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Goa’s Dynamic Culinary And Alco-Bev Vibe: A Spirited High

Sunset view of beach party in beach cafe with bottle of rose wine and glasses on the table , GOA, India.

Goa’s dynamic culinary and alco-bev vibe has evolved beyond colourful liqueurs candied Port wines and hole-in-the-wall taverns and beach shacks to set the bar high.

It took me a while to befriend Goa. Coming from fast-paced cities, Goa often seems reluctant to shake out of its slumber. When you don’t seem to fit in, food and drink comfort and help ease you in. Goa, now on my fifth visit, finally did it for me. Its burgeoning culinary and dynamic drinking scene is kindling a new emotion. Craft beers, gins, and rums, exclusive single malts, heritage tagged Feni, nouveau cocktails and modern diners are driving it to become a cosmopolitan second base. All the while, locals tightly hold on to their colourful liqueurs, candied Port wines, hole-in-the- wall bars and taverns, centuries-old, family-run bakeries, and the life of community and susegad

Paul John’s Goa exclusive Select Cask whiskies; Tesouro at Colva with a neighbourhood vibe

City of Gins

The wave that started with Greater Than has indeed gotten greater than we expected. Goa is already home to over 20 gins, rums, and whiskies alone, and many more to come. But nothing’s made its way in to the heart and collection of Indian denizens the way gins have: Pumori, Samsara, Hapusa, Tickle, Seqer, Matinee, GinGin, Stranger & Sons have kept bars buzzing with smashing mixes, endless GinTos, helping keep spirits high even when we were locked in. They’ve all flirted with Indian palates and imagination with a curious mix of botanicals, offered quirky labels that draw from our stories and histories, to quickly become the canvas to draw on.

If your favourite gins don’t feature on your Instagram profile, you qualify to be deemed a social outcast. So Tamras and Doja, the newest entrants, are giving you another chance. Tamras’s visitor’s centre is like nothing you’ve seen in India before. Its minimalistic design, a long tasting-cum-cocktail bar, posh upholstery, and a shiny still that sits as the crown jewel at its helm is arresting from first glance. It’s inspiring others to follow suit with their own tasting rooms and visitor centres, and we learnt that they are. Not just gin, Maka- Zai & Segredo Aldeia rums are taking the myths and misconceptions-filled Indian rum conversation beyond Old Monk—all from Goa.

On the whisky trail

Nearly a decade and a half ago Paul John set up their distillery here. For a while Indians kept craving for their nectars while they exported and collected awards internationally, teasing domestic afficionados with omission rather than submission. But since their Indian release, they’ve reigned on every parade. Now they’ve opened their cellars to visitors, luring with mesmerising hues of oak, sweet wort, and bon gout. Only Goa allows the sale of high-proof spirits and Paul John loves their barrel strength whiskies. Some of their expressions can’t be found anywhere else but here, deeming it a collectors’ paradise. Carry an extra suitcase just to pick from a library of their Zodiac series, Christmas Editions, and Select Cask range. We tasted their in-the-making gins and rums and, phew, you might need to carry two suitcases even!

But why in Goa?

Well, minus the bureaucracy, it’s the unhindered sources of neat waters, favourable conditions for ageing, a spectrum of locally grown botanicals, proximity to ports, abundant natural influences that summons the craft here, and the people with their heritage.

Above all, heritage is celebrated in Goa, not just through its seven UNESCO World Heritage churches, but also in every sip through their copos. The heritage of Cognac, Scotch, and Tequila meets Feni here. All those picturesque coconut tree lined streets that fill your feeds stand tall as testaments of Feni tightly knitting together Goa’s communities that have survived centuries. It was a 14-year-old Dutch spy who mentioned coconut Feni in his journals, way back in 1545, not much has changed since then. It’s still produced under virgin skies, in handmade earthen pots, sans measurements and scientific equipment. When the Portuguese arrived in India, they brought along cashew trees that bore poisonous fruits that could burn your skin at first touch until they fully ripen. With their patience Goans turned even that into a delectable drink.

Hotels or taverns, feni highballs, negronis, margaritas are everywhere, and it’s just so easy to fall for them. Rustic, earthy, at times fiery, umamidriven Fenis are a celebration of the Goan spirit and grounded lifestyle. Hansel Vaz, a local legend, has singlehandedly elevated the image of Feni the world over through Cazulo. When in Goa, a visit to their humbling setup is a must.

Witnessing the birth of a Feni from fruit to spirit, in the most unique, rural, instinctive, and nature-reliant way is unparalleled. And tasting Fenis in the middle of a lagoon while countless little fish tickle and pedicure your tired feet as continue your grub crawl on a local spread is utterly gratifying.

Happy Hour

Bars like Tesouro by Firefly in Colva are presenting Feni in renditions that’s catching international attention. An entire menu is dedicated to Feni cocktails. But this nouveau neighbourhood Colva bar is way more than that. Debuting on the World’s 50 Best Bars at No. 65 this year, Tesouro is a treasure. Don’t be fooled by its relaxed vibe, the effort behind their mixes is maddening. Pankaj Balachandran and Arijit Bose are taking Pina Coladas, Mojitos, and LIITs out of patrons’ hands and replacing them with niche and suave Midnight Brekkie, Heisenberg, G.O.A.T, and Salcette Salsa. If that wasn’t enough, they’re also part of the team behind India’s first ready-to-serve Jerry’s Cocktails. Now you don’t only drink in Goa, you take them along.

Mahe, Felix, Jamming Goat, Petisco, Antonio@31, Makatsu, Miguels, Antares, Saz, Bomras, Cavatina, and so many more have all added to the cosmopolitan culinary culture of the city. And with a diaspora of acclaimed brands and hospitality professionals relocating to Goa during Covid, like Balachandran and Bose, it’s bound to add many Michelin-worthy stops on your lists. But all of them don’t have to be fancy. Taverns and small classics like Joseph Bar often dot tourist maps. A growing culture of food trucks and Ros Omelette hawkers continue to deliver a local flavour of their own kind. Uncle Chef, Food Engine, Oppa Food Truck, Euseb’s Grubhub, Noronha’s Corner, are just a few who will spoil you with their beef chilly poee, chorizo pao, roast pork, croquettes and sausages. After a spirited night, you need them for sure, for your soul, and pocket. After all, you have to save for those bottles to carry back home as well.

 

First Published In IndiaToday, 2022

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7 Craft Gins For The Discerning Indian

Our list of homegrown gins that signal the start of…

The gin craze in the country is widely believed to have started in 2017 with the launch of  Greater Than by Nao Spirits, India’s first legit craft gin. It sparked a wave of launches of locally made gins, with more than a dozen of them now jostling for space on the shelves in the local alcohol store.

As it invariably happens, tastes evolve, and gin enthusiasts are currently looking for something different and refined. Indian gin distillers are responding with innovative manufacturing processes, better botanicals and never-seen-before ingredients, sourced indigenously and from abroad.

Many of them have launched (or are ready to launch) the second(and in some cases second and third) variations of their flagship brands. Here’s our list of gins for the discerning Indian drinker:

Greater Than X Sleepy Owl – No Sleep Gin

No Sleep Gin

Juniper Bomb was their first limited release gin which left bartenders and gin enthusiasts equally excited. And now that the consumer has become more discerning, Nao Spirits has a new gin that will help you even beat sleep. Ah, stay awake so you can drink more, brilliant idea, I say! The country’s first coffee-infused gin, No Sleep brings together India’s two fastest-growing beverages – gin and coffee – to create an exciting mix. It is devoid of any added colour, flavour, sugars, or extracts.

The gin distillates are infused with Sleepy Owl’s cold brew resulting in a bold coffee aroma complemented by the crispness of GT. Drink it as GinTo with a slice of orange, a Negroni (with Disaronno), or even an espresso martini; the choices are endless. I like to sip it just neat.

Rs 1000 in Goa, Rs 1850 in Mumbai

Pumori Ascent Barrel Aged Gin

Pumori Ascent Barrel Aged Gin

The good people behind Pumori gin, Woodburns whisky, & Segredo Aldeia rums at Fullarton Distilleries are soon launching the country’s first barrel-aged gin. It’ll boast of 12 carefully selected botanicals distilled in small 200-litres tanks that allow the distiller to keep a close watch on the process.

