All Wines French and Beautiful !

When several people from different professions get together, the interest has to be common- and tasting wines could easily be counted amongst the best of these! At a recently concluded event called Bienvenue that I hosted  in association with Eau de Monsoon restaurant at Le Meridien New Delhi, the enthusiasm of the guests was palpable by their timely arrival despite the infamous VIP movements on Delhi streets ( It’s a different matter though, that my pesky exhortation in the preceding days was forgiven by the guests rather graciously)! That the occasion was the national day of France (called Jour de Bastille) lent a special festive air to the soirée and I cleverly used it to fulfil my long standing ambition to be a history teacher- albeit an indulgent one.

The evening started with a palate awakening aperitif and a visit to the walk around cellars at the restaurant.  Next was the serious yet fun tasting experience that was accompanied by a ‘terroir feeling’ presentation. A brief word about the tasting room at Eau de Monsoon- the space is replete with illuminated tables, cascading water on glass facade and ample room  for the pre-requisites of wine tasting. And so it happens to be one of my favourites  to conduct an effortless  wine tasting!



A part of the spread (R-L) Tapas,
 Dessert and Cheese Platter

The menu for the tasting comprising of Antipasti, Tapas, Assorted Cheeses and Dessert, was  finalized after several sittings with the staff at Eau de Monsoon - so the conduct was pretty simple and all  brass-tacks. This is how it went:

Wine # 1

Jean Claude Boisset AOC Mâcon Villages 2007 

 A medium gold colour and aromas of ripe stone fruits (peaches, apricots) and a citrusy whiff. A light bodied crisp dry and minerally palate and a medium finish. Went well with most of the finger food on offer and creamy cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Danish Blue)

The wines for tasting

Wine # 2

J Calvet À  Bordeaux AOC Graves 2006

Light Lemon with green reflections. A mix of fruit and vegetal aromas with strong bell pepper and sweet spice  on the nose. Dry and medium body palate with just the right acidity.  Ideal accompaniment with asparagus & artichoke Tapas as well as the olives in the Antipasti. Also paired well with other food on the platter as also the cheeses, especially the Danish blue.

Wine # 3

La Rochetière  AOC  Brouilly 2007 


Assiette de Fromage (Cheese Platter)

 Brouilly has a special place in my heart since it is the appellation where I harvested the 2012 crop  with some distinguished producers during my stay in the region last autumn. The innately fruity character of Beaujolais wines often manifests in the form of a juicy and rounded mouthfeel and this time too there was no exception. Aromas of red cherries, strawberries and a little spice added to its overall charm. I still would not advice it to be paired with the smoked Salmon( as the youngest guest in the gathering affirmed)  but it was a pleasure with all other fingerfood on offer. And of course, hors d’ouvres could well be easy turf for this wine.

Wine # 4

Le Nez

Baron Philippe de Rothschild AOC Bordeaux Mouton Cadet 2010

The most famous brand of Bordeaux lived up to its expectations when I heard several ‘wows’ at the first sip. Deep ruby with a subtle garnet rim and pastry shop aromas (chocolate, vanilla et al) this firm yet gentle, fruity yet restrained wine is an epitome of man’s skill in the consistency of blending.The wine was a hit particularly with the cheeses and the Egg and Caviar Tapas.



Wine # 5

J Calvet À  Bordeaux AOC Sauternes 2008 There are dessert wines and then there’s Sauternes. The

Perfect occasion to receive my DELF A2 Diploma
 in Langue Française

name itself evokes respect and the pairing with the crumbly and lush peach and pear tart was anything but coincidence! The lovely medium gold wine with a bouquet of apricots, quince and honey had a wonderful medium bodied feel on the palate with flavours of honey,nuts, liquorice and apricots. The lingering finish ensured a perfect reminiscence of the just concluded tasting!

The most encouraging part of the soirée was the enthusiasm of attendees towards a typically international format of wine tasting-  where tasing measures of wine were served in a fluid sequence amid passionate discussions without the need to be politically correct- and to think that we get fixed up on the notion of Indians being aloof of wines! 

Prenez le Vin s'il vous plait!

My French Connection!

Laurent giving me a bird's eye view of St Emilion, Bordeaux-
a UNESCO heritage  town

Meet Laurent Piaton! A forty something quintessential Frenchman who loves his wines in equal measures as his Fourme d’Ambert (one of the oldest French cheeses) ! Laurent & I met a couple of years back at a wine dinner when he was in India to promote his portfolio of wines.  LPVM, his marketing company exports wine to several countries across the globe and this time on, Laurent was on a ground level interaction spree with budding and experienced Indian wine enthusiasts. Being together at the dinner table we hit it off rather well as my curiosity towards French wines was well addressed by his in-depth background and a forthcoming demeanour. After a hearty dinner, we bade an optimistic “Au Revoir” with  an underlying reservation about a future meeting - considering that I was still a serving soldier with just an occasional interaction with the professional wine community.

Laurent and me at a Brasserie in  St Emilion

Fast Forward >> 2011 and my wine pursuits received albatross wings in the form of the Global Champagne scholarship! But would I have returned after the four days sponsored trip at Champagne? Not if I was a true blue wine maniac! So I thought it was worthwhile to contact Laurent to see if he could facilitate my adventure in the wine heartlands of France. Far exceeding my expectations, Laurent replied to my mail along with a proposed itinerary faster than a blink and even offered to accompany me to the wine areas in his stunningly beautiful  Peugeot SUV! My French wine adventure was on!

Destinations Galore in Laurent's Wheels

After the sejour at Champagne, I thus boarded the TGV to Bordeaux and started a further 10 days of hectic visits to wine estates that covered famed vineyards of Bordeaux, Provence, Rhone valley and Beaujolais.  Be it the UNESCO heritage town of St Emilion with its quaint setting, the interiors of Provence where finding an English speaking person was akin to looking for the proverbial needle in the hay stack , the wood fired oven pizza at Chateauneuf du Pape  or the picture perfect rolling vineyards of Beaujolais, it was the realisation of my longstanding dream of working hands-on in the Mecca of wines - all courtesy my French connection a.k.a. Laurent!

Wood Fired oven Pizza at Chateauneuf-du-Pape

There is no option but to describe my experiences individually  in  future blog posts so as to befittingly transmit the intensity of the passionate winemaking I came across at each wine estate. To that effect, I guess it would not be out of place to title these posts in plural as - “My French Connections”- having forged lasting relationships in the deeply passionate  world of wines!

 Laurent however, would always remain that special person who started it all for me.

Pour toutes les choses  vous avez fait pour moi - Je vous remercie Monsieur Piaton!