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In Praise Of Brunello Di Montalcino

Italy holds many vinous gems in its arsenal, more reds than whites. Some that have ruled the palates of aristocrats and kings, marking their place firmly in the history of the country, and some that woke up to their true potential a tad later. Amongst the latter is a wine style that no commendable wine-list across the globe can be complete without – Brunello di Montalcino. Located not far from the Tuscan tourist city of Sienna, Montalcino has for long attracted the top palates and price tags for its muscular and age-worthy reds. However this glory is fairly recently albeit rapidly earned, especially when seen through the prism of Italy’s glorious winemaking history.

STORY SO FAR

The local holm oak trees, called Lecchi, owe the hill its name thus called Montalcino. The region has been repeatedly mentioned in the history for winemaking since the 12th Century but nothing noteworthy came forth till the 19th Century. It was in early 1800s that a group of farmers started experimenting and planting what was considered to be a superior clone of Sangiovese called ‘Brunello’ or ‘Brunellino’. The clone attracted some attention. Clemente Santi, one amongst the few interested farmers, grew especially inquisitive and investigated the clone further. He bottled his first varietal ‘Brunello’ wine in 1860, released by Ferruccio Bondi Santi in 1865. This can easily be claimed as the birth of what was to become amongst the most prominent varietal wine styles of the country. The wine soon sat amongst the top produces of the region, and then claimed its attention globally. However till the 1960s, the region was better known for its sweet and sparkling white wine called Moscadello. Brunello di Montalcino was conferred with DOC in 1966 and till 1970 Bondi Santi remained somewhat to sole player in the game. And then entered the American giant, Banfi, that had earned its reputation with the successful introduction of Lambrusco in the continent. Eyeing the Moscadello sparkling as its next success story, Banfi invested heavily in the area but were badly unsuccessful, thus turning all their plantings in to Brunello. It was not all rotten luck as Brunello di Montalcino became the first wine style to receive a DOCG seal in 1980. Thereafter it was a global phenomenon, with upto 70% of its production being relished abroad. Banfi does deserve a pat on their back for exploiting the well-established network of distribution from their Lambrusco success. 

IN THE VINEYARDS

Located South West and further inland from the hills of Chianti, Montalcino has a drier and warmer climate. This further makes it amongst the most arid of all Tuscan DOCG areas. Sangiovese, being the fussiest and notoriously moody at clonal, site, and soil selection seems to adore the area here. The bigger-berried clone, also called Sangiovese Grosso, has a reputation of providing somewhat a consistent yield in Montalcino, which in other parts of Tuscany is the hardest task for an agronomist. Where in Chianti sometimes the grapes are left lurking for more heat, here even the cooler pastures aren’t worried about its ripeness.

The hills are roughly divided between the north and the south. North, based on Galestro soil, is cooler and higher, rising upto 600 metres, providing lighter and elegant crop. The low-laying southern hills, based on clay, deliver more muscular yield and are often hauntingly aromatic, thanks to the cooling winds from the Orcia river. Thus, usually most wines are a mix of the two areas to exploit the best of both. 

To generalise the 2000 hectares of Brunello di Montalcino production territory will be inappropriate. It’s not as much to clonal selections, winemaking proficiency, oak integration, and aging regimen of the house as much as it’s to site selection, its elevation, aspect of the vineyards, and the parcels’ soils that the resultant wine would owe its personality. Since Montalcino was declared a UNESCO World Heritage city its viticultural area can no more be altered. This implies more owners of the same land. While this may result into more concentrated production and qualitative produce but at a higher price. The DOCG thus majorly includes small to mid-sized producers. Being a varietal wine style, there is always the lack of insurance of subsidiary varietals in case the vintage turns unsuccessful. Thus, these factors become further imperative to master to have a formidable and consistent produce that can justify its repute, identity, expression of the land, and the price-tag.

OAK TALKS

Much like the Piedmontese reds, there has been a split between producers in their oak regimen. In the 90s, there was a sudden inclination towards barriques. Wines turned oaky sweet and were marred with vanilla, somehow smothering the varietal and the terroir they wanted to showcase. Minus the fad of oaky, boisterous, and bold reds, barriques aided in faster maturation of wines which further implied quicker drinkability and sooner return on investment. However, much like many such fashions, this one wasn’t to stay for long. Producers here take pride in expressing that modernisation hasn’t come to stay at Montalcino. Most realised the dent it was bringing to the hard-earned image of Brunello di Montalcino wines and the dissatisfaction caused amongst its true admirers. Nearly all wineries have returned to the original/traditional style and using big bottis of five to six thousand litres. Though barriques aren’t completely discarded but they’re rarely the dominant influence anymore. Slavonian and French oak is readily used and vintage chestnut barrels frequently dot the cellars. Brunello di Montalcino DOCG recipe requires the wines to stay in oak for a minimum of two years and are released in the fifth leading from the harvest. For wines labelled as Riservas, another six months of oak raging is demanded and they occupy the shelves in their sixth year.Such long a wait further accentuates the price. To resort to this conundrum, a simpler DOC was introduced where the wines could be released after a year of harvest, with a kiss of oak-aging, and be labelled ‘Rosso di Montalcino’. These are fruity, fleshy, youthful, and vibrant rendition of the bigger, matured, and serious Brunello di Montalcino. It’s common to see these wines being rested in barriques that allow more grip and quicker aging to the liquid. It’s also noticeable that younger vines deliver yields for Rosso wines, while the more sturdy and older vines are reserved for Brunello and Riserva labels, yet again promising concentration and quality.