It is then aged for about a year in American oak whisky barrels before being bottled. The gin’s personality gleams with the character of the local Himalayan juniper—  rustic, woody, with a feel of an early morning forest walk in the mountains.

Price:  TBC, release expected around February

Gin Jiji Darjeeling Dry

Gin Jiji Darjeeling Dry

Boasting a GI tag for its heritage, Darjeeling tea is arguably the best tea globally. Add to that the essence of Himalayan juniper that’s unlike any other in the world, one that can only be foraged and not be cultivated. Gin Jiji is the result. But it is much more than that. It marries Himalayan and Macedonian junipers with a mélange of other Indian botanicals.

You can taste the tannins and mouthfeel of tea, punctuated with the aroma of the botanicals. The subtle spirit is an open canvas when it comes to how it should be consumed — with tonic, garnishes, or any other way you think is right.

Not available in India yet. Keep an eye on the shelves for a surprise.

Perry Road Peru

Perry Road Peru

Teaming up with the culinary greats of Bombay Canteen, Stranger & Sons created India’s first distilled cocktail with pink guavas, aka Peru, as the star. It was launched at the end of 2020 as a  limited edition release. It was a runaway success and now returns for a more extensive nationwide release.

The delicious flavours of fresh perus meet the usual gin botanicals served with a generous dose of chilli-salt mix. Drink it by itself in a coupe/cocktail glass,  over ice, or in a highball with a splash of tonic. Grab a bottle or two when you see it. Even this new edition is a limited release.

Rs 2999 in Mumbai

Spice Trade & Trading Tides

Spice Trade & Trading Tides

These two gins represent the first global collaboration for an Indian gin, a celebration of growing trading links between India and Australia. Spice Trade is the lovechild of Stranger & Sons and the makers of the Aussie Four Pillars gin, part of the latter’s Distillers Series collaboration.

Stranger & Sons provided a select few local botanicals, including Teppal (Goan take on Szechuan pepper), black cardamom, and chillies, to which the Aussies added macadamia, cashews nuts, and lemon myrtle, amongst others, to craft a unique international spirit. To honour the Indian Ocean connecting the two countries, we suggest it be served with a garnish of lime and a pinch of salt.

For Trading Tides, the Aussies sent their basket of botanicals, including lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, and river mint. The Indians added desi mangosteen, kokum, and tamarind, etc. The result is an uber-cool Indian international gin that’s an easy sipper and an effortless charmer. A limited supply of both is expected to hit the shelves soon.

Approx Rs 3500 in Mumbai

Samsara The City of Pink Gin

Samsara The City of Pink Gin

The aromatic Samsara was already a crowd-pleaser, and now a new buddy makes things even more exciting. By introducing India’s first pink gin, Samsara has opened a category that is only bound to grow. Keeping Samsara’s original gin as the base, Aditya Aggarwal and his Goa-based team at Spaceman Spirit Lab have added nuances of rose petals, strawberries, hibiscus, etc., to create an exquisite new gin.

I’d drink it neat and chilled for its aromatic appeal alone. If not straight up, try it with a splash of prosecco or lemonade, which awakens the essences and delivers a perfumed glassful. At 37% abv, it is advisable to have just a single-serve, as long as you can resist the lure of a great gin.

Rs 1800 in Goa 

(Image Sources: Maria Avdeeva (Unsplash), Spaceman Spirits Lab, NAO Spirits, Fullarton Distilleries, High Road Spirits, Stranger & Sons, Four Pillars)

 

First published in MansWorldIndia, February 2022

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Old Habits Must Give Way To New

The creature of habit has been coerced to crawl out of its den, shuffle, and redefine its praxis. Frequent lockdowns coupled with seating and timing restrictions at sporadically opened restaurants have pinched the imbibers of fine wines. It has moved them to find new environs and ways of buying their favourite labels. Has it initiated a new trend, is it to stay, and does it change the modus operandi for hospitality outlets, enquires sommelier Gagan Sharma.

BUYING LOCALLY

Packed inside, home drinking has gained unprecedented favourability. Stats suggest nearly 30% of people are going to cut back on going out, whether for drinking or other leisure activities. This pessimistic response to the pandemic, however, has favoured the fine wine markets with imposing effects. The affluent, distant from their periodic wine travels, foreign shopping holidays, and luxurious purchases, are noted to be sourcing their tipples locally now. Chintamani Kaigaonkar, the President of the International Wine & Food Society’s Mumbai chapter, has been a renowned hedonist and a collector. “Earlier, we travelled and collected premium wines and brought them back. With the onset of the pandemic, our cellars soon ran dry. We were forced to look at what’s available around us, albeit not being habitual to buying locally. Be it their rather basic collection, concerns with poor retail storage, or uninspiring experience at the stores, this option remained non-existent”, he says. This complete curb on duty-free purchases and inaccessibility to hotels served retailers an unrivalled opportunity which they clutched with both hands and desirably upped their game. The outcome? Better spreads and experiences advocating the potential of retail purchasing. And now, even with the reopening of the previously preferred alternatives, this approach continues to find amity.

“For fine wine drinkers, the idea of MRP was a new learning. Their choicest wines being available at such affordable prices was a revelation. So, the shift and its hearty acceptance came effortlessly”, says Vishal Kadakia, purveyor of fine wines in Mumbai at WinePark. 

While OIV reports a 3% fall in global wine drinking in 2020, there’s been a noticeable move towards wines by the spirits-favouring and beer-guzzling junta. And not just the shift, there’s been premiumisation as well. While Vishal still regards the INR2000-3000 bracket as the sweet spot, Amber Deshmukh who heads wine sales at Mumbai’s affluent Hops & Corks says the INR8000-15000 bracket has seen the maximum growth. “People didn’t know these wines were also available in retail, and now that they do, it’ll be a continuous practice”, he adds. “There’s direct connection with a learned professional, a conversation, honest advocacy of what best suits their liking, and a learning in the process, all of which adds to the experience and enforces confident decision making”, Amber adds. And this personalised experience is the inevitable precursor to inducting someone into the fine wine milieu.

A line-up of top Indian wines. Retail sales of premium wines in India are growing exponentially

JUST A CLICK AWAY

Another blessing in disguise was the allowance of online ordering and home delivery of alcohol in certain parts of the country. Online sales of wines, according to the Nielsen data, increased by around 234% in 2020 in the US, reaching a high of 500% in the peak of April 2020. 

WinePark introduced their online offering, called WineKart, which also includes Indian wines and labels from other imported suppliers. “It has allowed the luxury to choose with all the research and preferences laid out. There’s information on the vineyards, producer & family history, and an easy comparison”, Vishal shares. “It’s now a habit. It’s easy to buy while on-the-go, without any ridiculous markups. With buying directly from the merchant, there’s an assurance of quality, authenticity, and apt storage. Their portals offer enough information on provenance, vintage reports, authoritative ratings, etc”, says Chintamani. Add to that the convenience of delivering them at your doorsteps, that’s enough mollycoddling.

“New people have adopted drinking wines, and are now looking at finding better offerings. They want to learn better and upgrade. People buy when they drink, and they’ve brought everything. We’ve brought those who went to hotels to drink good wines to buy them from retail. It’ll be tough justifying paying such markups at hotels now”, says Vishal confidently. Premium Champagnes have seen a decline, probably since there wasn’t much to celebrate, but Barolo, Napa Cabernets, Amarone della Valpolicella, Bordeaux reds, and Super Tuscans have soared. The most interesting vogue has been the seven-fold rise in Rose wines. “We had one Rose from South Africa, today our selection has grown to approximately 10. Plus, we have Indian Roses on WineKart too”. Now that’s a bent Roses have been waiting for for ages!

