Some Wine Tasting with……

It was great to be able to do some blind-tasting of good red wines over the weekend.

I had three reds - the Reveilo Syrah 2006 from Vintage Wines of Nashik, a premium shiraz from Indus Vineyards as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon from Indus. All of these are great wines from India’s famed Nashik valley in Maharashtra state, not very far from Mumbai. Nevertheless, it is hard to find these excellent wines on store shelves.

I was familiar with the Indus Vineyards’ wines, but only their Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Shiraz. Their Chenin Blanc is a wonderfully refreshing wine, giving a run for the money to Sula Chenin Blanc. My wife and myself love both these whites.

However, this time something was different. All the three reds we chose to taste are fabulous products from Nashik. Let me describe each one in some detail :

The Reveilo Syrah 2006 is a complex wine with spicy characteristics, a medium heavy wine with a smoothness which goes easily with Indian food as well as pasta. It is easily drinkable, and is delightfully peppery. Easily one of the best price-to-value ratios in the Indian market, at an MRP of Rs 545 + the unnecessary taxes of Mumbai. This is a wine waiting to be discovered on restaurant tables soon. If this is so good, I wondered how would be the Syrah Reserve variety of 2005 vintage. Waiting for it !

The Indus wines did not disappoint either. The Shiraz was fantastic, with a velvety finish and a taste to savour for quite some time. I have always enjoyed the Australian Shiraz wines, and I should say this compares well with the mid-range of some of the great Australian Shiraz varieties. It has a lovely crimson colour and has a smokiness which I liked. Again, a great wine from an upcoming vineyard. This wine went well with very spicy chicken legs and tandoori dishes. The MRP ? slightly higher priced at Rs 700.

The Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Indus is also a good wine, with a deep red colour and a fruity taste. It has an excellent balance with a long finish, and is a bit of a heavy wine. Again, this wine goes well with tandoori dishes. The MRP is Rs 500 for this wine.

Lest you think I spend a lot of time drinking, please observe that I just stated “blind-tasting” at the beginning of this post. Tasting is what it means - not a lot, just trying to savour the different varieties each one at a time, with some good patience. Also, one has to pair the snacks and cheeses, so it does take some time on a weekend evening, if you are interested. Wine is not to be drunk like beer or even a hard liquor. It needs to be smelled, inhaled, tasted at the tip of the tongue, tasted inside the mouth for quite some time, et al - all this, after atleast 30 minutes of decanting to get the wine to breathe in the oxygen.

Well, now these three bottles go back carefully recorked into my wine cooler, to be opened when I am ready sometime again for a great evening drink. In the meanwhile, enjoy your respective evenings and weekends, and do learn something about viticulture and wine drinking, as this is going to emerge as the artful way of entertaining guests in the not too distant future.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
28th June 2008
Mumbai

A New South African Taste

A friend of mine gave me an excellent bottle of a dry white wine from South Africa recently.

It was a unique blend of several grape varieties - Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Semillon, from Kumala Wines of South Africa.

It is a great dry white wine with aromas of peach and melon. I could detect the peach, not the melon though. It is a crisp wine with a freshness which induces one to sip the wine often ! The wine has just about the right level of acidity, delivering a good balance on the palate.

White chicken and baked vegetables with cream sauce were a good accompaniment to this crispy good white. Fish would have been better though !

I wonder why such good wines are not available in the country. I have seen Two Oceans from South Africa but nothing more on the shelves. More such wines at competitive prices would produce pressure on the indigenous wine makers to improve their quality. While Indian whites are surely a good buy, such as those from Sula, Indus, and Nine Hills, more variety and quality is to be expected as the consumers get more discerning. And, they are………one has to look around to see that more wines are bing ordered in restaurants. Some wine education and tasting sessions would go a long way !

Have a wonderful week ahead,

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
15th June 2008
Mumbai

Zinzi and Sanath Jayasuria

This is the second post over this weekend, something I have done not too frequently.