WINES TO TRY

With such variety and distinction in styles, generalising Brunello offerings will be unfair. Trying ample Brunellos and Riservas before making personal picks is sacrosanct. There were my definite favourites though. Bondi Santi’s 1997 Riserva was a testimony of the styles’ ageability, 2008 Casanova di Neri Cerretalto Brunello and Castello Banfi’s 2006 Poggio All’Oro Riserva proved the promise in tending the wine with patience. Le Ragnaie’s Fronace and Ragnaie V.V wines were a commendable window into the north-south divide, with my palate favouring the southern grip and structure. Il Poggione’s 2001 Brunello makes a noteworthy early-drinking drop and must be clutched to appreciate the youthfulness in its style. I’ve always appreciated Antinori’s Pian Delle Vigne Brunello for its maturity and drinkability at a favourable age, and especially for its ready availability in the Indian market. However, my pick from the region was the 2012 Brunello from the house of Sesta di Sopra, nestled in the southern reaches of Montalcino. Their single vineyards site, christened Sesta, was also rated by the Decanter Magazine amongst the 10 best crus in Italy. 

Montalcino may be a small tourist city buts its wines’ reputation is one that remains unchallengeable. Regarded as Tuscany’s response to Barolo, its maturity and depth is often spellbinding. Montalcino is not for the impatient, in-your-face, and practical palates. The style has stood the test of time and the wines display the regard for the same ever today. A perfect accompaniment to cigars and bodacious meats, especially game and cattle, Brunello di Montalcino is definitely worth an experience, and discerning occasion, especially once the bottle has celebrated its fifteenth birthday, has been left to breathe and awaken at its own sweet pace. With no place for any other varietal to intrude, or accompany in the bottle, Brunello di Montalcino is undoubtedly the best expression of Tuscan strength and potential. As long as Brunello di Montalcino will celebrate its own existence and tradition, our copas will be lifted in its embrace. Cin Cin!! 

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine in October, 2017

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Nebbiolo Prima, New Vintages, New Formulae

Each year, Piemonte’s historic and gastronomic city of Alba prepares itself to uncork three magnificent vintages of six wonderful regional expressions bound with craftsmanship and time to the palate of selected few from across the globe. These DOCG designated wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Roero, with their muscled Riservas, pour through the glasses at a five day event called Grandi Langhe Nebbiolo Prima. This year the event was restricted to three days. Each morning they would gather to silently blind-taste over a hundred wines from designated sub-regions of a winestyle. All these wines are at least three years old yet like a newborn in a cot. It’s a technical challenge of its own kind to taste yet-to-emerge wines, decipher their vintage characteristics, play of regional and winemaking influences on the crop, further decoding the play of aging on them thus far, and bet on their potential in the future. Yet, anxious professionals await this daunting challenge as the result is educating and indulging, at its least.

This year’s pre-release DOCG wines were – 2011 Barolo Riserva, 2012 Barbaresco Riserva, 2013 Barolo and Roero Riserva, 2014 Barbaresco and Roero. This time the challenge was not just the nature of tasting, it was also the sheer number of wines showcased in a comparatively shorter time. It could easily set stage for palate fatigue and influence conclusions of one’s judgement. Furthermore, most wines were from the two most challenging vintages in the decade thus far, 2013 & 2014. For the faint-hearted all this could easily be a deal-breaker, but for me it was a much exciting proposition to taste two of my favourite North-Italian wine-styles, Barolo & Barbaresco, in their utmost unpretentious forms. It’s a liquid journey through the hills of Langhe, their communes, top sites, and winemaking styles that have been creating continuous excitement for decades now and are amongst the most priced European reds. 

Barolos are aged for a minimum of 38 months of which 18 are in oak barrels, while Barbarescos must be aged for a minimum of 9 months in oak of the total 18 months prior to release. Nebbiolo forms formidable pillars for these wines to rest on and age graciously creating layers of complexity and developing into a gastronomic treat in their best examples. It displays vintage and site variations exceptionally well and thus a detailed study of regions’ topography, communes’ distribution and attributes, and features of the best sites is a imperative pre-requisite. 

With all set, we tasted, and tasted, and tasted some more, and this is my review of the vintages released

2013 BAROLO DOCG

It went down in the books as a cold and rainy vintage indicating late budbreak, and definite hard work in the vineyards with fungal issues. Mildew was to be concerning and expectedly led to crop loss for many. While damp soil was welcomed by some acting as a water reserves for the approaching hot summer, for the rest it left vineyards too moist to operate with machines thus ordering manual spraying. Now that can be costly and highly exhausting, which isn’t for all. In short, it was challenging all through. However, the area has seen ample climatic inconsistencies in the past and producers have learnt from them. And thus, it wasn’t all bad. And this is where Barolo is unique. While in Burgundy a bad vintage can have nearly the entire region and its producers sheltering under that same umbrella, Barolo, thanks to its topographic diversity, always has some commendable betting options on the table. 