ATMANIRBHAR INDULGENCE

Minus the quintessential international styles, fine wine drinkers have graciously turned to Indian offerings. It has been an astonishing revelation not just for them but for common oenophiles. I’ve openly expressed my adulation for Indian produce and how they’ve championed their offerings in the past decade. The pandemic stripped off the facades and allowed simply looking at liquid in the bottle. And voila! The spotlight now also includes finer offerings from the backyard. Sula’s Rasa and The Source, Fratelli’s MS and Jnoon labels, Grover’s La Reserve, Chene, and VA collection were always the leaders. Add to that the niche producers too. KRSMA’s varietal reserve wines, Vallonne’s Viognier, Rose, and Riesling, Reveilo’s reserve wines, and Merlot, and York’s HBlock Chardonnay & Rose bubbly have found commendations from the guardians of fine palates. Their consistent value for money offering and easy accessibility is unparalleled. “Earlier, we would take what was being served at a soirees. Now, trying them on our own, there’s been learning. Indian whites and sparkling wines specially are of superb quality. Exploring them has been a big, pleasant surprise”, boasts Chintamani. 

Sula’s flagship RASA Cabernet Sauvignon in its new avatar
Grover’s La Réserve Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy

Indian producers have collectively said that their focus has now shifted to retail. Leaders like Sula, Fratelli, and Chandon have even resigned their labels to lure the eyes of a seeking oenophile. While diners may still not go to hotels and pay 3X the mark-up on Indian wines, they’re happy to open one frequently after a busy day of working from home.

A CRY FOR CHANGE

Physiologists say it takes 66 days to change a habit. The lockdown has allowed way more than just that. And it now poses a concern for the hospitality industry. With shrunken take-homes and ample restrictions, they’re still awaiting the pre-pandemic normalcy. “While people are stepping out for beers, cocktails, and meals, wine drinking is still reeling off of the effect”, Vishal notes. Home drinking will continue and so will the online purchasing habits. “I don’t even mind paying a 100% markup on premium Indian wines, but now we realise that on premium wines is absurd. Hotels will have to give us a reason to spend as much”, Chintamani says. 

Once international tourists start pouring, there might be an uptick, but for now fine wine sales at hotel & restaurants will remain low. And to lure the local denizens, hotels will have to restructure. Their offerings will have to become more dynamic and lucrative, more importantly the pricing will have to be aggressive and sensible. The 2X-4X markup strategy will not yield optimum results. Chintamani suggests it’s a good time to introduce corkage, a system where hotels allow guests to carry their own wine and charge a minimal service fee. It’s prevalent in most wine-friendly countries, not in India. If the creature’s habits have changed, so will have to be of those catering to them. 

Most oenophiles graduate to finer nectars eventually. All it takes is a bit of handholding, enlightenment, and favourable trials. With this influx of new enthusiasm in the providers and the consumers, it’s already bridged the gaps and will continue only to get better. A new-age approach is soliciting a change from retailers, tasting rooms, and hotels. And it’s the right time to offer that, for once the creature returns to its den, it’ll take multifold the effort to lure it out again. 

 

First published Sommelier India Wine Magazine, 2022

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Cognac Legacy: Time-Tested Glory

Where time is a devouring tyrant, one can effortlessly imagine a 300-year old producer being stuck in a time warp and passé traditions. But that’s not the way the story played out for legendary cognac brand, Martell. Armed with the inheritance of a glorious heritage and an enviable savoir faire, Martell has marched into new chapters and territories with undeterred confidence and written many ‘firsts’ for the spirit. It’s a story spread over nations, that of merchants, royalties, wars, and celebrations, without which cognac is incomplete.

Much-Ado about Marell

Englishman Jean Martell travelled from the self-governing territory of Jersey to France and founded his eponymous company on the banks of the Charente in 1715. The true magic of Cognac was only a few decades young when the determined and ambitious Jean invested his fortunes in its soil. Since the 16th CE, Dutch merchants purchased wines from the region to ship back home. The wines would suffer the woes of transportation, turning into vinegar and thus deemed redundant. The innovative producers of the Cognac region began distilling and reducing them to a concentrated form, avoiding spoilage altogether. The Dutch called it Brandwijn, read burnt wine, hence brandy. A century later, the merchants began double distillation, which meant more space on the ships and, well, more monies. Cognac then was already being transported in oak casks, allowing merchants to discover that the taste of the beverage changed when stored in barrels, resulting in an exceptionally smooth dram of repute.

Though Jean started the house, his journey was short lived. After he passed away in 1753, his widow Rachel Martell, together with her children took the company to new heights. Martell went on to become the most sold brandy in England, crossed the Atlantic and docked in the US, and even impressed the Asian markets of Japan and China. Soon these brandies were brandished with newfound nomenclatures. Very Old Superior (VOS), and the further aged Very Old Superior Pale (VSOP) further upped their merit, declaring the coming of cognacs as richer, more profound, and the emblem of excellence. Jean’s great-grandson, Frederic, in 1831, introduced their family’s VSOP which took Martell’s repute and fortunes to even finer realms. But true glory came from England, where despite sanctions on French imports during the continental block, King George III ordered Martell’s VSOP to be exempt and allowed onto British shores! These special orders cemented it as a refined, superlative produce, fit for the kings, whose reach wasn’t bound by worldly politics.

Future proofed

Cognacs were entering a new era of style with handcrafted bottles, carefully selected closures, family’s crests and emblems, and eye-catching branding. With better control on what finally reaches the glass, Martell was to redefine quality, which even today remains its synonym. In 1848, Martell introduced their signature silver and blue coloured labels, which re-instated Martell’s design philosophy of being distinct, minimalist and contemporary. From here on, there was no looking back as Martell’s popularity soared, adding more prestige to its name. From being served at King George V’s coronation, to being presented to Queen Elizabeth II and Emperor of Japan, more and more royalties attached it to their honour and celebratory moments. Even the elite traveller couldn’t resist, sipping fashionably aboard the voyages on the Queen Mary, Concorde, and the Orient Express! Probably this is what helped cognac earn a reputation for being a certain drink for a certain occasion for a certain crowd, but all this rigid categorisation is now changing. 

In the French flag, the blue ribbon denotes the highest class or standard of quality. Martell introduced their first XO Cognac, Cordon Bleu, which has had an unswerving position and respect among connoisseurs. This legendary Cognac blends spirits aged between 10-25 years, often distinguished by its elegant, complexity, and impeccable balance. From the first whiff its bold notes charm you with its confidence and ethereal finesse, the palate delivers luscious fruity aromas smoothly blended with leather, spice, chocolate, and oak. The Cordon Bleu is testament to why this brand is still a leader in its field, recognised for being accessible and easy to sip. It carved its name in history when it was served at the signing of the World War I armistice. How can you not be at peace while holding a snifter?

Lading from the front

Since the beginning, Martell has been the beacon that’s guided the cognac fraternity. Be it marching into uncharged markets, consistently innovating new labels, or hosting the most luxurious galas at their chateaus and palaces. The arc in the Martell XO bottle signifies the family keeping a firm grip on its past while mindfully modernising for the future. Martell has dared to be different and has chosen to walk its own line with class actors and jazz musicians as its ambassadors. And it’s still leading from the front, with the newly introduced Martell Blue Swift, the first-ever cognac VSOP finished in bourbon casks, Martell has inspired producers to think outside the box and break the shackles of being tied down with an image that’s long due for renovation! Who would have thought, but if it was, we expected it from the house of Martell.

Staying alive

In the new world of craft and fast-moving spirits, cognac is an underdog. It may come with a pricey tag, but the value exceeds the price by far. When you sip a Martell, there’s a value of history, of a family that’s worked for generations to preserve the craftsmanship bestowed by legacy and nurtured by constant innovation; the celebrations of terroir, and the patience of letting nature take its course with every precious drop from the still. Away from the stodgy origins of an image that found resonance with grandfathers reading leather-bound Britannicas, rocking to nostalgic music on old chairs next to a fireplace is wearing thin. Cocktails or a simple Cognac and Ginger with a squeeze of lime and a mint sprig for a fresh garnish can be the new sip to redress an old spirit. It’s one of the most versatile and classy dark spirit. It has never shied away from finding room in any setting. Give it a shot, if not anything else, you’ll get a date with royalty, and it may just leave you with an accent! 

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Gin Is In!

Undoubtedly, it’s the golden hour for innovations in Indian spirits. And amongst them, the blue-eyed child are the new Indian gins. With a thick Indian accent, unprecedented brio, nostalgia-suffused storytelling, and endless trials of flavours, they’ve stirred up a storm, one that the country and its tipplers hadn’t seen before. It’s so engraved now that if your Instagram profile doesn’t have a picture of an Indian gin, you’ll easily be called a social outcast. So, what’ve these homegrown gins done, in only a couple of years, that’s arrested everyone’s attention? We enquire.

