Meet India's New Champion Sommeliers

They came, they poured and they conquered! Young suave sommeliers from India competing in the eighth edition of Indian Sommelier Championship (ISC) served the reds, whites and the sparklings with expected élan during the final round of the competition that saw the culmination of several weeks of hard work on the sommellerie front. This year too, I had the opportunity to witness the final round amidst the privilege of sipping the same wines in tandem with the finalists on stage and chatting them up while they waited their  turn on the rostrum.

The Champion Sommeliers: (L-R)  Lalit Rane , Harish Acharekar and Pratik Angre 

 An annual feature, the ISC has been  conducted since 2008 under the aegis of Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Private Ltd- a beverages consultancy based in New Delhi.  The contest involves grooming and orienting the candidates towards the championship followed by preliminary rounds and eventually the grand finale where India’s best sommeliers slug it out for the top positions. The winners, apart from getting immense recognition in the world of wine, get further opportunities in the form of visits to international vineyards,  one-on-one sessions with celebrated winemakers and likewise.

As I have already dwelled on the conduct aspects of the championship in one of my earlier posts, this time I thought it would be good idea to present a little more about the winners than meets the arclights. Hence I got in touch with them again (as winners were not announced in the finale but a separate gala dinner that  didn't see my presence- a fact that I rued last year too) and they came out whole heartedly with the  details. So here’s introducing the mint fresh Indian Sommelier Champs: (Note- you can right click and save/share the respective images as you may please)

Prizes Won

While Harish Acharekar looks forward to an all expenses paid trip to the grand Austrian wine fair Vie Vinum 2016- an award bestowed by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB), Pratik Angre will take off for Spain to visit the Gramona Cava facility. Lalit Rane gets his share of the winners' pie with exclusive visits and one-on-one sessions with the winemakers at the Fratelli and York wineries in India.

Here's wishing the Champion Sommeliers joyous barrels and exulting acres in their journey of passion!

Getting Winesome with Indian Wines

Indian wines have evoked a lot of interest worldwide of late. From being listed in Michelin starred restaurants to rubbing shoulders with international peers on retail shelves, the buzz on Indian wines continues to grow. And with that, wine events featuring Indian wines and cuisine are also being received with heightened interest.

Recently I hosted a wine dinner titled “Winesome India” offering a lowdown on the Indian wine industry highlighting its promising prospects on the international scene. We presented six wines from one of India’s prominent wine producers Grover Zampa Vineyards (GZV). Coupled with a four course spread from one of Delhi’s  rapidly emerging wine friendly Indian restaurant Gulati Spice Market (GSM), we had wine lovers enthused on Indian wine and food pairing- which is considered challenging by many folks.

Guests raise a toast to Winesome India

Conversations galore!

The event though was not just about eating, drinking and making merry. It was an endeavour to present Indian wines and cuisine in the right earnest- to be served at right temperature, sequence and food affinity. And while doing so, to highlight that Indian wines hold good promise, considering their relative nascence. Given that Indian wines are increasingly being awarded at global competitions, we also wanted to dispel a common perception that they are sub-par as compared to international wines.

The evening started with rounds of Zampa Sparkling Brut, paired with a wide range of finger food, followed by the starter, main and dessert courses coupled with two wines each (see menu below). Though an Indian dinner is classically not course oriented, we managed to unobtrusively spread it so, bringing out each pairing deservedly in full glory!

The Winesome menu

The range of wines represented the diversity of GZV portfolio courtesy their large heartedness in offering their entire portfolio to pick and choose from. . Rohit Arora,Trade Marketing Manager GZV worked closely with me on selecting the wines to adequately represent the two major wine regions of India  viz. Nasik Valley and the Nandi Hills where they grow their grapes. Two of their wines that we used have also recently been included in  the wine list of L’Arpège- a 3 star Michelin Restaurant in Paris, rated amongst 25 best restaurants of the world.

The wine parade

Popular wines of the evening

While all wines basked in their dedicated moments of glory, there were some that were runaway hits. These were:

Art Collection Rosé

Grape: Shiraz

 A fresh and fruity wine with a pleasing salmon pink colour. It paired well with the starter course of light and airy Makai Seekh (skewered kababs made with beaten minced corn) and decadent Galaouti Kabab (parboiled and pan cooked minced lamb patties) served on mini Sheermal (sweet fermented bread).

VA Collection Red

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon + Shiraz + Viognier

Launched by GZV last autumn, this wine has been generating a lot of interest having already garnered a couple of international awards. An extrovert  red, with flavours and aromas of black fruits and wild flowers, the wine has firm rounded tannins making it a good pairing with succulent Indian preparations.