Due to long ripening seasons, most Barolos had silky tannins, thus more firmly shaped personality than boastfully powerful ones like from the 2010. But for cooler areas, tannins were grippy and simply too young to have evolved when we tasted. The vintage promised elegant wines meant for younger drinking, subtle, elegant, perfumed and effortless in their best avatars. Communes of Barolo, Novello, and Monforte failed to impress this year, while Verduno was a big hit. Its wines were fruity, mid-weight, and carried structural appeal. Castiglione Falletto produced some great examples displaying perfume, and the top drops hailed from Serralunga marked for their grace with textural finesse.

In 2013, producers had to show some tact and more skills in tackling the natural influences, gently extract climatically well-crafted fruit, and let oak-aging only smoothen and provide shape with gentle minimalistic handling. Those who couldn’t decode the vintage ended up with severe imbalances in ripeness, further marring the fruit with obtrusive oak, resulting in a horrible proposition in the glass. With a mix of simple and stunning ones, 2013 is short of being titled a classic vintage yet, without any hesitance, a classy one.

2014 BARBARESCO DOCG

It was a cool & wet vintage that luckily nearly-missed the hailstorms that destroyed Barolo. Warm and humid end of winters aided in setting the perfect scene for mildew & rot to attack, increasing restless manual labour in the vineyards of already reducing crop for the producers attempting to maintain yields of sacrificed quality. Viticulturists had to continuously drop clusters and leaves to increase ventilation in desperate attempts of plausibly controlling rot on rather fragile and moody Nebbiolo grapes. At its tail the vintage reverse swung in Barbaresco’s favour leaving it at the mercy of late-ripening Nebbiolo to benefit from it and developing some depth of perfume, aromatics, colour, and strength. Unfortunately, majority of the crop were already wounded, resulting in overall irregular wines, mostly light, lacking in personality, and promising little cellar-worthiness. With such mix of crop it’ll be foolish to expect a good single vineyard Barbaresco, or at least not their best expressions at that. Thus producers had to resort to blending fruits from various plots, vineyards, and even communes with any chance of them showing some character, promise, or potential. Those from Neive did deliver showing most promise amongst them all. 

Deemed amongst the most unusual vintages of the decade already, it has set itself for a classic display of gap between the top estates and the rest. Warmer sites with good drainage, coupled with capacity to withstand the loss through green harvest, crop-thinning, and multiple sprees of spraying could show their and vintage’s potential. It came down to producers’ technical prowess and their commercial capacity hence, and the only blessing was the grape’s natural late-ripening factor itself that supported in any way. Those who could dare to delay their harvest were rewarded. These wines may have some youthful anxiousness on the palate, but do they have any true potential can only be determined if they open up in the long run.

2014 ROERO DOCG

I’ve been an advocate of Roero wine style for a while and have seen the growth in wine enthusiasts adding it to their drinking repertoire. Unlike Barolo & Barbaresco, Roero can be blended upto 5% with auxiliary grapes. There wasn’t much allowance to expect a difference in vintage for the wines of Roero and they seemed to be affected by the wrath of weather too. However, the flexibility of bringing other grape(s) in the blend does work as a tool of insurance in vintages like this.They have seldom posed as the most influential and promising wine style and they delivered to their calibre. These wines were pleasureful in drinking and do hold some promise for the future. Though they were the least in number during the tasting, yet their simplicity, light-weighted structure, and honest delightful fruitiness was always appreciated, especially for those who found the bigger reds to be too weighty to handle at time. 

Given the nature of these vintages, it was clear that either these wines will be at their best in their youth, or may require a little extra time before they could be commented upon. Not to forget, we were tasting these wines in early-April than the usual mid-May which which further took away from analysing and basing the judgements on correctly. Thus, most prestigious wine authorities launched their own revisiting the vintages in October this year, quite unlike earlier years, and noticed a little more promise than what the liquid could conjure in April. Thus, much like Nebbiolo itself, fruits of delayed gratification was rewarded. 

With the third edition of Grandi Langhe Nebbiolo Prima coming to a close, there were some hit and misses for sure. However, there was lots to learn and imbibe. From the endurance of the grape, to the unhindered will of the producers, a gamble on quality, quantity, and fortunes, repute of the heirlooms on the line, yet regarding the fruit of nature’s rather mischievous play, it was a display of balance between man and nature’s complex relationship. After a successful spree of three vintages (2010-12), in a way it was nature’s way of reassuring itself that its receiver hasn’t become too casual and relaxed about its offers. Though our palates stood only as a spectator to this fine alliance, every sip we drew from those stained glasses was a reminder of generations’ hard work, dedication, and sheer determination we were there to enjoy the nectar of. No doubt these hills are deemed UNESCO World Heritage sites for their intricate relationship with its inhabitants. 

