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The surge of Agave in India – A beyond the shots story

TEQUILA & AGAVE THEN

A decade ago, no party wrapped before a round of Tequila shots, followed by morning vows of never touching the spirit again. Those shots were simply about ‘give me something cheap, that I could gulp without tasting’. Neither was there any knowledge about the drink, nor any motivation to look beyond those cheap labels. And why would there be any? Who spent on shots anyway, right? The definition of your mid-20s wouldn’t even be the same if you were told those salt rimmed, lemon wedge-backed fiery liquids weren’t even pure Tequilas, definitely not the culturally-driven Mexican heritage drink. Whose heritage is built on shooting drinks anyway? All that is now changing, finally.

 

TEQUILA & AGAVE NOW

The pandemic moved us from straight drinks to cocktails and trying new spirits at it. What drove it was leisure drinking and their mixability. Those heavily aged, have-encyclopaedic-knowledge-before-approaching-me brown spirits were pushed away by easier, amicable white ones. While in India it was gin, pure premium Tequilas took the global pie. Since 2010, the market has doubled, it’s further growing ferociously, with the premium Tequilas peaking at an 83% fold! It’s probably amongst those rare categories that didn’t dip during Covid, instead it soared. There was all the time, and intent, to let go of those horrible past experiences, unlearn, and relearn about the drink that was never really befriended. And this newly discovered love for agave spirits and Tequilas is going to keep bars and imbibers spirited for a pretty long time.

 

AGAVE BEYOND TEQUILA

Once you go pure, you don’t return to that edgy firewater. Though ‘Tequila’ has been much bastardised into a common nomenclature for all things shots and made from agave, there’s an unexplored colony of drinks beyond it. Agave too, much like grains and grapes, isn’t the sole base, there’re many more. However, Tequila hails from a GI-tagged region of Mexico with certain quality and prestige attached, think Champagne in France, Scotch in whiskies, or Cognac in brandies. Within Tequila there’s a study of Puro and Mixtos, latter being a mix of base ingredients against a single origin 100% agave based spirit, generally considered much inferior but to mad scientist and a playful genius its allows the proposition to breakfree from the straightjacket of norms and definitions and experimenting unabashedly. Then there’s also the much cult, crafty, rural, and revered Mezcal which by all means is a connoisseurs’ and aficionados’ delight. There’s also Sotol, considered the lesser loved child of the family, that has its own status of sorts locally. And then there’re spots like Califonia, Japan, Australia, Peru, Venezuela, and of course India, that produce the spirit and keep it simply under the title ‘agave spirits’. If anything, even if we mistakenly call all drinks ‘Tequila’, it’s as expansive a proposition as most respected drams.

AGAVE IN INDIA

Patron, Don Julio, Corralejo, El Jimador, Herradura Tequilas and Creyente, Del Maguey, Clase Azul Mezcals have globally been drivers for the premium category, and now India has added to the list with its homegrown label, Pistola Agavepura. I’d happily sip on either and I do occasionally pick them over well-aged malts and rums. Rakshay Dhariwal, the suave hospitality superhero who heads SAZ, Ping’s Oriental, Jamun, and Asia’s 50 Best Bars ranker PCO in the capital, wanted to be creative during the lockdown and birthed Pistola. “Before the pandemic, we saw clients drifting towards premium Tequilas and asked us to source special bottles. These were proper 100% Puro de Agave labels, so they knew what they were drinking. I wanted to follow this shift. During lockdown I wondered how else can I get to people’s homes besides food, which we had been doing anyway. I thought of creating everything from bottled cocktails to tonic water, to our own gin, but settled for an agave based drink that’d put India on the map” 

Much like wines, ciders, rums, and cognacs, anything that’s made with fruits or plants is heavily influenced by provenance and terroir. Agave drinks are no different. India’s tryst with the plant goes back a couple of centuries! India has a ton growing wildly in the weirdest of places from Shimla to the Deccan Plateau. “When Queen Victoria visited India, she ordered planting agave bordering railway tracks to protect animals from hitting them”, Rakshay shares. Deccan Plateau’s red soil and rather barren lands graciously welcome the plant in its laps. It’s enough not only to cater to Indian palates, even to be exported. Who knew? And who knows what potential the Indian terroir holds? It may take the world by a storm, right? However, what’s foremost is purity. 

Maya Pistola Agavepura

PROVENANCE MATTERS

‘100% Puro de Agave’ is a spirit made purely from agave plants. If you’ve been drinking spirits under the (say) INR1800-2000 mark, chances are they aren’t Puro, instead they’re what’s called Mixtos, created from a variety of base ingredients. Though a dominant and essential part of the game, it’s not what’s driving the change. These Puro de Agave spirits offer an experience, a glimpse into the heritage of its producer, and will always be expensive. It takes seven kilos of agave to make a litre of Puro spirit, and agave isn’t cheap. Befriending the spirit is as geeky an affair as that of Cognacs, single malt whiskies, and age-statement rums. It solicits patience, trials, and indulgence. Social media plays an important role in driving these changes. And who influences better than celebrities?

CELEBRTIES STEP IN

Celebs have been biting into the agave craze since George Clooney got in and sold his label, Casamigos, for a whooping USD1 billion. Teremana (The Rock), Lobos 1707 (LeBron James), Cincoro (Michael Jordan), Villa One (Nick Jonas), Don Ramon (Pierce Brosnan) and 818 (Kendall Jenner) have all followed suit. “They definitely help the category grow and can open gateways to open craft spirits too”, says Bacardi India’s Jonas Ax who’s heading Patron. Rakshay too concurs, “they not only make people drink better, also add a certain oomph to drinks & rituals”. If Tequila has been the drink of the Hispanics, celebs’ endorsements definitely open the market to other communities. Though, there’re visible ups, there are some sour notes too. Kendall Jenner has been heavily criticised for everything, from sipping her tequila on ice to flagrantly stepping into an industry she knows nothing about just to make her even richer. Some believe the sheen of celebrity can divert attention from the nuances of Tequila, its provenance, and heritage, which actually make it a great drink. The fine line between homage and appropriation is blurring. However, for the Indian denizens, that’s a worry for a far distant future. 

