7th Indian Sommelier Championship: selecting India's best Sommeliers

Choosing the top sommelier from a country as large as a continent is not an easy job. It entails

Sommelier Magandeep Singh
(Pic Courtesy: Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd.)

sifting through reams  of applications, shortlisting the eligible candidates, orienting them towards the championship and  conducting the acid test itself. Recently, I attended the  Indian Sommelier Championship in its 7th edition conducted by Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd, headed by Magandeep Singh,- India’s best known sommelier. The championship is the only  fixture of its kind  in India since its inception in 2008 and this year, 13 finalists slugged it out at hotel Leela Ambience, Gurgaon,  vying for the top honours that would open new portals of opportunities for them in the super-specialised field of Sommellerie .

This  culminating event  was preceded by  shortlisting  of 100 applicants representing 12 states and around  50 F&B establishments- who were then trained by industry leaders before taking a preliminary exam that churned out the  final 13.

The finals progressed with  each contestant coming up to the stage and performing a set routine as under:


1. Open and serve six equal glasses of a sparkling wine (without any wastage and without going back to a glass already poured), taste it and identify it.

2. Open, decant and serve a still wine, taste it and identify it.

3. Pour the perfect pint of beer.

4. Identify two spirits in a blind tasting.

5. Pair wines to go with a menu presented to them.

6. Answer questions posed by the judges.

The degree of difficulty for the above sequence increased manifold with a 13 minutes time limit and the requirement to maintain good humour with the judges and the audience.

Observing the candidates, I noticed that they looked like having been put on an even keel  courtesy the preliminaries stated above. It was now only a matter of wits and handling the pressure of performing in front of judges and audience. The judges on their part encouraged the contestants in order to put them at ease, but at the same time, were hard task masters. As the competition progressed, the audience too had a chance to sample the corresponding drinks being poured at the stage.

The Judges

The judges evaluating the performance of a contestant
(Pic Courtesy: Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd.)

The panel comprised of three judges, with each judge representing a different expertise area- from winemaking to hospitality and business aspects.  Aishwarya Nair from the Leela Group of Hotels,  Alessio Secci, co-owner, Fratelli Vineyards  and  Andrew O’Brien, GM, Treasury Wine Estates for South Asia, Korea and Japan formed this distinguished panel.

The Prizes

The top prize for the Champion Sommelier was an ‘Immersion Trip’ to  Penfolds Australia during harvest time to their prestigious Magill estate. Only five such awards are given annually worldwide, with the Indian Sommelier Championship being one of the privileged recipients. Apart from this, there were several other prizes for winners in different categories.

The Winners

After a gruelling 5 hours or so, the competition part of the day was closed with a debriefing cum pep talk by Magandeep , bringing out the upsides and downsides of the contestants’ performance . The results compilation then started with announcement of winners scheduled during a gala to be held in the evening separately. I only wish that the winners were announced at the end of the competition so that people like me who did not get to attend the evening fixture could go home without the suspense. However I learnt later that the gala was conducted with equal finesse. Photos of  the Top 3 and and a complete list of winners is given below:

Atul Tiwari- The Champion Sommelier
(Pic Courtesy: Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd.)

Harish Acharekar- First Runner Up
(Pic Courtesy: Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd.)

Karanbir Singh Gulati- Second Runner Up
(Pic Courtesy: Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd.)

The Complete List of Winners 

Bonne chance to all the winners! Competitions are meant to pick  winners, but the spirit of a competition lies in utmost professionalism and  the desire to excel. To that effect I found that all the contestants had something about them that made them stand apart in a unique way.

In all probability you may discover that too when you go visiting as their guest next!

Authentic Thai at Neung Roi

If you doubt the veracity of the refrain “there’s more to Thai food than coloured curries and typical spices” then Neung Roi is the place to go and check it out yourself. This Thai specialty restaurant at Radisson Plaza Mahipalpur (Delhi) really does well in convincing you that the refrain is true in letter and spirit.

Neung Roi, literally meaning ‘one hundred’, has a significant connection with Thailand’s geography, as the 100° E longitudinal line passes through the country. Objectively though, it means that the restaurant is 100% authentic Thai with cuisine mapping all the four regions of Thailand, offering guests some mind-boggling choices. For this reason the restaurant has its menu on iPad apart from the regular Carte option , with an easy-to-operate app that makes dish selection a cinch.

TRANQUIL SPACE

The restaurant is tucked in a tranquil space of the hotel at the ground floor with a tastefully done up

buffer area that further isolates it from the main corridor.So, it’s really calm. The colour scheme is soothing with a cosy arrangement of sofas as well as chairs, which enhances the calm. The restaurant also has a private dining room which can accommodate up to 12 persons and can be booked in advance.

FOUR DISTINCT CUISINES

The whole premise of the restaurant is in its Thai demeanour. So don’t expect a mix of cuisine here. To zoom into the grain level, the menu has been crafted to represent four distinct cuisine regions of Thailand with each having its USP as under:

Isan: Simple food with bold and spicy flavours.

Lanna: Hot and salt-influenced cuisine devoid of staple Thai ingredients like fish sauce, shrimp paste or coconuts.