 

First published in Spiritz Magazine in February, 2018

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Amelia Park and Chapel Hill Visit India

Earlier last month, two iconic winemakers from two of the most sort-after regions of Australia hosted an intimate tasting session at the recently revamped Capital landmark, The Oberoi New Delhi. Michael Fragos of Chappel Hill from McLaren Vale and Jeremy Gordon of Amelia Park from Margaret River are both winemakers and owners of their respective houses. This was their first such guided tasting and interaction stint in the country, though their wines have been on the shelves with Brindco for over a year now.

They’re highly acclaimed and have won a pleathora of accolades between them including the International Winemaker of the Year, 2007, and the Best Australian Producer for Michael and Jeremy lifting the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 2008 and winning the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge in 2017

 

MARGARET RIVER WINES

Winemaking reached the shores of Margaret River in the 1970s, and its first three wineries were setup by doctors. From that it’s easy to understand the research, detailing, and precision that would’ve gone into their work. Hence, it isn’t surprising that the quality benchmark was setup really high. And, the testimony of that is in the volume of awards the region has won for the country. Their quality and repute are easy to vouch for. However, that comes at a price, making them a rare find in the price-sensitive market of India. Located on the same axis and with identical geographical features, Margaret River’s Cabernet-Merlot blends challenge those of Bordeaux, Bolgheri, and Napa. It just lacks the same PR and positioning muscle as these regions. 

AMELIA HILLS

Amelia Hills is a recent addition to the region. In 2009, Jeremy and his wife, Daniela, and business partner, Peter Walsh, joined hands to setup a venture that would produce high quality wines. It bore fruits in the shape of being named amongst the Ten of the Best New Wineries by James Halliday in his 2010 Wine Companion. Jeremy’s love for Semillon is visible and shows in his Trellis Collection white, while we also tasted the red.

MCLAREN VALE WINES

McLaren Vale has an earlier start in the 1838. It was quick to realise the potential for Shiraz, Grenache, and Cabernets, leaving the whites for its neighbours in the Adelaide Hills. Though the region has exploited the touristic draw, it has been a victim of Adelaide’s urban sprawl. Located close to the oceans, the cool winds relieve the lands off of heat and create brilliant costal conditions under which its reds retain their acidity that help their wines mature in to age-worthy, confident, and astute propositions. 

CHAPEL HILL

Chapel Hill, as the name suggests, is built on the site of an 1865 ironstone chapel which still stands and is an integral part of the winery’s tasting room. The first plantings here were in 1972 and 1975 was their first vintage release. Michael has been here from 2004, and was presenting their 2016 Parson Shiraz and McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon.

THE BIG TALK

I had a tete-a-tete with Jeremy and Michael and they were rather candid in their responses. Read on

What are your first impressions of the Indian market?
Jeremy – We’ve been looking at India for a while now. We’re not in any rush of collecting our returns as it is a big market and the best way to tread is to go slow and steady. We do understand it will be a slow brand building exercise and we need to push on education.

What attracts you to India?
Michael – The Aussie wine market hasn’t grown in size for a while, though it has in value. It is exhausting to enter in to India but we see it as a long term proposition. India is a developing powerhouse sitting on a massive possible drinking population. Drinking wines is trending and will soon become a full-fledged culture. It’s always better to have an early foot in the door. 

Aussie Chardonnays and Shiraz have become a brand in themselves. Is that good or bad for your business?
It’s definitely good, it gets us an entry and this sort of branding generates trust in Australian produce based on the connection one can form on a personal level. 65% of McLaren Vale produce is Shiraz, which works. 

Australia has numerous obscure varietals. Which of them do you see holding great promise?
Jeremy – We’ve been making wild ferment Grenache roses and are experimenting with bush vine Tempranillo. Also look out of Fiano and Vermentino in the whites, they have a huge potential to make a mark
Michael – Grenache has had a long history in the region, given it wasn’t affected by Phylloxera, we have some 1983 bush vines that are really exciting to work with.

What makes your wines different?
Intuition and experimentation. We do not make wines for shows or to impress. There’s no formulae to making good wines but show the purity of fruit and the aim for balance.

What is the support you seek from the Indian market and the Australian High Commission in promoting your produce?
There’s a need for education and trails. We will supply to Brindco to do whats needed, which is to build a relationship with our clients and our consumers, and keep telling our stories. We need more hands on the ground in the form of industry professionals who keep telling the story of our country, our region, our wines, and the experience that Australia is. 

What do you see as the future of wines in India?
We are trying to establish that and it’ll be imperative to keep our eyes open. It’s definitely the time for smaller wineries to come in and create a more personal connection for the drinkers by telling our stories and pouring hand-crafted wines that have families behind them. The market will only change for better hereon. 

Being your first visit to India, apart from wines, has it broken any myths for you?
Jeremy – The amount of cricket played on the streets is astonishing. Everyone’s playing, everywhere, and at all times. 
Michael – The curries aren’t hot enough. I’m yet to have one that makes me sweat and knocks my socks off!