BARTENDERS’ POISON

Be it neat, on ice, with a dash of sparkling water, or through cocktails, the agave spirits’ bug will catch you for sure. Considered the most mixable spirit, bartenders are halleluah-ing every passing moment. At the end of US’s prohibition era (circa1930-40s), cocktail revolution brought Margaritas to the fore and they’ve not really left, albeit TGIF and Ruby’s Tuesday’s awful syrupy concoctions. Picantes, Palomas, Margaritas, not only accentuate the provenance, prowess, finesse of the base spirit and are loved equally on either side of the bar. “Earlier it was gin, now there’s a rapid shift towards agave spirits. In our new menu, there are 8 agave based cocktails, a drastic increase from just 3. Agave spirits and spices go well, they do justice to Indian palates, and we’re trying to bring classics back with a new touch. Even our guest ask us, what else can we do with the spirit” shares Navjot Singh, head bartender of Lair, New Delhi, that’s single handedly responsible for bringing Picante in the limelight and making Paloma sexy again. 

Picante at Lair, New Delhi

WHAT DO WE DO?

Rakshay is already adding more shades to Pistola’s spectrum with a Joven, Anejo, Phoenix Anejo, and an interesting Rosa, a cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged Reposado with a pink hue. Patron has already made a honey and coffee flavoured rendition. Especially in India where there’s no right path to the spirit and a lack of definition for local produce, the opportunities are endless. And with the advent of Indian gin, conversations about flavours have only expanded. “There’s definitely a market for flavoured variants, we’re a population of 1.4billion, there’s space for everything, just not now”, Rakshay shares. Jonas too agrees “we’d like people to decode the spirit first and then move to flavoured ones, they definitely take the inhibition away and are imperative”.

Maya Pistola Agavepura - Rosa

India is already upping the revelries. Jai Solanki, the crafty chef and owner of Lair, New Delhi, is gearing up to open the floodgates for local palates and hosting the first-even Agave Fest in Goa in January. In the carnival spirit to Goa, it’ll bring together gastronomic meccas, revered bars and their mixologists, and connoisseurs alike over thumping music lineups, games and more over 6-7th January at W Goa. Who would’ve though we’d see that in India? If that’s not a sign, then what is?

Whichever way you look at it, this is not a fad. With this instant influx there’ll be a bubble that’ll burst, acting as an imperative balancer. Nonetheless, once you’ll befriend a pure agave spirit, you’ll not return to those edgy, rough, firewater of spirits that filled your shot glasses. And to that itself we can raise a toast. Salud !! 

First published on India Today Spice, November 2022

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Articles Cocktails Conversations Events + Affairs Gastronomy Personalities Spirits TippleTalk Trade Wines

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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Uncategorized Articles Cocktails Conversations Events + Affairs Spirits TippleTalk

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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Articles Events + Affairs Personalities TippleTalk Trade Wines

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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What Will They Think Of Next? India’s Tryst With Wine In A Can

Two can of beer, female and male hands on the background of a beautiful, wooden surface. Top view, close-up. Concept of leisure and travel

Of the ‘coolest’ trends coming out in 2020, one has to be India’s acceptance of wine-in-a-can. Albeit Sula Vineyards putting their 8 years old brand, Dia Sparkling, in cans last year, it really exploded in the markets this year. Fratelli Vineyards joined the party with their canned red, white, sparkling, sparkling rose medium-sweet wines, called TILT, recently. While the packaging, appeal and branding are utterly exciting, wine-in-a-can concept is still in its adolescence, and most believe it may be just too early to comment on its future in the country.

Is it a fad or something to stay, Gagan SHARMA, Certified Sommelier and wine educator explores. 

PUTTING WINE IN A CAN – WHO FIRST?

The first official study about the concept was conceived nearly half a decade ago in the US, which remains the biggest wine-in-a-can market. Between 2018-2019 the market has grown by 70% in the US, and 125% in the UK alone. Traditional countries like France and Italy are joining the race as well. Returning to the US, various factors have contributed to the success of this nouveaux category.

One being the ease of carrying, storing, and serving the cans. Add to that their catchy labelling and visuals, which have become absolutely imperative for the social media and Insta-ready generation (after all, they’re the fine wine genes of the future!). Others are the ease of committing to a 180-250-330ml can over a 750ml bottle, which many find a commitment bigger than marriage, or adopting a puppy. Not just the liquid, it is a financial commitment too!!

And then think of the technical jargons one has to record and decipher – the understanding of languages, regions, sub-regions, villages, crus, vintage charts, terroirs, etc. Then comes the NASA-equivalent act of uncorking a bottle, decanting it with panache, and watching it breathe. And what follows next? You drink half, and don’t know how to store the rest, since, you know, spoilage is a science by itself. Eh! Who wants that? It’s intimidating! A peppy looking can, with bright colours, a funky name, ready to rip open, and sip away, while holding a burger, a sub, or an avocado toast in the other hand, that’s more millennial-appropriate.

MILLENNIALS – FOCUS ALL THE WAY

Millennials definitely reign over the biggest portion of this pie. But, they haven’t just stuck to the basics. In 2019, over 60 percent of craft beers were packaged in cans. And cans are becoming the container of choice for beverages, think of water, coffees, soft drinks, beers, etc. Younger consumers are now perceiving cans as premium packaging. Taking advantage of this, winemakers are now making some bold moves of putting premium wines in cans, wines that can be vineyard specific, varietal specific, even vintage dated. What’s even better is that with the replacement of corks, wines don’t fear a chance of cork taint, rapid oxidation, being skunked or light-stuck, or a variety of other such complications. Yet, red wines are still to gather acceptability, the largest group remains roses and whites. Maybe the purists are hesitant to see their beloved Bordeauxs, Super Tuscans, Aussie Cabernets, or prestigious Chilean wines in an aluminium carrier just yet. After all, as we said, we are still waiting and watching.

WINE IN A CAN – AS GOOD AS FROM THE BOTTLE?