British gins were the first to catalogue their botanicals on the bottle, tell their stories, and mesmerise the global population with the idea. Neither were their botanicals local, nor were they the epitomes of storytelling. Yet, consequently it became the norm. “For the longest time, western gins were taking our story, our botanicals, and reselling them to us. Now, after decades, there’s increasing curiosity in knowing about Indian botanicals and stories”, notes Anand Virmani, creator of Hapusa & Greater Than. And so should it be. After all, we were on the Spice Route for a reason. Karina Aggarwal of Terai further explains, “There’s been a global cultural shift. Everyone’s interested in knowing what they’re consuming, its source, how they’ve been cultivated, traded, etc. And with Indians travelling extensively now, their understanding of ingredients has grown drastically. There’s a sense of pride in supporting homegrown produce and how many you’ve tried”. 

EFFORTLESSLY INDIAN

Indian households, mythology, ceremonies, and rituals have for long revolved around botanicals, florals, and citruses. Be it the morning prayers around the Tulsi plant, or nimbu-mirchi hanging on trucks & lorries, or betel leaves, nutmeg, rice, sugar on puja thalis, scents and flavours have forever been the thread holding our daily lives. Put all these emotions & essences in a bottle, and it’ll be hauntingly intriguing. Accepting them will come naturally. In what’s traditionally been a dark spirit market, no one has consciously allowed such an expression that these new Indian Gins have. And it makes complete sense why we’d effortlessly get allured by them, and not position them as snobbish, but somewhat our companion. Forget not, ease and convenience is what’s driving the world now anyway.

EASY ACCEPTABILITY

Anand recalls from his earlier stint, at Hendricks gin’s launch, people enquired what whiskies were being poured at the bar. Now, a decade on, people enquire about the gins on offer. Aman Thadani, creator of Pumori, calles dark spirits a tricky proposition. “Whiskies & rums have their histories, templates, ageing, cask finishes, terminologies, etc. All this makes them pretty technical. Gin on the other hand is a free and simpler playing field”. Aditya Aggarwal, founder of Samsara, adds “Gins are easier to talk about. They create a nostalgic recall, and forego the technical gyaan one has to invest in before picking a dram”. Vidur Gupta, co-founder of Stranger & Sons, echoes the thought. “Unlike years of encyclopaedic information crunching in wine studies, gins are easy. And their mixability & versatility makes it further playful.” Karina adds, “it’s also the image of dark spirits in India, a quirky whisky bottle can also be questionable, let alone how to drink it, or the glass of your choice. With gins, there are no such moulds.”

PLAY OF BOTANICALS + IDEAS

However, the spice box of the world has so much to offer, it could be easy to overdo. Even the thought of constructing a gin in India can be daunting. Greater Than was the first craft gin in the country in 2017. Anand recalls, “we had a clean slate and could do whatever. It was equally exciting and confusing. We started with 120-130 single ingredients, then started putting them together, and the final recipe had only 10-12 ingredients”. Vidur says “we have a problem of plenty in India. There’s an endless list of botanicals we know of and even bigger one of those we don’t”. However, “No single ingredient is going to trigger someone into liking a gin. It does become a differentiating factor though, one that enriches their experience”, Anand adds. 

In such a vast expanse of ingredients, then how does one construct a gin? “Your gin distills down from your concept. We wanted to make a gin that’s bold, stands out in the crowd, is inherently Indian, and resonates with London as much as it does with Delhi. And to achieve that, our homework was to taste over 300 gins!!”, Vidur reminisces. Karina opines “ though it’s a combination of various things, foremost are your personal preferences and knowing the palate of your audience. What reigns eventually is that it must be a product of provenance”. And the expression expands beyond just what’s inside the bottle. Aman puts it aptly, “put gin in a bottle versus a story, and you’ll see the difference. Before one picks a bottle, if you could tell them its inspiration and journey, the experience will grow manifolds”. Karina adds “from the label design to the bottle style, the gin needs to stand out, and have its own personality & identity. Consumers are also asking their tipples to be different, and it’s imperative that new gins do that.”

GINCREDIBLE INDIA

From these plethora of emerging ideas, one that shines is that of celebrating India. Our creators are proudly coining and nearly-boasting inscriptions like ‘India Dry’, ‘India Spirited’, ‘Himalayan Dry’ on their labels. But what are these terms and what do they signify? Like London Dry Gin, is there one that defines Indian gins? It’s simply too early to say. There’s no one India, in its geographic spread, cultural diversity, culinary spreads, languages, and attractions, there’re mere interpretations. And thats the most exciting feature in these new gins. They’ve celebrated India for Indians, that too at a time when our politics and a pandemic have divided us like never before. There’s a dire need for something that binds us together and makes us fall in love with our India again, and Indian gins are playing their part. 

Creators have very carefully and distinctly picked various features of India and put them in their bottles, on their labels, and in their stories. Haupsa, sanskrit for juniper, celebrates foraging local juniper from the snow-clad Himalayan mountains. A whiff of its gin teleports you to a rustic land with moist wood, petrichor, forest-floor, and fills you with a sense of adventure. Terai descends to the fertile & plush lowlands and has an imposing Indian accent through its fennel, tulsi, citrus, and floral hues, kindling a comforting assurance of botanicals you instantly resonate with. Stranger & Sons celebrates the Indian ghats and its agricultural diversity by putting a complex mix of spices, citruses, and aromatic botanicals in the hue. It teases you before it arrests you like a cruel mistress and doesn’t let you go. Samsara picked its botanical and aromatics reminiscing the scents at an Indian ceremony and the gin exhibits that in its floral liveliness, captivating secret citruses, and a regal khus note. And for once think, what do Himalayas, plush lowlands, the ghats, and Indian ceremonies have in common – nothing. And what’s India without either of them – nothing. And thats the play that Indian gins have mastered – there’s a union even in their diversity.

EMPOWERING THE CONSUMER

Finally, at a time of home drinking culture, where conversations around a refined drink have become the norm, gins are providing a reason to celebrate. Aditya exclaims “there’s a lot to resonate for everyone from a single sniff and sip of a gin”. Karina agrees and adds, “there’s a level of familiarity Indian gins offer, be it in the botanicals, or in their names, or designs”. Gin & Tonics have become the new norm. Vidur isn’t surprised, “we are a hot & social country, drinking chilled tall drinks makes sense”. Anand is on the same page and says “we’re in a country where whiskies are our almost national drink, but why? Drinking ideas from the EU don’t make sense in India”. Aman opines “consumers have elevated their game and for them a gin’s not a gin, a tonic’s not a tonic anymore, it’s much more”. 

Karina takes it a step ahead and claims “you can’t do anything wrong with gins, add any cordial, flavours, syrups, tonics, sodas, garnishes, throw them in any glass and it’s acceptable. Do that to a single malt whisky and you’ll get stares from every corner of the room. Unlike with some other spirits, here the consumer decides how they appreciate it. And you might be the only one who has that concoction in that pincode, which is so empowering”. And even for a humble G&T, Aditya says “there’s such sincerity in the process – cutting the fruits, getting the ice, picking garnishes, apt glassware, which elevates the aesthetics of the drink and the drinking ritual.” Sounds pretty civilised, eh!! 

India was always celebrated for its precise craftsmanship, and botanical offerings. With over a dozen gins on the shelves already, and many getting dressed to be unveiled, all in a span of 4 years, the gin revolution has been announced. There’s such promise in the category that one can’t help but anticipate more exciting introductions. If you haven’t befriended and added Indian gins to your repertoire, do it promptly. This wave isn’t calming down. 

 

First published in Sommelier India The Wine Magazine  2021

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Whether Shaken or Stirred, There’s Nothing As A Well – Mixed Cocktail

We can’t call it a complete pandemic after all. There’s some tasteful good that’s come out of it. The time off has allowed creative minds to put their ideas to play and it shows in the burgeoning Indian alco-bev space – exciting new gins, releasing craft rums, and a plethora of mixers crowding the shelves. And now, breaking the chain of conservative cocktail consumption are the new breed of bottled and canned cocktails, aka ready-to-serve (RTS). Mr Jerry’s & InACan cocktails are changing the way we perceive and imbibe our cocktails outside of those bars that have unfortunately remained shut most of this while.