The IPL (Indian Premier League) Cricket Match is going on at the Rajiv Gandhi National Stadium at Hyderabad, and I was watching it live on the SET MAX Channel. My son and myself were really amazed at Jayasuria’s quick fours and sixes in the first four overs. Jayasuria is 38 years old, but still retains the fire in him to strike it rich when the ball is new ! Great player on the “Mumbai Indians” Team. See “The Indian Premier League T20 Matches”

I decided to open a bottle of white wine - this time it was “Zinzi” from the United Breweries Group (Vijay Mallya’s Group). I bought it last weekend at Spencers’ for Rs 276 (USD 6.70 or SGD 9.70), which was comparatively cheaper than the Sula or Grovers’ white wines, and cheaper than even the new Indus wines. I talked to the wine shopkeeper at Spencers’ and he said that there is no harm in trying - it can’t be bad at this price ! I was quite reluctant, instead focusing on the South African Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc at Rs 970 (USD 23 or SGD 34). However, finally I picked up two bottles of white wine - one is Zinzi ofcourse, and the other, the Indus. I am familiar with Indus, and have written previously a blog post on the same.

The Zinzi, though, was a disappointment. I consoled myself that you can’t complain at its price, too cheap to even think of complaining ! It was not bad though, but it lacked character. The label claims that Zinzi is the result of handpicked French varieties of wine grapes of the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc types - but, I seriously doubt the claim. This wine was neither sweet as claimed, nor had the distinctive taste of a Sauvignon Blanc, which discerning wine drinkers could easily establish. Last time ever for this wine ! UB missed it big time !!

Well, the match is going on. And, I am going back to the TV - the computer is NOT the same ! Have a wonderful evening of fast cricket, and welcome yet another exciting week ahead !!

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
18 May 2008
Mumbai

Indus Chenin Blanc 2006

I was shopping around for some wine, and was happy to find that full-fledged wine shops have opened at both the Hyper City and Spencers’ Shopping at Inorbit Mall.

I picked up the new Indus Vineyards’ Chenin Blanc 2006 (”Igatpuri Climbs”) made in collaboration with John Worontschak of U.K. One never knows these wines, you just take a chance - all of these coming from Nashik are “New Age” wines. Ofcourse everyone knows the Sula Chenin Blanc, but I was looking for an alternative.

The Indus Chenin Blanc was excellent. It sure gets a rating of 8 out of 10 in “Vijay’s Wine Ratings !”. This wine is slightly better than the Sula Chenin Blanc 2006 for which I would give a rating of 7 out of 10. The aroma of the Indus wine was slightly better on the nose, with a complex sweetness better than that of the Sula wine.

When chilled to 12 degrees Celsius, the Indus Chenin Blanc was an excellent accompaniment to kebabs. I don’t know what collaboration they did, but I would recommend this wine hands down for an evening - say, Sunday evening - with a nice platter of kebabs and some cheddar cheese. Great find at Rs 350, approximately USD 9 / SGD 13 ! It would be almost impossible to find a Sauvignon Blanc anywhere else at this price for this quality. It appears that India, is slowly but surely, arriving at the World Wine Map. Wine Connoisseurs, take note !

The only challenge is that it would take a long time for this wine to find its way to restaurant tables, where the Sula wines rule the roost atleast in Mumbai. The only alternatives would be very expensive Italian wines on which you are paying the Indian Government 100% of the original price as taxes.

I would suggest you try this one out soon, all the best !

Let me add that the design of the bottle packaging also clearly measures up to world standards !! Something that the competitors, both Indian and Foreign, need to bother about - I took a bet and it worked out for me given the absence of wine tasting which would have surely helped drive more purchases of such wines from doubting thomases !!!

Have a Wonderful Week ahead, folks !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
23 December 2007
Mumbai

Nine Hills

Nine Hills is not a place of worship, it is yet another new wine suggested by my wine shopkeeper as something good. I looked at him, and he did not look a wee bit of a guy who drinks wines. But I decided to trust him and my instincts based on what I just saw of the bottle. It did not disappoint.