To get the stiff old school wine-in-a-bottle drinkers to see the magic of this new avatar, wine-in-a-can producers have been running trials and blind tasting tests to see if the packaging makes any difference in the quality of the liquid. Some have found that it was nearly impossible to tell them apart, giving the industry a much-needed morale boost. It does inch us closer to believing that it may after all not just be a fad, but a trend to stay.

India has added the concept to its repertoire with commendable acceptability. The price point works too. Sula’s Dia retails at INR180 for a 330ml can, at 8% abv. While Fratelli’s TILT is at the same price mark, it pours 250ml, at a higher 11%. Having said that, for the connoisseurs of even the most basic wines they both pose a challenge. One, they both offer only bubbly wines thus far, and the other, that their wines are semi sweet or sweeter. With that comes the problem – how much sugar can you imbibe? Nonetheless, not for once have I seen even the social-drinkers not get excited on seeing the cans and jumping on to try them. If they like it or not is for later, getting enthused and providing instant acceptability is definitely promising.

WHERE DO THEY FIT?

For the hospitality space, these cans offer solutions to a plethora of traditional problems. Be it spoilage, storing, portion size, disposal of glass, confusing glassware and their maintenance, easy service protocols, resolved staff training and development, being great for mini bars, in-room-dining, brunches, pool side parties, at banquets, and much more. However, is it ready to be accepted as that, only time will tell.

Some believe it will be a long wait before they are. And what about their future? Radlers, cocktails, premixes, flavoured wines? Who knows, but there’re definitely possibilities, opportunities, and innovations awaiting. Till then, you must get a can for yourself, of a few maybe, throw them in a chiller, try them for yourself and see if they satiate your wine cravings. Or do you miss the ritual of opening a bottle and a fine sommelier’s story telling too much?

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Chardonnay In India Is Weaving A Revolution!

A new wine producer’s primary task is to understand the relationship between the vines, climate cycles, and the potential of the land at disposal. In India, this gets even tougher, simply because we’re off the universal grape belt of 30-50 North/South of the equator. Conventional viticultural principles don’t apply to our geography. Yet, with every passing vintage, Indian winemakers are understanding this trio better, allowing themselves an ever-growing confidence to experiment. In my recent trip to Nasik, I noticed one such continuous experiment finally bearing fruits. It’s the oak-oriented Chardonnays which India has been working on for 20 years now. They not only look most exciting and diverse, but also hold a massive promise for the future which we are yet to realise.

INDIAN CHARDONNAYS BEGIN WITH VINTAGE WINES

Unlike in other countries, growing Chardonnay wasn’t easy in India. Majority of this had to do with the psyche of the farmers. To begin with they were shy to experiment and, even though some agreed, they weren’t very happy with the results. The yields were negligible with marginal quality, and, of course, there wasn’t much demand in the first place. This burdened the winemakers to buy crops at enormous rates, making it a financial and strategic nightmare to fail at.

However, Yatin Patil, Director of Vintage Wines, recalls the economic risk, yet allowed his passion for the varietal to reign. He was undeniably the first one to take the grape to farm in 2000. Their 2005 harvest became India’s first varietal, unoaked Chardonnay. And with the arrival of new oak barrels in December that year, their 2006 crush gifted India its first barrel-fermented Chardonnay. It’s an unignorable personality with exuberant tropical fruitiness with a backbone of a strong oak accent, overall making a brilliant treat for the palate. And, let me boast, it still remains an epitome of an Indian winemaker’s courage. With Reveilo’s Reserve Chardonnay, India definitely marked the arrival of a wine-style that’ll be followed for the decades to come. Vintage Wines today solely uses Italian clones and self-grows all their Chardonnay crops. 

IN COMES FRATELLI WINES

The Italians were to take notice of this, and Fratelli Wine’s dynamic winemaker duo of Alessio Secci and Piero Masi did just that. They planted their first Chardonnay vines in 2007 in Motewadi and the following year at Garwar. They too had to begin on their own. Alessio developed the vines at their winery’s site before passing them to the farmers in 2015. To offset the initial financial risk farmers feared, they not only paid them a high per kilo price, but also offered a minimum guarantee plan, which worked in their favour.

Piero proudly submitted that he found their soils’ mineral characteristics similar to that of Burgundy. It moved them to introduce Burgundian clones to the sites. Alessio adds that it’s the minerality of their sites, combined with the highly qualitative clones that makes all the difference. And, probably, that’s why there’s no one that produces as many shades of Chardonnays in the country as they do.

They initiated oak integration with their iconic Blue Label Chardonnay in the initial year, however it’s now a virgin, unoaked expression. The urge for a completely oak-oriented Chardonnay was still bubbling somewhere in the back of their creative minds. This gave birth to their French oak barrel-fermented Vitae Chardonnay, which gained instant attention. I remember promptly lauding its quality of oak integration, lees influence, and minerality. In the times to come, the Vitae range, which also had a single vineyard Sangiovese, and an aromatic blended wine with Muller Thurgau and Gewürztraminer became a symbol of gutsy experimentation from the house. However, it has lately been delisted to make space for a new identity.

Its juices now contribute to the highly-regarded J’noon and JCB47 labels, born from the collaboration between Fratelli Wines, the Italian duo, and the enigmatic Burgundian, Jean Claude Boisset. It’s a limited release, small batch production which was destined for international markets alone, with a humble allocation

Tanks Bearing Chardonnay At Vintage / Reveilo Wines
Fratelli Wines Vitae Chardonnay

As Alessio confirms, “JCB takes the lead in the blending process and aims at bringing a taste of their own culture. He’s been instrumental at helping the label going in the Burgundy direction, which was Piero’s founding idea with the varietal.” When asked why JCB would invest in Indian Chardonnays, Alessio points out that it reminds him of the Burgundy soil from back home. Now, J’noon uses a 60-40 blend of barrel-fermented to stainless steel Chardonnay, while JCB47 is a high-quality bubbly with a base of 100% barrel-fermented wine with a long 24 months lees ageing. There’s a J’noon red as well, however, it’s the white sibling that’s captured the attention since its first introduction of the 2016 vintage which only produced 2600 bottles.