 

It’s not a new category, rather it’s been a dominant one, especially for the giants. Smirnoff, Bacardi, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Absolut, and Malibu have already been animating the scenes with these mixes for decades. The global RTS cocktails market was valued at USD650 million in 2019, and was to grow at a pace of 21% till 2024. However, the onset of global lockdown has shifted the patterns and sent the segment on a skyrocketing trajectory, some now expecting it to garner valuations upto USD32 billion by 2024 closing. Our two homegrown Goa-based brands have brought India to add to this revolution.

Mr. Jerry's Cocktail

The sparks of genius flew during the first lockdown, in 2020, when spouses Mrinal Manu & Rincy Verghese couldn’t step out to meet their buddies over a few drams in true Goan fashion. “One evening we had Arijit Bose over. As usual he took over the bar and made some cool drinks, and we happened to discuss how fun it’d be to have a bottle of cocktail which we just open and pour and get a bar quality drink with perfection anytime”, recalls Rincy, co-founder of Mr. Jerry’s. 

From a casual discussion, things started moving fast, with phases of trials between the undisputed cocktail prince of India, Bose, and the suave ambassador of spirited times, Pankaj Balachandran, at their setup, CounterTop. “Sourcing the right ingredients wasn’t a challenge since at Blue Ocean Beverages, we make heaps of spirits and bottles for many major Indian-international brands”, says Rincy. Pankaj adds, “we decided to come up with cocktails that everyone could relate to. We created all the flavours in-house, and to maintain the authenticity of flavours we use some standard branded ingredients as well.” The first lot of Mr. Jerry’s offers 6 varieties in neat 500ml packs offering about 5 serves each at mere INR550. That’s a steal! LIIT was an obvious choice, Mrinal pushed for an Old Fashioned, Pankaj was adamant on doing a Negroni, a Cucumber Elderflower Fizz adheres to the growing gin craze, and then there are the crowd pleasing Espresso Martini & Mai Tai.

 

An ode to the great grandfather of mixology, Mr. Jerry P. Thomas, the concept was designed to please with ease. Partially because of the lockdown, the focus has stayed on capturing the retail market. “You don’t have to go out for a swanky drink, simply stay home, get Mr. Jerry’s, follow the instructions, and experience a great cocktail with precession”, Rincy exclaims. During the year-end tourist rush, they have also noted a demand from small bars who wish to serve great cocktails but don’t have an elaborate setup or a great mixologist to execute. Also, beach shacks that generally serve great food and chilled beers have taken a shine towards these cocktails. “They become efficient, limit their waste, don’t need expert staff, and earn a decent margin on these already well-crafted mixes, it’s a winner”, Pankaj observes.

Outside of Goa, Mr. Jerry’s is already making waves in Mumbai and Bengaluru. They’ve received a great welcome, especially thanks to their allowance of home delivering alcohol. And not just a few local cities, Mr. Jerry’s has already caught the attention of a few fine palates abroad and the talks are on!

Their cocktails range between 20-33% abv, and aren’t your typical rip & sip proposition. I loved their Espresso Martini, Negroni, and the Old Fashioned. And maybe since I’m going through a Mai Tai phase, it was my favourite, with all those sweet spices & nuttiness. An excited Pankaj spilled the beans and alerted me to anticipate new flavours coming out later in the year. Shhh… you didn’t hear that. 

In A Can Cocktails

The first canned cocktail in India, InACan, is putting convenience and portability first. Brainchild of Sameer Mirajkar & sommelier Viraj Sawant, the idea was conceived first in March 2020, with exhaustive R&D, foraging ingredients of provenance, that would elevate the resultant outcome. The Pune-based duo brought in the Mumbai-based champion mixologist Varun Sudhakar for product innovation and carefully fixing the mixes. With three rounds of tasting over 200 samples, created at their Goa facility, the trio fixed on 5 essential flavours – LIIT, rosemary-spiked Gin&Tonic, Whisky Collin with apple and cinnamon, a refreshing Vodka Mule, and Rum Latte which is their take on rum & cola with a twist of hazelnut. Apart from being in a can, all the drinks are carbonated, and use only natural ingredients, weigh less than 100 calories per serve, and are at a low spirited point of 9-13% abv. And at INR140 for a 250ml serve, they’re taking all the reasons why not give it a go.

 

Viraj recalls that they didn’t ever think of getting into cocktails per se, the idea was to take something conventional and innovate it. Convenience and portability of RTSs offers consumers safe access to high-quality cocktails amidst bar and restaurant restrictions. “All big countries are moving towards this segment. In 2019-2020, RTS cocktails have seen a 100x growth in SE Asia, Europe, America, and Australia. Companies like Bacardi are having a hard time keeping their products on the shelves”, Viraj comments. “While getting into this, we knew it’ll be an uphill task for a year or so, there are some obvious challenges there, but that’s everywhere”, he adds.

 

When Varun joined the team, he shared his idea with the duo of recreating a cocktail bar experience at home. They concurred about creating a quality product first, and then working out the pricing. And now that it’s already launched in Goa with exceptional success, Viraj already sees the possibility of placing them at banquets, mini bars, brunches, pool parties, in the travel sector, and at music festivals. “Opportunities are endless”, he adds. 

The mixes are meant to be drunk straight from the can, and taste even better from the glass. Rum latte was my favourite with whisky collins a close second, and the vodka mule definitely earning commendations. 

The Future

Lovers of craft beer and artisanal wines have readymade options at retail stores; cocktail fans don’t. Mr. Jerry’s and InACan have added to their choices. Consumers are driving the demand for ease, portability, and quality. RTS cocktails fit into their busy lifestyle and still taste as good as they did at their neighbourhood bars. And it’s an unprecedented era for cocktail drinking in India. Our mixology game has gone up and consumers have become conscious about what they put in their bodies, stories behind their drinks, their origins, the right etiquettes, etc. To deliver all that with ease, and class, without sacrificing the quality is the absolute key. And just as they’ve adapted to working from home, they’ve found ways to enhance entertainment and social occasions at home as well. After all, there’s something about drinking a cocktail that makes one feel civilised and it’s particularly reassuring during the time of a global pandemic. 

First published in Sommelier India The Wine Magazine

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Krsma Wines

PASSION, PATIENCE & PERSISTENCE

Tell someone India makes wines, you’ll get an absolutely surprised face! But then, tell an Indian that we make wines in Hampi Hills, and that’s a bigger shocker. And they find themselves further astonished upon tasting the wines that KRSMA Estates, the sole vintners in the archeologically rich UNESCO World Heritage tagged region, have been crafting. Yes, not producing, crafting. As they complete a decade of successful winemaking, its been one of turning odds in their favour, putting Indian wines on the world map, and redefining what human passion, patience, and persistence can yield.

If you know of KRSMA, you’d know the story of Krishna Prasad and Uma Chigurupati, christening KRSMA through the union of their names. Krishna got his first taste of wine at an early age through a bishop from the Vatican. And it arrested him like a cruel mistress that wouldn’t let go. Uma only learnt about the extent of his passion when after their marriage she moved in to their 2BHK apartment and appointed herself as their home-winery’s cellarmaster. The bug caught her too, and soon they found themselves enrolled in a winemaking course at the University of California, Davis. All this, while Krishna was engrossed in his professional pursuit of creating amongst India’s largest pharmaceutical company. In due time, with that running full-throttle, and kids settled in there disciplines, the duo shifted to their vinous desire of creating a winery. With a dream to setting up in South France and Tuscany, they chanced upon a plot in Hampi Hills in 2009 which they fell for effortlessly. It today holds the roots for KRSMA’s destiny.

