I am a recent entry into the wine world and have been quite impressed with the way that Indian wines have exploded onto the scene in the past few years. It does not seem that long ago that I was heading to a wine restaurant in Solapur on the back of my ex girlfriends scooty. I hadn’t taken it seriously back then and absolutely thought what a silly idea it was that a restaurant serving wines has opened up in a place like Solapur. Little did I know that I was going to be proven wrong as Maharashtra became a hot bed for wine production and one of Grover Zampa’s vineyards is actually present there. With Indian wines making headlines all over the world, it was time for all the producers to come together and celebrate Indian Wine Day.
The Indian Wine Day And what better person to organise it other than Mr Subhash Arora, head of Indian Wine Academy and Delhi Wine Club and one of the grand old men who write on wine. The Lalit Hotels played a perfect host across cities even extending to London. Not only did they serve out perfectly paired sit down dinners, but there were some amazing offers on Indian wines that sought to bring the Indian public more in sync with the wine culture.
Even the date chosen, 16th November is quite a momentous occasion for wine lovers. Also known as the Beaujolais Nouveau Day, it out the day that a first batch of this famous Beaujolais Nouveau wine is revealed to the world every year. It is usually celebrated on the third Thursday of every November. I’ll talk about a few of the wines I tasted for the first time and the combinations I did it with.
A few combinations from the Indian Wine Day
York Sparkling Cuvee Brut with a Mushroom Galawati Kebab
This sparkling wine from York vineyards is made from Chenin Blanc grapes only and is made in a classic French style but it retains a fruity flavour along with the traditional acidic flavours of the sparkling wine. Combined with the earthy yet spicy flavours of the Mushroom Galawati Kebab, it combines like a dream.
Charossa Reserve Tempranillo with Nahari
Indian non vegetarian dishes have a multitude of complex flavours and the Nihari stands at the top of the pyramid. Combining wines with such dishes is one of the most difficult jobs possible for a sommelier. But the Charossa Tempranillo 2015 stood out and combined with the silky flavours of the Nahari from the kitchens of The Lalit Hotel.
The Indian Wine Day is a momentous occasion in the Indian Wine industry and is a very good way to promote Indian wines in the country.