MAGIC OF HAMPI HILLS – A KRSMA OF SORTS

From Nasik to Akluj, the next Chardonnay crops were being planted in the then yet-to-be-celebrate Hampi Hills in Karnataka. KRSMA Estates planted their Chardonnay vines in 2009 which were first bottled in the 2013 vintage. They envisioned the combined influences of this virgin terroir, cool resting nights, and the unique soil type yielding a commendable expression. Vintage and Fratelli Wines had already arrived on the scene, KRSMA had taken notice of their potential. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, owner of KRSMA Estates, strongly believed that Hampi Hills’ Chardonnay could create a niche of its own.

The initial vintages aimed at displaying the promise of the fruit, sans the wood. They kept toying with ripeness levels and winemaking styles before, in 2017, their Chardonnay interacted with oak for three months. It was partially their curiosity and growing confidence, partially the changing consulting winemaker. I remember tasting a very young expression of the wine where the liquid and oak were yet to become a single entity. A few cellaring years later, it yielded a beautifully harmonious amalgamation. Unfortunately though, the promise lasted only as long. After five successful vintages, vines demanded more nutrients than the soil could offer. In a hard decision, KRSMA Estates had to uproot the varietal. It was one of those styles that held enormous promises, but had to see an early departure. 

Chardonnay Bunches At KRSMA Estates

YORK & SULA JOINS THE PARTY

While this was happening in Hampi, back in Nasik the two neighbours York Wines and Sula Vineyards were gearing up for their expressions. Winemaker and the creative genius behind York’s wines, Kailash Gurnani, believed that making a good Chardonnay is a virtual pat on your back in the winemaking world. And his desire to make something beyond the famous whites and reds in India – Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon – drew him closer to the varietal. He realised the potential in Indian Chardonnays during the trials at Chandon India.

He planted his first Chardonnay vines in 2014 and increased plantation the following year. 2018 was Kailash’s first crush of the varietal, which was released as India’s first single vineyard Chardonnay, called H-Block. The name comes from the section on his plantation where the vines were planted. The H-Block stands out from other oak-influenced Chardonnays in India. It isn’t a typical heavily oak-influenced wine, nor would I qualify it as a fruit-forward one. It accentuates the plot’s expression and its minerality stands out amongst all the whites in the valley. It’s primarily a stainless steel fermented wine with some portion fermenting in used French oak barrels.

As he explains, “oak in wines is like salt in food. A winemaker must only use it enough to enhance the flavours. The aim is to make an overall harmonious and memorable recipe, not to glorify its parts”. 4000 bottles of H-Block were released in the first vintage and have now grown to 6700 in 2020. I’ve always lauded Kailash’s winemaking style and philosophy, it has a minimalistic approach and a strong confidence for experimentation. Though H-Block is a single vineyard wine, he would neither like it to be marketed as one, nor as a reserve wine. He sees a growing potential in the style, and, with demands soaring, it may not remain a wine of single vineyard origin.

While returning from the trip, I wasn’t surprised that I only picked Chardonnays to bring along. At the helm of it was Sula Vineyards Dindori Reserve Chardonnay. Karan Vasani, Sula’s chief winemaker, has done an excellent job of creating a consumer-friendly wine that has exuberant fruit, balanced oak integration, packaged under an eye-catching label, at a price point that allows the denizens to take a chance. Not only was this to be their first tryst with the varietal, but to label it under their iconic Dindori range must’ve taken some determination.

Karan shares their first vintage was in 2018 with about 1000 cases in production. It was exclusively sold at the winery. From there, the confidence soared, and now the production has grown five folds. In its introductory vintage, they brought new French oak barrels, hence only some portion went through barrel fermentation. In the following vintages, lesser new oak is used, with additions of a few experimental American oak barrels. Whatever their experiments be, they seem to be fairing out well. I have my eyes set on their future expressions for sure. 

York Wines H Block Chardonnay
Chardonnay Of The Future

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Indian Chardonnays are definitely beyond their teething stages. The promise is immense and winemakers are backing their experiments through the growing demand for the varietal. Piero Masi suggests that it can be the grape of the future, as long as guaranteed quality is achieved within a price range. Fratelli has done well with four different expressions. But he does add that it’s still challenging to grow good Chardonnay in India. He suggests holding a strong control in the vineyards. “Fratelli initially produced 13,000 bottles of their Chardonnay Blue Label, which now has grown to 100,000 bottles!!” says Alessio

Yatin Patil confidently says that Chardonnay quantities have definitely grown the most for them. And there’s further scope. He opines the key is to keep experimenting, understanding the varietal better, and aligning with consumers’ ever-altering palates. In India, fruit forward wines with some  complexity work best. The moment they get too oaky, consumers move away. Thus, it’s imperative to understand and adapt to changes, and not try to imitate an international style.

Karan Vasani is pleasantly surprised with the response, he didn’t anticipate Chardonnay will be an easy sell. Now he’s confident about putting his money on it as the style for the future. He sees a magnitude of versatility in the category and suggests consumers must try the full spectrum. He’s noted a growth in Chardonnay plantations and considers it a safe varietal to grow. He does add that Chardonnay crops are more expensive than any other white varietal being grown in India, justifying the higher price tag.

WHAT I THINK?

I’m a convert. Indian Chardonnays is where I’m putting my bets. Indian palates have definitely evolved and gotten refined. Our consumers have become smarter with their choices, and more inquisitive about what they’re drinking. They wish to learn the story behind their liquids, and Indian Chardonnays definitely have a story worth narrating. I see Indian Chardonnays being an excellent vehicle through which Indian palates can adapt to drinking oaky whites, and lean towards experimentation. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Indian Chardonnays picking awards and becoming a definitive style globally. India is seen as a hot country, and our chardonnays may just shatter that image and open minds of international drinkers as well. Much like our sparkling wines, and oaked Cabernets (blends) I’m sure to carry a few bottles of desi Chardonnays on my international tasting trips, with utter pride and passion. 

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Indian Gin

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”. 

EFFORT LESSLY 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

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Summer In A Glass

Yay!! Summers here. It’s time to host endless brunches (or drunches!!), poolside parties, and balmy evening rooftop soirees. And while at them what fits well is something that makes you move the least, and pours the most. Something you don’t have to put together endless inventive ingredients for, stir, shake, and muddle, into a library of fancy glasswares to fix a decent quaffer. And think of the repeats, lord mercy!! It’s the time to simply pop open a bottle, share it with your tribe, and laze sans the effort. Kiss your dark spirits and complex cocktails away, and traverse to your wine cellars, its time for them to make you look effortlessly suave, and lift the mood.