 

First published in Spiritz Magazine in December, 2019

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Conversations with Indulge – Shamita Singha – Handpicked Wines

From being Femina Miss Earth, 2001, to being a supermodel, hosting her own shows, and campaigning against animal cruelty, and much more, Shamita has been a passionate ambassador of fine things. This turned her to wines and she took a dive, studying with the WSET, and there on to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Spain, and the Americas.

Now, Shamita educates enthusiasts about wines and shares the joy with her endeavour – Handpicked Wines

What first attracted you to wines?

The sheer romance of uncorking a bottle, right from the sound of the popping cork and the pouring liquid, to the aroma and taste on your palette… to deciphering the label and having a laugh with friends…. all of this made me fall in love with the process and the subject of wine. 

If wine had a beauty contest what would be the clincher question?

Describe yourself in wine terminology.  

How do you make wine sound more approachable and relatable to your clients?

I prefer to demystify the subject of wine to my clients or audience.  I believe that wine isn’t only for snobs or for occasions. Its a happy beverage that can be consumed everyday even in pyjamas and not only in a suit.  

What drink do you generally like to unwind with at the end of a work day?

Wine of course or sometimes with a cold beer too. 

Is there a wine no-no that we should all steer clear of?

Adding ice to your wine. 

And tell us of one wine no-no that you allow yourself to give in to?

Drinking red wine at indian summer room temperature. 

Any advice for young aspiring beverage enthusiasts in India especially for girls who aspire to work in this space?

Its definitely an exciting time as its a growing market. And wine awareness and consumption is increasing slowly but surely.   I would advise the young service industry as well as beverage enthusiasts to work more towards tastings and spreading awareness and serving quality wines which are in good health, rather than focusing on up selling or finishing stock. Make people fall in love with wine first, sales will follow automatically.

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Conversations with Indulge – Shailendra PAI, Vallonne Vineyards

Mr. Shailendra PAI is India’s first wine professional to become a vintner. As the Vice President of Champagne India, the first sparkling wine producing unit in the entire SE Asia, he was responsible for taking wine to various market of the world including UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Japan, Singapore etc. With four decades of experience in the wine business, he decided to pursue his long cherished dream of setting up a winery where the focus would be on quality and a holistic wine experience and in 2006, he set up Vallonné Vineyards as India’s first boutique winery which is now recognised by wine connoisseurs and consumers as a producer of quality wines. 

What drew you to the wine industry in the first place?

In the year 1986, I would read about the late Mr. Shyamrao Chougule in the papers and magazines. He had set up a winery that was to make sparkling wine for the first time in India and I was rather fascinated by his lifestyle—fast cars, guns, a lifestyle with wines. That attracted me to Champagne India Ltd, a wine company he had promoted. And that was my initiation into the world of wines. 

From your early days at Chateau Indage to now at Vallonne Vineyards, what’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the way Indian wines are perceived? 

Whilst I worked with Champagne India there was a huge curiosity about wines. However, it was difficult to initiate trials as the word ‘wine’ was alien to the Indian consumers. It was difficult to sell wine. 

Today, there is far more awareness about wines and definitely a huge interest. The curiosity has been converted into interest. Today, there are several homegrown wineries and many of these produce very good quality wines which are at par, or sometimes, even better than the wines from traditional wine producing regions. 

While the general perception is that Indian wines are not very good and as good as French or Italian or Californian or South African wines, there are several people who are recognising the high quality and potential of Indian wines and choosing to drink Indian wines. We have had several guests who have come to us with some apprehension about the quality of Indian wines and after drinking our wines, are now totally converted into Indian wine drinkers. So, the perception is definitely changing.

International wine experts, judges at competitions, wine buyers are acknowledging that there are some Indian wines that excellent in quality and that is also positively impacting the way Indian consumers view of wines. Wine experts and trainers also have a positive influence of consumers’ choices about Indian-made wines; sommeliers are also promoting Indian wines.

The winery tours and wine appreciation sessions that we conduct are very personalised and that also helps introduce our wines to people. We talk about what goes into making every bottle of wine and conduct these very detailed tasting sessions which has, in our experience, convert a lot of hard liquor drinkers into wine drinkers. So, the change in perception is very positive and encouraging.

What is Vallonne Vineyards winemaking style, and how would you define its philosophy?

Innovation and experimentation—I think that is what best defines our style of winemaking. Vallonne Vineyards are constantly experimenting with newer techniques, blends and wines. So, when we launched our rosé, we were the first one to make a rosé from the Cabernet Sauvignon; in 2011, we made the first ever Reserve Malbec in the country; our dessert wine, Vin de Passerillage is the only dessert wine in the country made using the painstaking straw wine technique where mature Chenin Blanc grapes are manually sun-dried in straw huts for a month. We require 150 people to work over a week to tie bunches of these grapes and hang them up for drying. 

Even at a more subtle winemaking level, which is not evident to consumers, but which impacts the quality greatly, we constantly innovate and try something new. 