The laws of international winemaking don’t apply to India, and those of Nashik & Nandi Hills to Hampi Hills. The rains are erratic in this rather arid area, with barely anything to support in miles. KRSMA’s introduction to the world could’ve been with their 2010 vintage, but destiny and nature had other plans. Judging the resultant nectar with his pharmaceutical precision, Krishna deemed the wine unfit for drinking, subsequently denying its release. “We make wines that we like drinking, if we can’t drink it, we won’t release it” he says. And it’s this approach that’s bagged them numerous awards across the globe later. Being Guinness Book of World Records awarded marathoners, their approach is one of delayed gratification. They know it’s the silent hardwork that helps on the final day. The release of their better prepared 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2012 Sauvignon Blanc in 2013 took oenophiles by surprise, with a fantastic release the following vintage too. The red was viscously smart, definitely way ahead of its time for India. The white was charming, pleasing, and as critics defined it, was ‘spring in a bottle’, which Uma cherishes as its fondest compliment. Very soon, they were pouring in culinary meccas in New York & Manhattan, earning themselves the righteous boast-worth glory. Call it Krishna’s precision, or Uma’s maternal care & adulation for her vines, KRSMA was igniting palates and minds across the world. 

2013 changed the rhythm at the winery while the crop just couldn’t justify the persona KRSMA’s  ‘reserve’ tittle. Soon, they moved to announce their second label, calling it K2, a more value-for-money proposition and a stepping foot upto the reserves. Even stronger a change came with the 2014 vintage, where the duo had to define KRSMA’s template and the two strong personalities clashed, with ultimately the cellarmaster having her way. Krishna was driven to achieve a Bordeaux-centric, restrained, and oak-oriented image for their Cabernet, while Uma was fascinated with the Napa Valley template that favoured the fruit, silky tannins, and approachability. His hands-off approach allowed Uma to toy with cellaring experiments which she cherishes and announces as one of her most prized vintages with noticeable glee.

While the story of KRSMA seems glorious, victorious, and all full of joys, it has presented many challenges and heartbreaks. Holding a Master’s degree in Soil Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Uma understand that a wine is a result of what the vineyards yield. Water scarcity in Hampi Hills is a real issue. To overcome that, KRSMA built lots of dams, charged borwells around the vineyards, and invested in rainwater harvesting. All this, just to control the soil pH and keep the vines alive. And soon they learnt how to use these arid conditions to their favour, that now demand very little intervention, and presents near absence of pest & fungal threats. Since 2014, vineyards have seen nearly 5 years of drought. However, thanks to this early change in vineyard practices, wines have been nothing short of being impressive and inspirational. The recently released 2016 vintage is testimony of that. “Viticulturally, it’s been a very challenging year, demanding a lot of personal study, trails and errors, and rejigging our harvest cycles, preponing them by a few months to harvest in cooler conditions”, she recalls. And the liquid, thus, shows unprecedented confidence and intellect. Though already 5 years old now, it’s still a baby in the cot and demands its juror the exact further patience in laying it down for another half decade the way the Chigurupati’s have maintained reaching upto the fruits it bears. “Any experiment takes about 4 years to show their impact. And now we also have a better understanding of the area and our soils. Mother Nature has shown lot of affection towards KRSMA. The last 2 years we’ve been very happy and able to change the texture of the soil, and generate microbes”, she says.

Experiments and learnings continue. KRSMA has virtually pulled out all of their Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc vines. Though Sangiovese has been the favourite for many, including myself, their Chardonnay was a rockstar. It earn’t them their first Double Gold early at the 2013 China Wine & Spirits Awards. Yet, they were just not conducive for the time. While the Chenin is gone for good, new strains have been brought in to revive other varietals, of which few will bear fruits in 2021, marking a new beginning for them all over again! In an intimate disclosure, the Chigurupati’s are now eyeing new horizons with blends and bubbles. “I would like to try blending our already proficient Cabernet and Syrah, and would love to revive our fallen varietals. We’ve experimented with Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the vineyards and give them anther chance. And, a KRSMA sparkling might be a reality soon too”, Uma reveals. 

KRSMA has turned a page in India’s winemaking history, fuelled more with passion than commercial desires. While a new brand needs big marketing push, KRSMA has one built without much efforts. While what was happening in the background was tricky, the grapes have spoke and shone for themselves. Presenting many ‘firsts’ – first in Hampi, first reserve only wines, first vintage oriented labels, first magnums, first Indians to make it to the coveted World’s 50 Best Vineyards – there’s lot more that’s expected and desired from the team. And with the way the duo have proven their mettle in their other professional pursuits, and in marathoning, their a promise in their personality to bring more glory to the potential of Indian wines and the region. Indian palates deserve better, and KRSMA seem to be leaving no stone unturned in achieving just that…

 

First published in Sommelier India The Wine Magazine

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Fruzzante – Fruits With Fizz

At the northern-most tip of the Konkan belt sits the frolicking beach-town of Bordi. Tourists dot the scene for a quick getaway from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Surat. What many don’t know, Bordi is also the home to the world’s first chikoo winery, called Fruzzante!! It’s the brainchild of a local girl who decided to put Bordi on the world map by elevating its hero, mud apples, aka chikoo, that also enjoys the much-regarded Geographical Indication tag, like Assam tea and Mysore silk.

How Did Fruzzante Begin?

A mechanical engineer by study, Priyanka Save had the zeal to turn the fruit that’s filled her childhood memories into something that the world could enjoy. Having their own family-owned farms planted with mangoes and mud apples, she often noticed how these lovely fruits would go waste due to overproduction. When she returned from her studies in the US, she took upon herself to turn this into a tasty boozy opportunity. ‘Waste is not waste till you waste it’, a principle Priyanka took seriously. With ample fruits at hand, Priyanka and her spouse, Nagesh Pai, put on their lab coats and mad scientists’ hats and dove into experimentation and research. Since the laws and science of other drinks were not to apply to these fruits, it led them to create their own equipments, tanks, machines, yeasts, and processes.

And being the first of their kind in the world, there was a complete absence of any previous studies, benchmarks, and protocols to adhere to. Luckily their zeal, patience, and madness reigned over the complexity of the task. They approached Dominic Rivard, amongst the most regarded fruit-winemakers of Canada, for guidance and technical support and he promptly accepted the challenge. With endless hits and misses, a new encyclopaedic learning in the process, and a clear product at hand, finally, Fruzzante’s first label was born and introduced to the world on 31st December, 2016. With the start of the new year, started a new chapter in India’s history, written by the passions of two enthusiastic farmer-family kids and a Canadian genius.

Bravo, Fruzzante Is Here. Struggle Has Just Begun

While they rejoiced the birth of this fantastic product, they knew the journey had only begun. Maharashtra government’s excise policy didn’t have provisions for a fruit-based alco-bev of its kind. Having a brilliantly bubbly product at hand, that amplified the GI tag, supported local farmers, and Bordi’s financial and environmental eco-system, Priyanka knew she had embarked on the right path. After writing numerous letters, making uncountable runs to the Mantralaya in South Mumbai, a year later, a new provision was created. It was an unprecedented event of sorts that Priyanka nearly single-handed created for the country. And not just that, she even got the category exempted from taxation!!

Winning Hearts, Winning Awards

By the mid of 2017 Fruzzante was not only winning hearts in Mumbai, but the world over. Under Dominic’s tutelage, Fruzzante entered the ‘Drink Outside The Grape’ competition in Virginia, USA, in 2017. It allows sibling beverages to grape wine, i.e. fruit wines, meads, cider/perry, and fruit brandies (eaux-de-vie), to be evaluated in their own classes. Fruzzante, wrote another ‘first’ for India by receiving a silver medal at the competition. This accolade was not just a pat on their backs, or confirmation of their concept, but a massive push for them to explore other fruits.

And today, Fruzzante, synonym to fruits with fizz, has drinks made from mangoes, pineapples, starfruit, and strawberry, and soon oranges will join the family. They’re are staunchly against using concentrates and chemicals, and equally enthusiastic about picking fruits from a GI tagged regions. Outside of pineapple and starfruit, all fruits hail from a designated area of origin.

From Farm To Table, How The Magic Happens

Chikoo is the king in the region and has a year-round production. Unlike grapes for wines, fruits for Fruzzante don’t ripen on trees, but in a conditioning chamber at the facility. It flushes in fresh air at controlled temperatures, ensuring the fruit ripens to its optimum and consistently. For fruits outside of Bordi, conditioning is done locally and deliveries are ensured within 24 hours of harvest. That’s another logistical battle won!! Conditioning for every fruit is different and unique, and bear in mind, it isn’t for the fruits to be eaten.