For a true oenophile every wine is a perfect summer wine, but when the mercury drops, you need a vino that’s served cooler than your AC blasts. They must be served chilled, have refreshing high acidity, preferably have no or very little tannins, and must be light enough to simply float on your palate and quench your thirst. Any wine that ticks these four simple boxes deserves sitting in your cups.

So, simply stay away from heavy reds, boozy fortified wines, and the sticky ones, the later especially. These wines pack a devilish kiss and have immense persuasiveness to turn you into a sloth or a zombie in a single serve. Summers are the time for light, citrus, and aromatic whites, roses and bubblies. If you’re trying to fit in a red, pour it in a glass, tilt it over a page of a Murakami novel, and see if you can read a page through it. If it works, chill it, and put it up. If that’s what you fancy, say hello to Pinot Noir and Beaujolais.

WHAT WORKS AND WHY

Dry, crisp, citrus, aromatic whites are a no-brainer. A gentle sniff should transport you to the farmlands and orchards, and the juicy citrus burst should put dew drops in the scenes with their refreshing lemon-lime play. Sauvignon Blancs and Rieslings are the perfect varietals for the season. And if you’re looking for something much simpler pick up a Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, or a Viognier and watch them elevate your drinking rituals.

Roses do exactly the same, along with a generous serving of panache, elegance, and personality. These pink and salmon-hued drops are an absolute delight and keep either side of the drinkers satiated. Roses have a bust of crisp citrus, a rounder mouthfeel than their white counterparts, and a husky play of tannins to keep your tongue running over your teeth, reminiscing about the last sip and gently moving you towards another.

My perpetual go-to are the bubblies. They are a no-fuss, crowd pleaser and are the easiest to manoeuvre through with a tableful of delectable dishes. Forget not, they are served the most chilled amongst all winestyles, and there’s a ceremonial celebration each time the cork pops!! Add a few spoonfuls of fresh fruits, puree of peaches or apricots, and top it up with a sparkling wine and they make the perfect spritzer. A word of advice, whichever wine you may settle with, drink their youngest freshest avatar. The pompous, late-maturing, hefty wines are for the winters, summers are for accentuating the youth.

India’s been making some really worthy wines alongside those you’ve backpacked their ways on to our shelves. Here’s a pick of our favourite wines that’ll be crowding the community tables this season:

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Brut, AUSTRALIA

Aussies have championed the art of making bubblies, and Jacob’s Creek is an unmistakable synonym. The play of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir brings a respectable charm and balance while maintaining a crisp mouthfeel, a citrus backbone, complimenting the mouse from bottle fermentation. An evergreen aperitif, a bankable serve, amazing with canapes, and biriyanis.

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, NEW ZEALAND

Think of a cool, crunchy leafy salad, with arugula leaves, pears, bell peppers, shards of piquant goats cheese, and a vinaigrette dressing. Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect marriage for that. Ethereal, crisp, gripping with hauntingly aromatic notes of lime, green veggies, gooseberries, and a playful lift of white florals. Chill it to the bone and hand over a glass to even a novice and see they eyebrows lift up with absolute amazement.

Campo Viejo Rioja Blanco, SPAIN

Viura meets Chardonnay meets Espana, what’s to go wrong in that trio? Viura is a rather introverted varietal that’s meant for those who like there wines to be subtle, not in-your-face, but pack a punch in the right places. It’s crispness is unparalleled to any other varietal making it a deserving partner for seafoods and baked dishes.

Jacob’s Creek Classic Chardonnay, AUSTRALIA

Its love-affair with Indian palate makes it the easiest contender to be on the list. Limey citrus with some white fruits, a play of creamy texture, with an earthy back, it’s a timeless charmer. It’s effortless to like and even easier to polish off a bottle of before anyone even notices. Stews, baked meats, and creamy preparations and this beauty, an utter delight.

Brancott Estate Pinot Noir, NEW ZEALAND

Think of a summery red and Pinot with jump out of your brain even before the end of the sentence. And if it’s from NZ, it’s a jackpot. NZ Pinots are smooth, light, and fragrant with ample dosage of red berries, rhubarb, rose petals, sweet cherries, and can quickly develop some complexity too. Any tomato-based gravy dish, mezze, simple mediterranean preparation, of a salmon dish, put a Pinot next to it and see people fall in love with their marriage.

York Vineyards Cuvee Brut Rose, INDIA

York’s winemaking style fills the trio of sensuality, aromatics, and a flirtatious slither of complexity in every bottle. A commendable rose bubbly that has never failed to impress from its first vintage. It’s minerally, controlled on the lees, and packs ample hues of florals, red fruits, and a cherry bite at the back.

Vallonne Vineyards Chenin Blanc, INDIA

Probably the most bankable Chenin Blanc you’ve not heard of or tasted thus far. It’s brimming with varietal flavours of green fruits, acacia flowers, an leafy bite, and a lemony acidity, making it a perfect open-relish-repeat proposition.

Grover Zampa Art Collection Riesling, INDIA 

The new kid on the block is the perfect balance of citrus, tropical fruit ripeness, flavour sweetness, and honeyed notes. It’s the harmony in its elements that makes it an easy sipper, but it’s not just that. Crack open one and find it for yourself.

Reveilo Wines Grillo, INDIA 

Amongst the most under-rated whites in the country that you only need to try once to befriend. Juicy citrus, white stone-fruits plushness, a hint of candied back, and ample character makes Grillo an amazing pick. An incomparable personality on the list, thank us later.

Sula Vineyards The Source Grenache Rose, INDIA

Amongst the most respectful roses out there right now, The Source rose is for those who understand their wines well. The play of red fruit flavours, a cherry twang, flirtatious tannin profile, and a mineral grip makes it a playful yet an astute rose. A definite bankable proposition.