Seagram’s Nine Hills is a Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 vintage from the Nashik Valley of Maharashtra. I never thought of Seagram as a wine company. While I did not exactly know what they do, I have always “thought” of Seagram as a hard liquor company. So, I was never interested to look at their product portfolio, the closest being some interesting advertisements which do not really say what they make or sell.

Seagram’s Nine Hills wine gets its name from the nine hills surrounding Nashik where the company’s winery and the vineyards are located. The winemaker describes the wine as follows : “Our Cabernet Sauvignon has a ruby red colour with hints of cherry, green pepper and capsicum aromas. Its well balanced acidity and soft tannins charm the palate and leave a lingering finish.”

My lay man’s reading of this decent wine is as follows : Nine hills is a good cabernet sauvignon wine, and has a clearly discernible acidity. It is not too strong on the palate, and easily drinkable. I was not too happy with the colour of the wine, it was not red enough for me, this is a problem with most Indian reds though. I could detect only a bit of fruitiness and acidity to the best of my tongue taste !

Nevertheless Nine Hills is a good wine, and I would recommend the same. It goes well with cream and onion flavoured cheese, but I could not pair it with any food apart from pasta with a heavy dose of pesto.

I am happy to have found yet another Indian red, but I should say that this one is not better than Grovers’ La Reserve, which still remains my Indian favourite.

Enjoy your wines when you could !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
21 October 2007
Mumbai

Bahula !

I discovered a new Shiraz wine in India !

Actually it is a Shiraz Cabernet from the Nasik District of Maharashtra State, of which Mumbai is the capital city. The one I bought is called “Bahula” 2005 Shiraz Cabernet. It comes from Mountain View Winery, and costs just around US$ 10 or less in quantities.

Great Shiraz grape, dark red in colour, and very delectable. The only red better than this in India is the Grovers’ La Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. I have not seen much of any Shiraz made locally, but if Bahula is any indication, one can expect richer varieties of wines to come from the same winery.

Buying wine in India is not easy. Liquor is not sold in supermarkets, one has to go to shady-looking shops in some bylane to seek out a shop. The shops are invariably called “Wine Shops” - I used to wonder why they do that, when most of the buyers purchase beer and hard liquor predominantly. Wine is rarely ever sold, based on my conversation with the shopkeeper. He was surprised to note that I was asking only for wine. I was appalled to see that the wines were kept in the ambient temperature in a dusty environment. I asked the shopkeeper whether he knew wines should not be kept in such condition. Ofcourse, he did not know, and could not care less. A few months ago, I went to a prominent wine shop in South Mumbai, and the wines there also were kept at room temperature. The only difference between a bylane shady shop and the ones in South Mumbai is that the downtown shop was much bigger, had better displays (though you could not walk through a “cellar” and browse the labels on the wines), and much higher traffic (mostly buying, ofcourse, beer and vodka and scotch). I should also say that the knowledge of the “big” shopkeeper was good on wines and he used a computer to print out the bills, though he was equally unconcerned about the proper handling of wines.

I guessed correctly, so to say, that complex wines like Bahula would disintegrate soon with that kind of handling. And, no wonder, it did when I took it home. I kept the wine in the wine-cooler at home, but when I took it out for use, it was good only for the first glass or so. I am not an expert in viticulture, and would have expected the vineyard owners to advise their distribution channel as to the criticality of temperature for the health of these wines. Long way to go ! India does not also provide a great choice for wine lovers, my guess is that the local varieties would struggle if wine import is allowed in without the huge customs duties and other taxes. Ofcourse, there would be some which could potentially withstand the foreign onslaught, but for the same price, a Shiraz from Australia or a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand would steal the day and the diners.

Again, back to the Bahula wine - The label reports that Hambhir Phadtare, a Sociology Professor in the US nursed a deep desire to make wine in India, and he returned to the hamlet of Aambe Bahula, Nasik, where his grandfather first planted grapes, setting up the company of Mountain View Winery Pvt. Ltd. Sanjay Menon of Sansula describes the wine as a superb first effort. Steven Spurrier of Decanter Magazine is quoted as saying it is an impressive dark red colour, concentrated small berry fruit on the nose, ripe, plummy, flavourful wine on the palate with good acidity, and a very good example of these two varietals.