This is followed by thorough washing, sorting, and milling. To ensure natural yeasts, bacterias, tannins, and nutrients are kept intact, skins and stones of none of the fruits are discarded. They add their own texture, mouthfeel, body, and charm to the drinks. A quick crushing at near freezing temperatures provides the nectar, and the pulps are turned into manure, ensuring nothing is wasted.

Fruzzante: Making Its Own Fruity Science

Priyanka jumps in and stresses that the key here is to ripen the fruit at a level where the quality and quantity balance it at its optimum, something they had to define on their own, for ever single fruit!! From here the juices run to the fermentation facility and different yeasts step in. Yet again, unlike wines, Fruzzante’s study of yeast is another chapter in their series of victories. While the yeast for wines is glucose-hungry, given the mix of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in fruits, Fruzzante had to develop their own strains, mostly unique to each fruit. And one who knows about yeasts knows what a gigantic task it could be. Also comes in the cocktail of acids that are imperative to the drink. Priyanka stresses on a deep understanding of the fruit, yeasts, and processes to develop a stringent nutrient strategy to support the juices.

Fruzzante’s Future Is Sweet

With different fruits being harvested throughout the year, the facility remains continuously busy. From being a humble 12,000 litres production to now nearly 5 lac litres, Fruzzante is confidently moving upwards on the graph. At INR175-200 for a pint, Fruzzante is clearly carving its own category in the market, and in 2021, it aims to capture the shelves in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, and Goa.

Not all fruits, they also have a honey-based dessert called Arka, which is something to watch out for. Arka, in Sanskrit translate to ‘the extract or the nectar’ and is a partially fermented drink with a Sauternes or Botrytised Semillon-like personality. It’s something that can be laid down for decades with minimal chances of deterioration. Add to that, a rose petals-infused variant which we had the good fortunes of tasting straight from the tanks. Aromas of roses gush to impress your senses, fill you up with nostalgia, and puts an unwipeable smile on your face. Priced between INR1050-1095 for 375ml, Arka is something unique, undeniably charming, and unputdownable from the first sniff on.

The Hustle Continues…

What started as a curious experiment is now tauted as a definite head-turner for India. Proudly labeled as ‘Pressed and Blessed in India’, Fruzzante has done the unthinkable. It has disrupted the industry in a promising way, battled with the stringent excise to carve a space for itself, and injected confidence in those who wish to create a new new in India. Forget not to praise the learning they’ve gone through and the continuous education they need to impart to the world for Fruzzante to keep shining.

I’m confident that’ll happen, as the parting quote from Priyanka still echoes in my memory. I was curious to know about their vision for Fruzzante and enquired. Priyanka humbly smiled and said – wine is the term from drink made from grapes, cider for apples, perry for pears, I want Fruzzante to be the term the world over for those made from fruits!! And when it happens, remember it started from Bordi, and it started from India.

 

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine, June 2021

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The Great Grape Crush

In 1837, as Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal king of India, acceded to the throne in Delhi, a Bavarian national, Johann Gramp was docking on the shores of Australia. Both men were destined to change the course of history. One was to fail his empire and lose it to British colonisation, and the other was fomenting a vinous revolution that would rule the world’s palates for centuries to come.

 

A decade after his arrival Down Under, Gramp planted Barossa Valley’s first vines over a 30 hectare piece of land shouldering a natural waterway called Jacob’s Creek. A humble setup of a small winery with an underground cellar yielded its first label in 1850 with an assortment of about 125 bottles. Fast-forward to125 years later, in 1976, and again, while the Indian empire was under the shroud of an impending Emergency, a new revolution was brewing in the Gramp kingdom. Jacob’s Creek label, an ode to the aspiring natural feature adjoining the original winery site setup by papa Johann, was finally presented to the Australian palates. Did they know then that the label would go on to become the quintessential synonym to quality and simplicity the world over? I guess they did. How does one claim that? See now, less than half a century on, it has over 8000 awards and medals to its name, it’s relished in over 80 countries, raising 1.7 million toasts a day. It’s a global synonym for Aussie wines, and here in India, it’s the undisputed, undefeated, insatiable ruler of the imported wines sultanate.

From its original Shiraz-Cabernet-Malbec rendition, Jacob’s Creek has evolved into a massive range. Its wines display the regard for their terroir, varietal character, and elegance, all crafted from employing decades of experience and the wisdom of its ancestors’ 170-year long journey. And it’s probably the mastery of these elements that ensure that every bottle of Jacob’s Creek wines taste the same, regardless of where they’re being poured around the globe. Apart from their classic and reserve ranges, they added organically-made wines to their offerings in 2020, and recently added the newly-introduced Double Barrel Shiraz. And just before the second lockdown, another exciting label was announced, especially exhilarating for F1 Grand Prix followers. In a collaboration between their St Hugo range and the dashing Aussie racer Daniel Ricciardo, the Jacob’s Creek family will be offering their 2015 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Barossa Shiraz, only to the Aussie palates. What a tease! But hey, much like what Ricciardo’s fellow racers on the track say for him, didn’t see that coming.

What puts Jacob’s Creek in a league of its own is their commitment to their winemaking philosophy and churning value-for-money expressions. Every drop delivers quality, superseding the buck paid for it. In a price-driven market like India, it has been the first dram for many, and even today remains the benchmark for any wines trying to compete with the country’s fast-growing international wine market. Its price sensitive offering places it at the top of the tier for any oenophile. It promises consistency, quality, and a bond of trust to satiate the palate and quench your thirst. What else do we want in a discerning vino?

The journey of Jacob’s Creek has been exceptional thus far. And if you ever get a chance to visit their visitor’s centre, do have a meal at their award-winning restaurant, and check if you can plant your own vine in their vineyards. On my visit in 2012, I planted my own vines, fruits of which are to contribute to their award-winning wines. Grab your vine sapling, and plant the seeds of what may change the course of history yet again and tease and please the palates of fine wine drinkers around the globe. After all, Jacob’s Creek is the sort of ruler whom we can repose our trust.

MILESTONES

1837 – Johann Gramp arrives in Australia

1840s – William Jacob, Eurpoean explorer sets up his hermitage near the creek, later giving it its name

1847 – Johann Gramp plants Barossa Valley’s first vines

1850 – First wine is released

1877 – Gustav, Gramp’s son, expands the winery and vineyards

1976 – Jacob’s Creek label is born, holding the 1973 Shiraz-Cabernet-Malbec blend in its bottles

1984 – Jacob’s Creek goes global, to the United Kingdom

1994 – Awarded the prestigious Maurice O’Shea Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Wine Industry. The first time a brand had received this award rather than individual.

1998 – Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir sparkling is introduced

2002 – Jacob’s Creek Visitor’s Centre opens, with a time capsule buried under it, to be revealed in 2027

2005 – Official wine of the Australian Open

2008 – Ranked #1 among the World’s 100 Best Wineries in 2008 by the World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists

2011-2018 – 8 years of continuously being awarded amongst World’s Most Admired Wine brands by Drinks International magazine

2020 – Launches organic wine label

2021 – Collab between St Hugo range and F1 racer Daniel Ricciardo

First Published in India Today Spice 2021

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Sula Vineyards – Ever Onwards

The near-synonym for Indian wines, Sula Vineyards, India’s largest winery, has been quietly shifting gears. It has consolidated its place as a market leader which has allowed them to focus on fine-tuning their engines and developing a new image. It shows in the confident renewed personality of their reserve wines, and new labels that are quickly gathering space on the shelves. In a conversation with Gregoire Verdin, Brand Ambassador, Karan Vasani, Chief Winemaker, and Rajeev Samant, the big CEO, Sommelier Gagan SHARMA learns about how Sula is making a subtle transition.

SULA VINEYARDS MAKING THE SHIFT – CLASSIC TO PREMIUM

Sula has always carried a new world image with more youthful, vivacious wines, much like Rajeev’s personality. For many, this wine with brilliantly smiling sun on its label is their first introduction to the drink in the country. It’s their iconic classic range that does the magic, and strives, successfully so, to deliver aromatic and fruity wines, some sporadically having a tinge of sweetness. Deriving from this success, over the past few years, Sula has now moved its focus towards adding new avatars of what they’ve already have mastered. Gregoire and Karan concur that the winemaking team has been pushed to leave no stone unturned in cashing the opportunity to experiment earnestly. And they’ve happily put on their mad scientist hats and gone hunting for more styles and expressions.