Fratelli Vineyards MS Sangiovese Rose, INDIA

A pleasing aromatic nose, burst of lively flavours, bright fruity citrus, a clever grip on the palate, and  a candied finish, the thought of this salmon-hued rose alone puts a smile on one’s face. Relishing it is an even better joy.

First published in India Today Spice magazine in May 2021

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Tempranillo – A Rockstar From Spain

rows of a vineyard in autumn

Among the grapes that capture the essence of their representative country’s wines production one must make due mention of Tempranillo and all it achieves for Spanish Tintos. Synonymous with Rioja, the variety has silently resided in every corner of the country with different names for ages. Initially, it received a slow welcome on the international scene. But, upon arrival, many authorities lauded it as the ‘Next Big Thing’.

ORIGINS OF TEMPRANILLO

Whilst it is Spain’s local find, a legend claims that it was the Burgundian monks who carried its cuttings from France on their way to Santiago, and dropped them off at the monasteries here. Following this, claims were also made that Pinot Noir and Tempranillo may have similar parentage. While that may be dubious, they do share some similarities, one being their early ripening, called ‘temprano’ in Spanish, from where the grape gets its name, meaning the ‘little early one’. Now it flourishes in the cooler parcels of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Penedes, and Navara. With over 550 clones and mutations, it even has something to fill up the hot vineyards of Valdepenãs, Toro, and even Portugal for its treasured Ports. 

TEMPRANILLO GOES TRAVELING

Phylloxera demolished the French vineyards, in early 1880s. It resulted in a situation where they had international demands but no means of catering to them. They turned towards the Spanish vineyards seeking some remedy. Considering the climate, the French brought Grenache to make wines. The plan was to transported them to Bordeaux, bottle them, and sell as French produce. The French went back, but left a library of knowledge. However, they left behind the know-how to make quality wines. The Bordeaux recipe demanded marrying various varietals and resting them in oak for complexity.

Shortly after, Rioja took charge and not only adopted the recipe but also let Grenache flourish locally. Today, blending is ideal in Rioja reds. Tempranillo’s lacking acidity, tannins, and colour Grenache compensates. Luckily, it also improved with oak-ageing. American oak barrels are preferred. Rioja reds have earned a reputation of being ‘vanilla-scented’, thanks to this. Ribera del Duero, however, exploits the advantage of hot continental climate, blended with the altitude of nearby hills. This ensures a well-ripened acidic fruit, the pillars for the wine to age on.

SHADES TEMPRANILLOS

A well-handled Tempranillo has everything an easy drinking wine should have. From good bright colour, moderate acidity, low supple tannins, fruity flavours of strawberry, mulberries, red cherries, it has everything. Grow it in cool climates and it will provide mouth-watering acidity at the cost of low colour and tannins, rendering a quaffable wine. Too hot a climate and the wine will be tannic and thick with no structure. It is the play of climate that makes a good Tempranillo. Rioja does furnish age-worthy wines worthy of easy five to 10 cellaring years.

Howbeit, it’s the balance of heat and altitude in Ribera del Duero that produces pure Tempranillos. They’re worthy of aging up to thirty years! Houses like Vega Sicilia and Dominio de Pingus rubbish the argument against Tempranillo’s ageing potential. They’ve also earned spot in the world’s most sought-after wines, soon becoming Spanish fine wine identity. Upon maturity, it’s similar to a matured Pinot Noir, savoury and meaty, rarely too complex. They develop and produce notes of coffee beans, leather, cigar, forest floor, cedar wood, and appreciated for their ‘tobacco leaf’ character.

DRINKING TEMPRANILLO

Tempranillo has everything New World wines offer; burst of juicy fruits, supple tannins, lively acidity, freshness, and an appeal of difference. Regarding its acceptability, Australia, California, Argentina, Mexico, and South Africa have opened their vineyards to the varietals in the past two decades. India has followed suit. Charosa Vineyards, the latest entrant to Indian quality wine brigade, and the illustrious Grover-Zampa alliance are now producing worthy Tempranillo. Crediting these successful experiments, we now have something unique and playful. Especially, if Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot don’t capture your fancies anymore.

Charosa Vineyard Reserve Tempranillo, Nasik, India – INR1500 – Juben Wines, Mumbai

Country’s first pure Tempranillo red that has impressed the desi palates with its first vintage release itself. Nurtured under the cooler shadows of the Dindori hills in Nasik, the grapes ripen to their pristine best. This ensures a balance of flavours, and much required phenolic structure. Patiently maturing in French oak for a year further adds character and nuances of finesse. The nose provides a fresh burst of sweet vanilla-scented oak, sweet baking spices, and ripe juicy red fruits. Strawberries, raspberry compote, plum mash, and red cherry syrup fill up the palate soon after drawing a sip. Then, follows the refreshing acidity and round tannins, ending with an alluring and subtle aftertaste. The combination of these characteristics with a youthful appeal, and medium body makes the wine an easy-drinking proposition. Pair it with lamb stew, Malabar chicken, or even pork sausages tossed in pancetta and beans.

Grover Zampa Chêne Grand Reserve, Nasik, India – INR1700 – Juben Wines, Mumbai

With an initial limited release of only 3000 bottles, the much-awaited Chêne finally reached the shelves last year. Denoting ‘oak’ in French, it draws a picture of powerful blend with a blanket of granular oaky notes. The nose open up to ripe dark fruit notes like cassis, blackberry, dark cherry mash, and plums. The fruit is accompanied with subtle traces of warm and baking spices with sweet vanilla notes. All this bound with robust and sturdy oak. The aftertaste leaves the palate lifted with chewy yet long-lingering matured savoury tones. Touches of liquorices, roasted coffee beans, and cigar smoke follow. The wine rests in the cellars for up to three years before released. Yet, it’s worth lying it down for a few more.

Torres Ibericos Crianza, Rioja, Spain – INR1800 – Defence Store, Delhi

Owing its name to the Iberian Peninsula, the land of oak trees, home of the wood on which the wine rests during its adolescent first year to be called a Crianza. Spanish reds are difficult to not like. Torres family, guarantees quality. Delicate fruity aromas of raspberries, cranberries, red currants, sweet cherry syrups, and a touch of moist earthiness are gently wrapped with spicy tones, vanilla and cinnamon hints. A juicy palate and a round mouthfeel compliments the palate. Fruit-rich palate with an uplifting delicacy and harmony allows returning to the wine without much thought. A good pairing with lamb shanks, kadhai preparations, tandoori mushrooms, and smoke-cured ham cuts.