The orientation is French-style wines. For the first six years, we had a winemaker from Bordeaux who set the protocols that continue to be followed today, however, with certain improvements/alterations according to the vintage, grapes and style. 

Our wines at Vallonne Vineyards are mostly dry and off-dry and we put a lot of emphasis on our reserve red wines which are aged in premium French oak barrels. In a very good vintage, we produce our grand reserve range called Anokhee where the wines, which have a great potential to improve with time, are aged in barrel and oak for a minimum of four years. 

As India’s first boutique winery, Vallonne Vineyards have been true to our philosophy of producing very high quality wines albeit in small quantities. 

What keeps you going in this line of profession?

My love for wines and the love that Vallonné receives from people! 

As you’d know, this is a very tumultuous and difficult industry with very deep lows and sharp highs. We don’t give in to pressures from the trade / restaurants for deep discounts and schemes because we believe in our wines and know that consumers, who appreciate our wines, will always find a way to get our wines. So, the growth for us has been rather slow and organic but it is also steady and quality growth. The pandemic and the lockdown did deal a blow to the business in a big way but all the hardships are worthwhile when I see the appreciation that wine lovers shower on us—for our wines and the entire experience that we offer at Vallonné. 

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

Vallonné wines—Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. For me, nothing can beat the experience of sitting at our restaurant, watching the sun set behind the mountains and the birds fly over the vineyards while I sip on wine. Since we all love experimenting, our winemaker Sanket, our winemaker, often tries very limited quantities of different blends for me. 

What’s your advice to young professionals seeking knowledge in this discipline?

Wine is a a sunshine industry and India will surely be amongst the foremost producer of wines in the future. So, there is huge potential for young professionals in the field. But the world of wines cannot be compartmentalised into just wine making or your work as a sommelier or a marketing and sales executive. Get a holistic knowledge of the business and the product—right from viticulture and wine making, to being able to help your consumer taste and appreciate the wine, pair it with food.

There is immense potential for in the field of sales, wine promoters, and educators. It needs passion and dedication. Like I always emphasise, wine is just not a product but a living being which has to be treated and handled with a lot of care. It has its moods and its good days and not-so-great days so treat it like a living entity. Be proud of Indian wines and be the ambassadors of the Indian wine business. 

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Conversations with Indulge – Stephane Soret, Sommelier

Sommelier Stephane SORET is a name to be reckoned with in the world of sommellerie. He is a man with decades of experience and one who honed his skills across continents and cultures. Today, based out of Singapore, he heads the F&B operations for the prestigious Raffles. In his time there, he has hosted some of the most iconic wine events this side of the Greenwich. Here, with us today, for #ConversationsWith Indulge, he talks wines and reminisces about his days spent working in India.

What first attracted you to wines?

I was fortunate to grow up in Southern Rhone where we have a strong wine culture. I would always work part-time during harvest with local family friend wine producers.

What are the 2-3 most important things to consider while evaluating a wine (blind tasting)?

Why I don’t like it and why my guest might like it? I call this palate optimization which consists of making all my guests happy and forgetting about the self-centred French Sommelier syndrome! This is possibly the best rating a wine can get in my opinion. So my guest can be happy because they experience a great discovery/value wine for the money or because they want to splurge and impress with more commercial labels. A good wine list must have all of it.

What drink do you generally like to unwind with at the end of a workday?

I love a good single malt whisky, neat, with water on the side.

What are your thoughts on Asian cuisines (in plural) and wines? Are they compatible, and how should we approach it, generally speaking?

Asian cuisine is broad and complex and our challenge is to develop Asian Sommeliers who will NOT recommend the most expensive bottle on the list (anybody can do that). Instead, we should adopt a gentle, more educational approach in order to generate repeat business. Table by table, it’s a hard job but the Sommelier must do so.

In Asia this is as important as the chef’s job if we really want to be serious about wines. It’s also important to make it affordable, all the way from producers, right to our clients in the restaurant. At the Tiffin Room at Raffles Hotel, I pour M/S by-the-glass and also by bottles ( from Fratelli in Akluj Maharashtra) and we have developed a great Indian Sommelier called Kutty Krishna Nair. I also really love the Tempranillo Reserve from Charosa, a wine that I wanted to bring exclusively to Raffles prior to the pandemic.

What do you miss about India and especially the local food and drinks scene?

I miss my all-time favourite:  Chicken Tikka Masala from Defence Colony market Delhi, of course, best paired with Chateau des Tours, the pure Grenache from Cote du Rhone by Chateau Rayas, with minimum 6 years of bottle age.

Is there a wine caveat that we should be aware of?

The concern I have is there is way too much bad or fake wine produced and this is why time and education is so important. I would rather drink a great Prosecco than a bad Champagne. Also, you cannot learn wine in a crash-course, it takes years to develop your own palate and philosophy. And travelling to visit producers is a must, obviously not in 2021, but in general.

Any advice to aspiring F&B professionals in India?

I try to stay away from wines that aren’t telling the truth (see above). In vino veritas and that’s all that matters.