On my last trip to the winery in March, Karan did whisper toying with techniques like Carbonic Maceration, commonly used in Beaujolais and Rhone Valley reds, Appassimento from Veneto, and moving some of the bubblies to Charmat or tank-fermentation. This free-spirited experimentation has brought many new exciting labels to life. Country’s first semi-sweet Sparkling Shiraz, is hard to put down, Sula’s first oak-aged reserve white, Dindori Chardonnay, is a matured quaffer, and ‘The Source’ label wines that’re classy, suave, and intellectual.

SULA VINEYARDS OPENS THE SOURCE

The Source has been the newest range to join Sula’s family. The name comes from their namesake heritage winery resort, also country’s first, with a Tuscan twist. Their Grenache Rose, also India’s first, and the Sauvignon Blanc are the alter-egos of the classic range’s renditions. Its labels are a departure from the traditional eye-catching Sula visual identity and are best described as subtle and ‘old-school’.

Karan shares that The Source was always to be an out-of-the-box, more serious expression, with Rajeev confirming that. “It’ll remain a separate entity, just as it is right now. There’s no current need to add another wine under Sula’s umbrella”, he says. Gregoire humbly designates it as Sula’s ode its craftsmen. Wines carry a French style and spirit with the Grenache Rose being utterly dry, vibrant, made in a fruit-forward Provence style. Sauvignon Blanc is expressive, astute, austere, and has some influence of oak to further add to the personality. Rajeev adds “our Sauvignon Blanc style has changed. It use to be grassy, people thought that’s the style. Now, it’s moved to a reductive style, with more tropical flavours that’s made it more consumer friendly and enjoyable”.

Gregoire Verdin, Karan Vasani, Gagan Sharma at Sula Vineyards

These two wines have also pleasantly surprised winery’s critics, who often complained that Sula isn’t doing enough to reinvent itself and that its wines are sweet, and not serious. The Source is a classy alter-ego, I say!! Placing it in the INR1000+ price-point, considered premium in most markets, is also a statement. Yet, I’d call it ‘an affordable premium’ as the quality does justify the price tag. And to complete the brigade, soon there’ll be a red joining in!! A character-driven gentle Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of oak.

SULA VINEYARDS’ RASA & DINDORI PROMISES AND DELIVERS

The wines that created the strongest memories from my last visit to Sula were from their reserve portfolio. The three RASA reds and especially the Dindori Chardonnay have come along well. Sula’s Rasa is an absolute blockbuster amongst any serious wine drinker with a keen eye from Indian reds. Though I loved their Syrah, I’d still place my bets on their Cabernet’s future. Karan was very generous to serve us the first ever vintage of Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon from 2012, a well-aged beauty now, that was holding perfectly well, with barely any flaws to pick. Now back in 2012, most would refrain from commenting on the promise of Indian reserve wines. Looking at that from today’s wisdom, this 8 year old Rasa Cabernet was way ahead of its time and a testament to what Indian wines were set to achieve.

Rajeev owes this change to better vineyards management techniques they’ve adopted over the years. Further, he says “it’s the sum of small changes throughout the production chain. Earlier our reds were discouraged as smokey, having tar flavours, (he chuckled when I shared we called it the ‘

’), all of that is gone. Our barrel hygiene and strategy has improved. A simple step like taking the barrel room temperature down from 19C to 14C has made the wines so different. There’s been a big up in our Rasa wines from the past and we’ll stay bullish with them”.

Gregoire, who is also the Head of Tastings, proudly shares that consumers are more and more excited about their premium reds. He returns more confident from each customer interaction, further confirming the direction of their efforts. He’s also placing his confidence in the INR1000-1500 range which he reckons holds the greatest promise in the coming years. Karan gingerly mentions most of his new projects are in that segment as well. Winds of change are flowing…

Karan Addressing #IndianVineTrail Attendees
Tasting An Ocean Of Wines Amidst An Ocean Of Barrels

SULA VINEYARDS WEIGHS IN ON ITS WHITES

As to the whites, Indian wines have proved it’s a segment that’s only bound to get better. Anyone who’s been relishing Indian whites over the decade can testify about their quality’s progression. However, Rajeev still sees it in its youth with an upwards curve. “The quality has and will continue to get better. It has now reached the point where our wines would be at par with the same varietal of any international wine, or often better. We’ve seen that specially about our whites. Our 2020 Chenin Blanc is easily our best ever produce”.

At the time of my visit, not only was I pleasantly surprised with Dindori Chardonnay, what was further impacting with what Karan mentioned next. “We’ve never had a barrel program for our whites, but now we do. We’ve specially designed these barrels and their regimen”. When the market leader like Sula makes a move like this, it’s a confirmation of where the market is headed. And the wines surely justify that. Dindori Chardonnay has the fruit-forward appeal with ample citrus and a playful oak, which pleasantly makes its presence felt, binding the subtle nuances wine together. And at INR1250, it provides the confidence to experiment with.

“Kendal Jackson Vintners Reserve was our inspiration for Dindori Chardonnay, the most selling reserve Chardonnay in America”, Rajeev confirms. It isn’t an expensive drop, and definitely resonates with a majority of drinkers. “A good Chardonnay doesn’t have to be expensive, overtly oaky, or have to age for years, it has to be enjoyable” aptly comments Karan who is proud of how the wine has turned out to be and progressed. With The Source Sauvignon also flirting with oak, Sula is bound to have more such expressions.

ALL WORK NO PLAY – NOT AT SULA VINEYARDS

But it isn’t all serious and play at Sula. As the new reserve and premium range labels are being added to their offerings, so are some playful ones. Sparkling Shiraz is a young gun that’s making Sula’s portfolio look attractive and confident. A semi-sweet, sparkling red wine is what India was missing, and Sula has done justice to it from the get-go. The packaging is utterly attractive and you one’s eyes stop at it for sure! On enquiring why this wine, Karan and Rajeev concurred on their ideas. “As a producer, you have to constantly move forward, which doesn’t necessarily mean adding new varietals.

At Sula, we keep working at the need to make wine drinking as accessible as possible. And the Sparkling Shiraz does just that. It’s big in Australia, and it’ll be big in India too”, says Rajeev with excitement. Karan simplifies, “We make a great Shiraz, our Shiraz Cabernet is India’s most sold wine. When it came to exploring what else we could do with the varietal, this definitely was an option, so why not?” It may be too early to say if India will accept this wine-style or not, but it surely is making the right noise in the market.

ANOTHER FIRST – SULA VINEYARDS’ DIA WINE-IN-A-CAN

What is also making a ton of noise and catching the eyeballs is Sula’s Dia wine-in-a-can. Launched at the SulaFest 2020, it was an instant crowd pleaser. Dia, is their 8 year old brand that has gotten a facelift and a new packaging. 330ml can at 8% alcohol, fruity, off-dry, with an accessible INR180 price tag, it checks all the boxes to be picked up and had a go at. Gregoire jumps in to confirm that they’ve been receiving a good response from the markets and the product looks promising. Things have slowed down, due to the pandemic, and the best is yet to come.

Dia Wine In A Can By Sula Vineyards

Karan says it is a product that Sula is very serious about, and it shows from their INR1 crore investment in their canning line. For Rajeev, introducing wine-in-a-can in India makes total sense. It’s not only necessitates ease of drinking, it’s also a way to expand the wine market with the ease of carrying, its utility, service, drinking, approachability and more.

Personally, I’m not a sceptic and I won’t play safe by sitting in the wait-and-watch boat. It’s a trend that’ll stay and prosper in India. However, it shouldn’t be restrict only for playful, sugar-laden wines, opportunities are plentiful and must open to serious wines as well.

WHAT’S THE VERDICT

With the wind following in Sula’s favour, which even the pandemic couldn’t alter, this army seem to be marching on, and favourably so. I’ve been an advocate of Indian wines for long, and proudly so. With a big banner, big productions, comes big challenges, which Sula has not only faced but thrived through. The change in their quality is apparent and the confidence in their new liquids speaks of the niches it’ll carve for the brand. It’s no more the time to wait and watch, but go grab one and relish…

 

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine in January, 2021