Torres Celeste, Ribera del Duero, Spain – INR – 3000, House of Spirits, Delhi

The celestial configuration of Ribera del Duero’s cloud-kissing hills owes the wine its name. The natural relationship between day’s bright sunlight and evening’s chilly calm promises propitious wines. And, Torres Celeste is the window in to Ribera del Duero’s finesse-bound reds. Noticeable deep colour marks the first indication about the wines strength. Matured and intense nose opens up to black pepper hints, dark olives, liquorice, toasted oak, and aged meat. Substratum of matured dark fruits compliments the ripened tannins, warmth from the alcohol, and full bodied robustness of the wine. It is an elegant drop which can age well too. Rest it for 5-7 years and relish it with a discerning grilled steak or lamb rack, charred chicken breast, Chettinad preparations, or spicy chorizo dishes.

Marquse de Riscal Reserva, Rioja, Spain – INR3860, House of Spirits, Delhi

The winery gathered international attention in 1895 when it became the first non-French winery to win the much coveted certificate of honour at the Bordeaux Exhibition. With an architectural genius that can be spotted from a distance, the winery is the mecca for quality wine production in Rioja. It effortlessly serves as a benchmark for many budding wineries. Dusty nose captured the essence of traditionalist winemaking style with notes of meat, candied bacon, balsamico, red fruit compote, touches of sweet oak, earthiness, and minty calm. Palate holds the full bodied weight supporting the ripe dark fruit notes, leathery touches, with roasted coffee beans, nutmeg, bayleaf, and toasted nuts, finishing with a velvety tannic chewiness. A good portion of paneer lababdar with butter naan, lamb biriyani, mutton rogan josh, veal schnitzel, and gamey preparations can do justice to the wine.

Bodegas Roda, Reserve, Rioja, Spain – INR 7596 – Mumbai

The mesmerising wines of Bodegas Roda are a treat and deserve a laudable occasion to be savoured. Having spent over three years in the cellars, the wine matures to the discipline of a unique character of its own. Aromas are captivating, vibrant floral note upfront is followed by rich and ripe red fruit character overlapping fresh sweet oak and baking spice tones. Soft mouthfeel with round juicy tannins allows the wine to create a rich impression. Enjoy it best with gamey meats, oven-roasted camembert with caramelised pepper and red onion, pork spare ribs, and black bean chicken.

Bodega Beronia Reserva, Rioja, Spain – INR3510, House of Spirits, Delhi

Named after the warrior tribe of Celtic origin, the Berones, who called their land Beronia, the wine is as humble and grounded as the thought of its moniker. Having spent initial years in barrels followed by a long term in the bottle, the elixir is brought to its utmost finesse. The 2007 vintage we recently tasted was a burst of assortment of aromas and nuances. Complexity takes over with notes of dark chocolate, bayleaf, cinnamon, leather, cigar leaf, forest floor, touch of aged balsamico, smoked meat, chewy wet wood, sweet oak, and hint of foie gras. Velvety delectable tannins, refreshing acid back, and soothing balanced alcohol aid in supporting the wine in its prime.

Beronia breaks the notion that Rioja’s seldom age well, it can live a healthy long life. My picks for sharing the table with would be a traditional roasted chicken dish, pan-seared red snapper, aged grilled pork chop, or a simple dal makhani.

Principe de Viana Crianza, Navarra, Spain – INR 1680 – , House of Spirits, Delhi

Navarra Tempranillos are hard to spot on any wine list in India. Known for their fleshy fruitiness and individuality, however, the reds from the region are overshadowed by Rioja and Ribera del Duero legends. Principe de Viana defined modernistic production in Navarra and the wines show the same. Even after aging it for a year in oak, fruit dominates and display notes of soft berry flavours, cassis, blackcurrant, plums, and black cherry, infused with subtle hints of chestnut, coconut, chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon from the oak. A simple easy drinking drop with good structure and balanced that can be paired with Moroccan lamb shank, kosha mangsho with lucchi, sausage platter, Mangalore style vegetable curry, even pan seared salmon.

 

Tip: Tempranillos are best savoured in their youth, only some can age.

 

 

First Published in BBC GoodFood Magazine in July 2014

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Sipping Piedmont’s Pride

Each year, in May, a handful of wine writers flock the rain-drenched streets of Alba in Piedmont. Their job is simple: to taste and review the new vintage releases of DOCG Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, and their Riservas before their market release. The event, called ’Nebbiolo Prima’ , spreading over five consecutive mornings, showcases about 500 wines that are tasted blind in an organised fashion. The bottles are dressed in black sleeves, ensuring no favouritism towards any brand, commune, or cru, are expressed by professionals and sommeliers. This year, amongst others, we were examining the 2012 Barolo and 2010 Barolo Riservas. 

Barolos have always ranked high amongst my favourite wine styles. Nebbiolo, especially from this area, shows much character. A lot like Pinot Noir in Burgundy, it’s fussy and uncompromising, dictating its sites, altitude, exposure, climate, and clonal selection choice, each contributing in some manner to the overall and final difference. The wines are largely categorised amongst the five major communes of Barolo – La Morra, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba, and Serralunga d’Alba. The other six communes are equally important but the former five have developed a better understanding and following for themselves, much like a brand name. 

Good Barolos, and Riservas, unfold their true enigma only after a few years of cellaring, rewarding patience and highlighting the choicest of occasions. Thus, tasting them this young and commenting on their future is testing but not futile. The palate nearly stifles from the tannins and the acidity, their brutal assault apparent in every sip. It’s funny when we converse straight after the tastings and exchange views. Trying to bring life back to our palates, we sound like Rocky Balboa after a fight on sedatives. Yet we return each morning to the tasting tables to put ourselves through this misery. Why? Amidst all these punishing morning tastings, we still gather what we travel all the way for. It’s impressive, and educating, how the wines show their communes’ attributes, while respecting the display of the vintage’s features, amidst the luscious varietal aromas of rose, tar, sloe, and blackberry in every sniff.

