from powerful flavours and chocolate-spice range and finishes off with a distinctive bitter note. Notes of earthy soil, oak, dark red fruits, blackberries, some oxidative + rancio characters, dried black mango ceviche, meaty sausage notes, dark chocolate, spices, herbaceous with some eucalyptus notes. Medium acidity, medium alcohol, nice round tannins of medium intensity that sticks and are enjoyable, medium(+) body and long aftertaste of up to 6-7 seconds.

Decanting and breathing suggested. High value wine that must be consumed now. The wine begs for food and shall be delivered. Roasted pork and lamb dishes accompanied with jus or red wine reduction, steaks and grills, ox cheek with chocolate sauce, and likes will compliment the wine well.

Wine 6: 2005 Green Point Shiraz, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Clear wine with a dark ruby red colour with high intensity that shows limited/ restricted aging process as rims are still up tight

Clean to sniff with medium(+) intensity throwing notes of earthy, peppery, red dark fruits, dark berries, oak aging and dark red soil. ‘In your face’ expression yet soft and delicate natured. Capsicum and spicy notes with hint of red rhubarb finishing off with some candied notes at the back of it.

Clean palate with beautiful array of flavours joined along with a back structure of soft round tannins and dusty earthy finish. Oak dominates on the mid and back palate, notes of peppers, spices, cloves, earth, jamun, red dark berries, dark cherries, tea leaves, plum and black olives. Clean palate and long tasting aftertaste ranging up to 6 seconds, with a finish to look out for. Medium(+)body, medium(+) flavour intensity, medium alcohol, medium acidity, medium(+) tannins.

High value wine with a new-world character. Great to drink now or anytime in next 1-1.5 years. Perfect to pair with robust red meat dishes with heavy sauces, steaks, lamb chops, some oriental dishes, most heavy Indian meat dishes and spiced curries, kebabs and roasts.

Wine 7: 2000 Château Clarke, Lirac-Medoc, Bordeaux, FRANCE

Dark ruby colour with a clean sight, dark core and fading rims, becoming light ruby red. Aged wine.

Clear complex nose with medium intensity that hits first with a bag of mixed berries (red+dark), plums, nutmegs and spices, cloves, pepper, earth and oak. Shy personality. We took time to appreciate it. Sharbat, dried cherries show some sweet notes, “An Indian Paan Style Nose”. Dry ginger chutney, tamarind water + dominant violets.

On the palate, it was dry with very young tannins that grips up very well and strong, dusty and powdery in nature with an impact of new fresh barrique aging notes. Needs aging to make them round. Managing away from tannins, it has dark cherries, plums, brick, earthy and blackberry notes to dominate. A nice layer of oak leaves a dry finish to enjoy, hang on and come back for. Spice, nutmeg, cloves, peppercorns, tangy mid-palate and aftertaste of oak, violets and spices. Medium acid levels, medium alcohol, medium(+) body, aftertaste of 6 seconds, medium(+) tannins that are dry, young, fresh, powdery and oak-chips like.

Young red wine that calls for food, heavy grilled smoked protein rich meat dishes with a heavy sauce to enjoy with, not many vegetarian dishes to adapt to. Age for a minimum 2 more years, will dominate in food and wine pairing, high value wine.

Riesling has always been one of my favourite grape varieties, especially if it comes from the EU countries. It has a pronounced fruity varietal character and can be made in various styles: dry, semi-sweet and sweet. Talking of Riesling, Germany comes to mind as one of the most premium regions to grow it. Mosel- Saar-Ruwer makes Germany’s lightest –bodied Rieslings. The Kabinett and Spatlese wines are almost always made with medium sweetness balanced by high acidity.

Mr. Vishal Kadakia of Wine Park, a Mumbai-based wine company, hosted a Riesling tasting with the German winemaker Nik Weis. Nik is a third generation winemaker and owner of St. Urbans-Hof. A small but selective gathering were audience to Nik, who started by sharing his passion for Indian food. He also mentioned that his wines are low on alcohol. This, he thinks, will be good with Indian cuisine especially in summers.

We tasted four wines out of which three were single vineyard products. Here are our tasting notes:-

2007 St. Urban-Hof Riesling ObA

A Mosel style refreshing white wine grown on slate soil.

Pale yellow/ lemon colour with medium intensity. Bouquets with notes of oil, straw, sulphur, minerals, citrus, coconut cream, avocado. On the palate, it was off-dry with a young structure, medium acidity and body and low alcohol. It had a citrus dominated palate with a lemon bite, mango and passion fruit. Didn’t linger or long on the palate. Nice to start with but not an aperitif. Value for money wine not much for aging.

2007 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett

Sight of this young wine was clear with lemon colour. Clean on the nose, fruit forward. Bouquet of cashew, white smoke, wood shavings, oak, hint of orange blossom, white rose and African jelly. On the palate it was off-dry and a bit sticky as per a table wine level. Citrus notes with hint of orange blossom, asparagus, minerals, commercial rubber and fresh raw grass. Low acidity and alcohol. Medium aftertaste. Great to go with caramelised white meat dishes, au jus dishes. Medium quality wine and good value for money. Drink now. Pick of the Evening.

2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Spatlese, “1.Large” off-dry

Clear wine with dark lemon colour drifting towards golden. With the first swirl, it smells like you are standing in a bakery. Florentine, thick cream, blue cheese, coconut, tofu, chickpeas and floral notes found. Palate was medium-dry, syrupy with a surprising bitter-sweet mouthfeel. Medium acidity balanced with medium alcohol levels. On tasting, first thing to notice is the citrus tinge hit. Notes of avocado, zucchini, rubber, muddled cucumber, chickpeas, apple chutney and blanched beans on the palate. Short aftertaste but residual sugar lingers. Mid-priced wine, can age 1 more year. Recommended with fish dishes and fennel soufflé.

2006 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Auslese

Straw colour with gren tinge. Great colour. Not clear. Small golden sparkles floating around. Marrygold, grass, orange blossom, honey dew melon, jam, orange marmalade and almond croissant notes. On tasting, it hits as it had some fizz in it, though there was none. Aged Riesling nuances. Bit syrupy thus feels heavy on the palate and sticky. Orange, grapefruit, rich royal fruits, French grapes, dominant notes of figs and prunes, raisins and honey. Medium acidity and alcohol. Long aftertaste. Mid-price wine with some aging potential. Can be enjoyed with some Christmas cake or rich lemon tart.