Isthmus of Kra (Southern Thailand): Influenced by culinary styles of neighbouring Myanmar and Malaysia asalso coastal India. The cuisine is spicy with abundant use of coconut cream, turmeric, sour fruits and salted relishes that render a perfect balance to the dishes.

Central Thailand: A broader range of flavours with hot and salty character. The abundant use of varied seasonings in this region leads to multiple flavours, textures and tastes in a single dish. Talking about their approach to food, Yenjai Suthiwaja, the chef at the restaurant who comes from Phuket, says, “Fresh raw materials – whether vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood or seasonings – play a major role in producing authentic and flavourful Thai food, hence we do not compromise on these.” She feels the Indian food lovers are favourably inclined towards spicy food and Thai food scores a plus here.

My food experience started with a unique and palate refreshing amuse bouche of sweet and tangy elements served on a betel leaf that set the Oriental tone right away. This was followed by the chef recommended Entrée course comprising Gai Yang (grilled chicken with coriander roots and roasted chilli sauce), Tod Man Khao Pod (corn fritter with sweet chilli sauce) and Yam Som-O (Pomelo salad with crispy onion, garlic and palm sugar tamarind dressing).

The boneless tranches of grilled chicken had a divine crust before reaching the juiciness inside, with  roasted chilli sauce adding a rustic dimension. The corn fritters were amazingly airy and ‘melted in the mouth’. The Pomelo salad was tangy and nutty that made for a good accompaniment to the earlier two. Though drinks pairing was not on agenda (given my busy schedule post-lunch), I ordered a Fino Sherry with this course, as I could imagine the enhanced freshness it would bring to the flavourful course.

 Next was the Soup course, as Tom Kha Goong (prawn and coconut milk broth with mushroom, coriander, kaffir lime and galangal) was intensely aromatic, creamy and embalming on the palate, but a tad sweeter. A swig or two of the Fino Sherry saved by me to try with the soup did wonders.

For the Main course, Pla Neung Manao (steamed fish with lime chilli sauce) was decadent and gentle on the palate. Panaeng Gai (chicken in peanut base sauce) was intense but I would have preferred it a little more juicy. Maybe the contrast with the fish made it appear drier.

 Phad Pak Banjarong (asparagus, snowpeas, mushroom, babycorn and cauliflower with garlic, soya sauce and pepper) and Khao Suay (Jasmine rice) completed the legume and carb elements to make it a well rounded course.  For wine, I chose Mas Rabell, a white wine from Torres having 100% Parellada grapes – a famous and elegant varietal from the Catalunya region in Spain. The delicate fruit flavours and herbal undertones of the wine provided excellent company to this course.

The lunch experience would have been incomplete without sampling the unique Thai desserts, so I sampled Tub Tim Krob (water chestnut in coconut jasmine syrup). The chestnuts were chewy, somewhat like gummy bear, and carried the jasmine flavoured coconut milk well. Fugtong Chum (sweetened pumpkin with coconut milk) was interesting, but it was too sweet for me.

It was the banana ice cream that really stole the show as it oozed freshness both on the nose and the palate. Ritul Yadav, Communications Director at the hotel, informed that they regularly make customized ice creams in-house with different flavours, so as to give a unique experience to the guests every time.

Apart from its Thai USP, the restaurant has reasonable prices that offer good value for money. All dishes on the menu are priced between ₹ 300 and ₹ 900 (plus taxes) which makes it very competent in its segment. Also, being in close proximity to the Delhi airport it is a boon for those travellers who may want to have an impromptu rendezvous around some delightfully authentic Thai food.

Upside

• Great food.

• Serene ambience.

• Pleasing service.

• Reasonable prices

Downside

• None

Average price per person (food only):₹ 1500 (all inclusive)

Timings: 12 noon to 3 pm, 7 pm to 11:45 pm

Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi, National

Highway 8, Near IGI Airport, Mahipalpur, New Delhi

Partaking of a Chilean Wine Dream

 Venue: The Lalit, New Delhi

 For several years  now, the Chilean embassy in New Delhi has been hosting a reception for wine and food lovers that sees good attendance from a diverse section of denizens of the Indian capital, at just the right time of the year when you neither sweat in a jacket nor shiver without one. This was my first year  at the do, and it had me really impressed with the exquisite collection of wines and gourmet spread that conveyed the essence of the country fittingly. It was also an opportunity  of privilege to meet the newly arrived Ambassador of the country H. E. Andres Babre Gonzales and  Trade Commissioner Nestor Riveros , who has been the driving force over the years to popularize Chilean culture in India.