So how was the vintage release this year? 2012 is already highly talked about, sitting in repute as high as any other classic vintage. Wines have an acidic nerve and are loaded with fruit. Freshness, a firm grip, and structure remained the key observation in most wines tasted. They’re already showing a good phenolic balance and a promise to age well. Especially after an inconsistent 2011 which was considered good only for Riservas, 2012 is relieving for many. Not to forget, we also had the 2010 Barolo Riservas. The vintage has been labelled as one of the most legendary harvests of all times. Someone must’ve worked really hard to make a bad Barolo this year, and even harder for a poor Riserva. The further aged, and masculine, rendition of Barolo, Riservas are smooth, structured, gentle, and unctuous in their offering already. Fruit is still pivotal, while tertiary notes are developing with only subtle assistance from the oak. They are worth betting on right now and will definitely be a delight a few decades later.

Here’s a regional guide to this year’s releases and how they fared as regional expressions:

LA MORRA

The blue-tinted Tortonian soil dominates here. It’s compact and fertile, resulting in less tense and open wines. They’re expressive, fragrant, and loaded with gracious aromatics, and considered the most feminine, quickest to mature, and early-drinking Barolos.

2012

Beautiful dusty ruby colour prevails. Pronounced perfume could be smelt from far and was very alluring. The palate busted with fresh ripe fruits. Even with a gripping and near dusty mouthful, acidity shined and made it an overall supple proposition. Most wines seemed ready and approachable. Michele Chiarlo’s Cerequio performed really well among the 56 La Morra Barolos tasted that morning.

BAROLO

Based on similar soil, wines here are bright and youthful, with plush fruit, and a tad extra warmth. Tannins are usually velvety and wines show considerable structure and concentration. The subregion is said to produce the most classic examples of the style.

2012

Wines were either too good or simply passable, which was surprising. The better ones had luscious fruit, lifted dark spices, subtle mix of old and new oak, and commendable integration. Soft tannins aided in mouthfeel and fluidity. Also, dense aftertaste left a tad rustic but smart appeal. Sarmassa from Marchesi di Barolo was quite impressive and stood out from the lot of 40 Barolos from the commune. Lingering candied fruits were well braided with aged-meat complexity.

CASTIGLIONE FALLETTO

Beige-hued loose and less fertile Helvetian soil featuring more sandstone takes over here. Castiglione Falletto wines can easily be differentiated from the others. They’re deeper in most attributes – colour, body, palate strength, bolder and more intense tannins – thus making them a good contender for long and slow cellaring. 

2012

It was the best-showing commune this year for most. Structured, powerful palate, fine grain tannins, rich bouquet, generous flavours, fuller and concentrated overall. Rich cranberries, cherry tang, fragrant meats (ham), charred oak, and earthy dustiness featured in most of the wines. 19 wines were featured from the region and they were all tied together with ripe acidity and a gripping and authoritative structure. Some wines have already developed shades of tertiary character without sacrificing the primary fruit. Ceretto’s Bricco Rocche was impressive.

MONFORTE D’ALBA

Limestone traces increase amongst the Helvetian dominated soil here. Its presence provides richness and power to the wine, making them amongst the most masculine and definitely the heaviest Barolos, requiring some extra years in the cellars than its counterparts. While limestone’s cool empowers the wines with refreshing acidity, it renders the tannins rough, providing a sincere depth on the palate.

2012

Tangy acidity, cleanliness of flavours, and roundness on the palate were key. Most examples were far from the usual dustiness of young Barolos and there seemed an extra  favouritism for  newer oak. Lively and rich fruit, liquorice tones, dried shrubs, fresh damp unearth soil, and cherry skin chew were common. Concentration of elements was compelling. The wines were gripping but lifted at the same time. Thanks to the tannins and acidity burst, these wines will last long and will show very well by their tenth birthday.

SERRALUNGA D’ALBA

Parked between Monforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga’s wines enjoy the best of both communes. They have long ageing potential, common in these Eastern communes, and are the firmest and most concentrated of the lot. Generally, the expression is big, bold, and, at times, rather potent. One of its communes, Francia, earned the wine style the coveted title of ‘wines of the kings’, speaking confidently about their personality.

2012 

It was my pick of the eleven communes this year. The wines were effortless and seriously impressive. Paler colour on the rims suggested the wines were ageing graciously. Palate was tight, dense, and heavy, with lesser intense fruit, and dominating spices. Pio Cesare’s Ornato alongside may other discerning producers performed well in the 55 wine flight from the commune. 

2010 RISERVAS

Year after year I’ve failed to acknowledge tasting Riservas as early as this. They’re very shy in their adolescence and refuse to express, at times leaving the entire gum-numbing exercise unproductive. Oak-marred wines don’t show regional character, let alone the cru. However, 2010 vintage being so elegant and near-perfect had a different story. Not only were the wines open, but each one of them held an impressive conversation when approached. Overall, wines’ structure was  pleasing, displaying fine balance between phenolics, fruit, oak, and development. La Morra’s Riserva’s were easy drinking and concentration was notable amongst Barolo’s produce. Castiglione Falletto’s wines completely lacked personality and were dirty and hollow. Monforte showed strength and grip, while Serralunga delivered fruity abundance and chewy palate. La Morra’s Paolo Scavino, Monforte’s Prunotto, and Serralunga’s Fontanafredda stood strong. 

Selecting from 170 single vineyards and 11 communes of Barolo DOCG can be testing even for an avid Barolo drinker. The spectrum of offerings is not confusing, it’s rather pleasing. Even after centuries of its existence and dominance Barolo continuously reinvents itself. And no varietal Italian wine astyle can match the diversity of its offerings. The tumult between traditionalists and modernists has continuously churned new shades of Nebbiolo promising there’s more to explore and exploit. There’s always an excitement to see what new would the crafty winemakers do to impress. While it’s a patience game to wait and watch, it’s not all that bad with a few sips of a patiently aged fine Barolo, 1996 please!! 

 

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine in August, 2016