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Blog Conversations

Conversations with Indulge – Ruma Singh

I was a full time journalist working for a national daily before I quit to write about wine, and I now freelance on wine. I have been the first (and only!) woman president of the Bangalore Wine Club. I am currently working to finish my WSET Diploma (COVID permitting). I enjoy visiting wine regions whenever I can – nothing like first hand knowledge – and the smell of a winery, the beauty of a vineyard. Soon: maybe a book (on wine) and also some wine education.
It’s been a few years now, but really, one’s wine journey never ends. There is something new to learn every day.

What inspired you to learn and write about wines?

I’ve been a journalist my whole career, during which I would meet and interview many wine greats who would visit India. All the celebrities I interviewed, their stories fascinated me. Then I joined the Bangalore Wine Club when it started in 2001, and my love for wine grew as I learned and understood more and more.

What is the one change you wish to bring in wine/beverage journalism in India?

More genuine wine information and learning shared with consumers, communication beyond marketing/promotional activities. There is international interest and curiosity about India, and we need to ensure the good word gets out. And also information gets in, to consumers who seek knowledge!

How do you work away at spreading awareness to break misconceptions amongs the general consumers in India?

Communication, communication, communication. I try and answer questions when asked, share knowledge and help people along their wine journey.

What according to you are three essential and inherent qualities in women that make them generally so resilient and successful?

Women are naturally resilient, quick to grasp matters and natural at resolving issues at lightning speed.

What advice would you give to the next generation of aspiring female leaders in the beverage space?

Keep your focus, stay strong, don’t give up. In fact I’m thrilled with women in the beverage industry in India. So much great talent and abilities.

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

Wine. Nothing like a glass of wine (red, white, still sparkling or rose) to lift your mood and relax you.

How should one get started writing about wine?

As a famous writer once told me, “Writing is a muscle that you can develop. Keep writing to see results.”

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Blog Videos

52 Drinks 52 Weeks – Viognier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PmhhtI9Tjg

The grape that has risen from its ashes, Viognier is gaining popularity the world over, again. Though Norther Rhone is its hotspot, other countries including India are adopting the varietal and giving it a hermitage. Our sommeliers Gagan SHARMA + Magandeep SINGH share its story and taste a few.

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Blog Conversations

Conversations with Indulge – Amber Deshmukh

Amber Deshmukh is the Group Sommelier for Hops Cork chain of ultra-modern retail stores, Mumbai. He is a certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and has pursued a bachelor’s degree in Wine Technology. Amber also loves trekking and has completed over 70. Here’s how our recent conversation with Amber went.

How do you plan to break the wine myths to your consumers?

There are a lot of myths revolving around this fantastic beverage called Wine, right from ageing (all wines get better with age), sugar content (related to Rosé and Riesling) to service of wine (choosing correct glassware or serving temperatures).

My simple and honest approach to breaking these myths is to suggest a wine with a small introduction which will prove that the facts are very different, or to suggest the correct way to drink the wine. It is important to deliver the correct information in the easiest possible way without making it too technical or boring for your guest. What matters is the information that you share in the first 30 seconds.

Tell us about your most unique experience in wine retail?

The concept of retail store in India is very different. Hops Cork is an Ultra-Modern Beer and Wine Boutique which is focused on customer interaction. We also supply wines for weddings and corporate events.

Once, I visited a client’s place to help them choose wines for the wedding. To make it exciting, I arranged a blind tasting at their home of six wines, of which they were to choose two for the wedding. They were very happy with the whole tasting and, it also broke the stereotype of choosing wines based on the price point and brand.

As a certified sommelier how do you bridge the gap of serving wines?

I started my career with the Marriott group and was working with JW Marriott Juhu for about 4 years where I polished my service skills. During that time, about 5-6 bottles of wines were opened by me on a daily basis.

Today the scenario is different being in retail. To make sure that I don’t lose the touch, every bottle that I open during any event or at home is as per the standards set by Court of Master Sommeliers. I often practice pouring 8 equal glasses from a sparkling wine bottle and decanting reds at Hops Cork and also at home (thanks to Lalit Rane for suggesting this practice module). I had also worked at a restaurant as a part timer (post my regular shift at Hops Cork) for about 2 months just before Indian Sommelier Championship 2019, which helped me a lot.

If given a chance to bring a wine of your choice to Hops Cork, which one would that be?

This is really an interesting question. Well there are lots of wines which I would love to sell at Hops Cork. At the moment, we stock wines from 14 different countries and we always try to update our collection. Wines coming from the boutique producers and family owned vineyards are always exciting.

One wine that will add “Char Chand” to our Indian collection would be Krsma Cabernet Sauvignon from Hampi Hills, Karnataka. This is exactly what people in Mumbai are missing and craving for.

Apart from wines, which style of beverage do you look forward to most in coming times?

India is known for consuming brown spirits more than anything else. In recent years the trend of drinking white spirits and wine is increasing. There are a number of quality beers and spirits produced in the country since the last decade.