Anyway, I am going to buy more of Bahula soon, and recommend the same for friends who are turning their attention away from hard liquor to something soft and good for the heart. I will soon write about the type of cheese and food that would go with Indian wines.

Have a wonderful week ahead, folks,

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
23 September 2007
Mumbai

Wine Comparison

My wife is very fond of New Zealand’s Marlborough Region wines, especially the Chardonnay.

So I picked up a bottle of Hunter’s 2004 Chardonnay at Dubai Airport recently. This is a wine I am also fond of, having spent sometime evaluating Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc brands in Singapore and elsewhere. While I am primarily interested in red wines, the white offers some enchanting complement to specific food types, and in a hot place like Mumbai it is more preferable with hot Indian food as well !

The Hunter’s Chadonnay has a strong ripe fruit flavour and is wholesome when held in mouth for a moment longer than necessary. It is yellowish gold in colour, and has excellent after taste. I loved the wine so much that I had two glasses of it at one go, beyond my usual one glass-at-a-time policy. There was also strong endorsement of the wine from my wife who is always a light drinker with subtler tastes than me. She enjoyed it as well thoroughly.

We decided last evening to have a competitive tasting of Hunter’s with one of the best Indian White - the Chantilli from the Chateau Indage Vineyards. The chilled Chantilli and its close competitor, the Sula, have been my favourites - but my preferred one has always been Chantilli Sauvignon Blanc. The Sula is very light and very easy to drink, but lacks the strong fruit flavours and acidity of the Chantilli. In most bars and restaurants, one gets only the Sula and then the reds from Grover Vineyards. I am always surprised when I see the wine selection at restaurants in Mumbai - not good enough even for India, definitely not world class. Ofcourse, people here would tell you - why don’t you go to the Indigo in South Mumbai ? But that is a good 2 hours drive, and one would expect an emerging world financial centre to have easy access to India’s best wines. There are hardly three or four good vineyards with established brands in the whole country anyway.

We liked both wines (Hunter’s and Chantilli), but in the test the obvious winner was the Hunter’s. There was just no doubt. It had a more elegant finish, was better matured, and was superb in its overall impact. Chantilli probably scored something like a 70 while Hunter’s was more like 88. Given the recent nature of the Indian wine industry, 70 is a good score for any Indian wine, I guess.

Well, I am sure the Sahyadri Valley can one day reach the stature of the Marlborough Region of New Zealand.

Good wine on a dull evening is one of the best experience one can have. I am not going to reveal what food I had - I would let you guess that.

Have a wonderful weekend folks,

Best Regards

Vijay Srinivasan
23 June 2007
Mumbai

Wine on Saturday Evening

It is really surprising to me, I felt like writing a second blog post for the day !

There is nothing better, repeat, nothing better, than a glass of red wine on a Saturday evening.

I stocked up on wines last weekend, my Kadeka wine fridge is now full. I am looking for wine-drinking partners, but alas, Indian friends are mostly whiskey or rum drinkers. I have now learnt to stock up some Black & White whiskey, along with some Kingfisher beer, but most of my purchases were concentrated on wine.

Today, I enjoyed couple of glasses of Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz 2005. This is a great Indian Shiraz, it is fragrant, elegant and smooth, with lush berry flavours and silky tannins. This is a good Shiraz costing Rs 550 (appx SGD 20).

I followed up with a glass of Zulu Pinotage 2002 from Paarl, South Africa. Another good wine, but a little loose in character. It displayed deep fruity plum flavours that turn soft and creamy, it is a light wine.

Anyway, after a long time, I had a great wine evening at home. I am trying to encourage my new colleagues and friends to go for wine, but it is hard for them. I can understand, given the headiness they are used to. This is slow acceleration, but I enjoy it the way it is.

Have a wonderful evening,

Best Regards

VIJAY SRINIVASAN
23 Sep 2006
Mumbai