Being an early bird at The Lalit, Barakhamba Road where the event was held  , I had a good opportunity to take photos of  the place at leisure and meet my friends from the wine industry who had put up their wines for tasting. In an event of this kind, it is a tough proposition to sample everything on offer,  hence the most effective way is to shortlist the 'must try' items on agenda- which again is facilitated by arriving early. I decided to pursue the wines, with food being an indulgent factor as an  aftermath.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words (a megabyte in  the digital age); and the focus here being the event itself, it would be best to let the pictures  do the talking. However, some  facts  on Chile with reference to its wines would definitely not be out of place:



H. E. Andres Babre Gonzales (R) and  Nestor Riveros (L)

Dapper and raring to uncork: Sarang Kumar of Prestige Wines and Spirits Pvt Ltd

• Chile has the distinct advantage of having mountains, ocean, forest and desert surrounding its different directions and hence, produces varied styles of wines. The largest and the oldest wine producing region of the country is the Central Valley  comprising of Maipo, Rapel (incl Cochapoal and Colchagua), Curicó and Maule), but other regions too (see map), have come up progressively in the preceding decades.

• Though Chile has a wine history dating back to 16^th century, it is counted amongst the new world wine producing nations due to its wines really coming to world’s attention in the last one century. Moreover, it gives prominence to   cépage (grape varietals) rather than terroir (region), which is typical to the new world wine production philosophy.

• Owing to its  geographic location, Chile was spared the scourge of the deadly  pest Phylloxera, that wiped out  large swathes of vineyards across Europe, meaning that it still produces a lot of wine from original ungrafted vine rootstocks, which makes them quite unique.

• Chile is the world's eighth largest producer and fifth largest exporter of wine. It exports 70 percent of its overall production , making it one of the most export-oriented wine producing countries.

• The grape varietals typical to Chile are
  Carménère  and País both of which are red . Whereas Carménère  is a thick skinned varietal that produces deep coloured and full bodied wines, País is one of the oldest Chilean varietals that produces lighter bodied and flavourful wines.

• Main grapes cultivated in Chile in the present day are mostly the international varietals with Cabernet blends ruling the roost, and Merlot aplenty. Due to investments by major producers from Spain, France and the USA , the ambit over the period has spread to other varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier and Malbec as well. The Spanish wine giant Miguel Torres (see my earlier post Torres, Tapas and Toro) has had a large role to play in Chile for developing the wine  industry. 

• As compared to equivalent wines from elsewhere, Chilean wines are priced  highly competitively (as you would see from the average prices given with the wines listed below). Most of them have fruit orientation and less of ageing potential. However, with increased use of oak, there are some age worthy wines too.

Coming to the pictorial:

Brand: Miguel Torres Chile

Region: Central Valley, Limari Valley

Importer: Prestige Wines and Spirits Pvt Ltd

Wines:
Santa Digna Estelado (Sparkling Rosé) Santa Digna(Cabernet Sauvignon). , Hemisferio (Sauvignon Blanc),  Hemisferio (Cabernet Sauvignon) , Cordillera (Chardonnay), San Medin (Cabernet Sauvignon)

Price Range: ₹ 1290 - 3000

My favourites:

Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 2900)- Big bold and flavourful with rounded tannins and a solid backbone.

Santa Digna Estelado (₹ 2950): An energetic and fruity Rosé Sparkling - the only one in the world made  from  Chile's indigenous and one of the oldest País grape varietal.

Brand: Balduzzi

Region: Central Valley (Maule)

Importer: Natures Bounty Wines

Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva and Merlot Reserva

Price Range:  ₹ 1450 each 

My favourite:

Balduzzi Merlot Reserva (₹ 1450 : Deep ruby with an explosively fruity nose. Full bodied on the palate with flavours of wild berries rounded tannins and a long finish.

Brand: Anakena

Region: Central Valley (Rapel)

Importer: High Spirits

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc,  Syrah Rose, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Price Range:  ₹ 1320 - 1850

My favourite:

Anakena Chardonnay ( ₹ 1530 )- Light lemon colour and aromas of tropical fruits with a light, minerally palate of ripe fruity flavours.

Brand: Emiliana

Region: Central Valley, Casa Blanca Valley

Importer: Hema Connoisseur Collections Pvt Ltd

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Price Range: ₹ 1400 each

My favourite:

Emiliana Sauvignon Blanc (₹ 1400 ) - Pale lemon with green tints, citrus and tree fruit aromas, complex on the palate.

Brand: Montes Alpha

Regions: Central Valley , Casa Blanca Valley

Importer: Brindco

Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Price Range: ₹ 1330-1470

My favourite:

Montes Merlot (₹ 1410) A well structured and rounded wine with ripe red fruit aromas and a voluptuous body.

Brand: Cono Sur

Region: Central Valley 

Importer: Sula Selections

Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Price Range: ₹ 1000-1960

My favourite:

Cono Sur Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 1960)- Firm as steel wine with black currant, dried fruits aromas , silky tannins and a refined palate.

Brand: Valdivieso

Region: Central Valley 

Importer: Agnetta International

Wines: Single Vineyard Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Blanc de Blanc, Brut Sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc

Price Range:  ₹ 1500-3060

My favourite:

 Valdivieso Pinot Noir (₹ 2850) A fresh and juicy wine with vegetal and red fruit aromas.

The venue with guests just starting to  pour in

Roasted Chicken Canapes

Goat Cheese Tart with Caramelized Onion and Cheese Quiche



Smoked Salmon Rosette with Caper and Horseradish

Meeting celebrity wine connoisseurs:  with Jug and Bunny Suraiya