I personally feel that these craft beverages will make a huge impact on the market and will encourage many more producers to create such quality products. After great gins and whiskeys, next thing that I look forward to is good quality rum coming from India.

Is there anything you wish to introduce or change in your work environment after the pandemic ends?

In the pre-pandemic situation, importers used to call the wine makers/owners/marketing heads of the wineries and distilleries to conduct tastings for the trade. Not everyone was able to attend it, as it used to happen in particular cities.

During pandemic, we utilised the technology by using Virtual Meeting Apps which helped us to attend sessions hosted by the wineries and distilleries. Now all of a sudden, instead of conducting the tasting in a restaurant, the host could walk in the cellar room or in the vineyard along with his dog, which gave a complete difference dimension to such sessions. I would love to see more of such sessions (also for the consumers) happening post pandemic.

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

I love to taste whatever is new in the market, ranging from beers, meads (check out on the Moonshine Meadery seasonal variants) ciders, flavoured tonics and lots more.

If there is nothing new to try, I stick with Grover La Reserve. It never disappoints me.

What is your advice to young professionals seeking a career in this field?

This is one of the most exciting and evolving industry to work. Mixology is on the peak and the number (also the demand) of Sommeliers is rising, which indicates that it’s the right time to grow and shine in this industry.

It’s very important to have a good mentor if you want to become a Sommelier, as at times it gets intimidating (because of the depth of studies). Getting enrolled for certifications helps you set mental goals to study and enhance your knowledge. Joining a group (or building one) that conducts blind tastings or has similar study goals will help. Tasting wines and travelling to wine destinations (including India) is the key.

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Blog Conversations

Conversations with Indulge – Cavalier Subhash Arora

I have been earlier a teetotaler, despite spending a year in Germany and over 5 years in the US where I did my MSc. and MBA and worked. Once I started drinking wine as an alcohol-based lifestyle drink in India I did a lot of self-study for over the following 10 years, visited vineyards, read books (no internet then) and wine magazines, visited wine shops on my annual trips to the US, attended two international wine and health conferences in Napa Valley, When I was convinced this should be the drink of choice for every alcohol drinker, I started a crusade to promote the wine culture passionately and selflessly.

I drink ONLY wine so basically I am a VINOTALER-a teetotaler who drinks only wine!

Being from an IT background how difficult it was for you to establish yourself in wine?

I did not see it as easy or difficult. I gave a talk about wine in our Rotary Club in 2001 after reading and studying and drinking on my own. After a short presentation I opened the house for any questions on wines (I had already initiated the wine drinking in the club for 15 years earlier). I was thrilled to answer all questions, basic as they were. This motivated me to start a wine club in 2002. To get together a group of like-minded people who would meet regularly and enjoy wines with food at reasonable cost. Delhi Wine Club was even featured in Aaj Tak on TV back then and it propelled the Club exponentially overnight.

What or who inspired you to enter the world of wines?

You could say the fan following I had developed at the Rotary. When I joined the Club, no wine was ever served at fellowship parties. When I left, we used to consume about 2 cases of wine during a social event. About 50 people including many women started drinking wine. They were keen to learn more and many thought it was a fashionable drink.

What was the worst drink you have had to endure?

Beer. I belong to a very conservative family where alcohol was considered a sin. But when I was living in Germany, my father was recommended I drink beer because water was hard. I went to a pub with a friend and ordered a small bottle of beer. As I took it near my mouth, the smell was nauseating and  I almost fell sick. Till date, I hate the thought of beer but did not start drinking wine for another 10 years.

Where do you see India in the next few years in terms of beverage journalism?

When I started writing about wines in 2002, I felt there should be 100 journalists. Unfortunately, the number did increase slowly and initially the writers were passionate but today, thanks to the internet as also the ‘copy and paste’ method and the advent of social media, many journalists have cropped up with not much knowledge of wines so the quality remains poor. However, there is a huge demand for good journalists, though there’s not much money in the vocation.

According to you what are the key factors that make a wine ‘good’?

First and foremost, is the drinkability. It must be a clean and brilliant wine. It should be matured for aging but too much wood is not the answer. It should be approachable with good balance and possibly structure, depending on the price. It does not have to be very expensive to be good. You always pay a lot for the brand.

What’s your most memorable dining experience?

The 200th wine event and 10 year celebrations of Delhi Wine Club with 270 people sit-down Lunch with 10 wines including Drappier Champagne at Hyatt Regency, attended by several Ambassadors and the Director General of OIV.

Can you share with us any story that marked a turning point in your perception of beverages in general?

I was obliged to choose an alcoholic drink by my partner in our international business. I tried a few options but one day I tried an off-dry German white wine and liked it. That was the defining moment and I never looked back. But since no one knew anything about wine then, I was constrained to learn on my own.

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

Usually a sparkling wine like a good quality Prosecco (preferably DOCG), Champagne or a crisp white wine.

What is your advice to young professionals seeking a career in this field? 

You must have a passion for wines and be ready to put in the hard work as also have the propensity to read a lot. Presumably, you should also love to taste as many wines as possible. I would also recommend a certified course.