La Réserve Red

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon + Shiraz

By far the most respected of GZV wines, it is more restrained than the VA Red but packs immense power, making it an alpha wine. Black fruits, chocolate and vanilla personify this wine as a bold red that can be at ease with the most robust of Indian foods .

Both, VA Collection Red and La Réserve above, came of their own with the main course of Burrah Kabab (marinated lamb chops slow cooked in a clay oven), Paneer Takatak ( griddle cooked cottage cheese cubes with Indian spices) , a variety of Dals (gravied lentils), assorted Indian breads and steamed vegetable rice.

Zampa Soirée Brut Rosé

Grape: Shiraz

A creamy and delightful Rosé sparkling, this is a versatile wine that can either be enjoyed as an aperitif or with food, including dessert courses. The wine has aromas of red berries accentuated by yeasty notes and a lush palate that makes it gourmet inclined.

This sprightly Rosé harmoniously counterbalanced the creamy Gulkand Firni (Milk and rice reduction with candied rose petals) as also the more robust Moong Dal Cigar with Rabri dip (Cooked lentils in sugar syrup stuffed in filo pastry  and served with thickened milk dip). Pairing a dry sparkling wine with dessert has been successfully tried internationally and it worked well with the Indian desserts too.

Finger licking food from Gulati Spice Market

Happy and contended faces

The audience for Winesome India comprised of distinguished people from different vocations who share common love for wine and cuisine. Defence officers, corporate honchos, food and beverages professionals and business owners- all were there to raise the toast to the winsome proposition in Winesome India.



....and Winesome India is also the toast of leading Beverages publications in India !

Spiritz Magazine Oct 2015 issue

vino india, Oct 2015 issue

Mud House and Kumala Wines Debut in India

It is not enough to be a country’s largest wine producer. You’ve got to keep expanding the ambit to

ensure a continuing customer outreach. Sula Selections, the import division of Sula wines of India seems to be following this approach by augmenting its portfolio aggressively of late. The latest in their slew of wines are two ranges- Mud House and Kumala wines from New Zealand and South Africa respectively. After eventful months with Hardys wines of Australia culminating in the launch of William Hardy and Art of Cricket collections, Sula’s  action arena has shifted to other New World regions apparently in a quest to evolve a well rounded portfolio. And with this it’s association with Accolade Wines- one of worlds largest wine enterprises delivering wine to 143 countries worldwide- goes a notch higher.

The 'Sula Selection' for the  Lavaash dinner
Pic: Prashant Sharma via Sula Selections

The launch of Mud House and Kumala wines was done at a dinner hosted in Lavaash- a new restaurant serving Armenian cuisine in Delhi.  Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury- Sula's enterprising Marketing Head for Brandy Project and International Brands  invited me over for the tasting. The wines came across as refreshing and full of novelty. Here is a lowdown on the portfolio:

Pic: Mudhouse wines

Mud House Wines

About 

This production house has presence in three of the renowned  wine areas of  New Zealand viz. Marlborough, Waipara valley  and Central Otago. It gets its name from the house which was built by its founders from the mud excavated from the local area.

Wines tasted (Prices indicated ex Delhi/ Mumbai):


Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (₹ 2300/ ₹ 2575)

True to its provenance (of a maritime climate) the wine had expressive ripe peaches aromas going on to guavas after some time. It may be called a ‘typical Marlborough’ wine but my personal choice steers away from particularly domineering aromas. On the palate, the wine was pretty decent and refreshing with tropical fruit flavours. This wine will please those who like intensely aromatic Sauvignon Blancs as opposed to their subtler cousins.

Pic: Prashant Sharma via Sula Selections

Mud House Pinot Noir 2013 (₹ 2530/ ₹ 2830)

The light ruby colour of this wine indicated at the outset that it would be more fruity and less tannic. The wine expectedly came out juicy on the palate with abundance of red berries and soft tannins- though I felt it could have done well with a firmer structure. Notwithstanding, the wine was an excellent match for the paired food that had vegetal-fruity orientation and ample texture.

Kumala Wines

About 

The winery takes great pride in being located in the surrounding areas of the iconic Table Mountain that has  rich bio diversity. Perhaps their  'Gecko' motif conveys the same essence. They also source their grapes from growers spread over five prominent  South African viticultural regions viz Western Cape, Olifants River, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester.

Richly bio-diverse Kumala vineyards surrouinding the Table Mountain in South Africa  (Pic: Kumala wines)

Wines tasted: (All variants ₹ 1250/ ₹ 1355)

Kumala Chardonnay

A crisp Chardonnay with aromas/flavours of apples, citrus fruits and pears. Well suited for the Indian summer conditions.

Pic: Prashant Sharma via Sula Selections

Kumala Sauvignon Blanc 

A subdued variation of the Mud House Sauvignon Blanc tasted as above, this was a well balanced wine having pleasant citrus, vegetal and spicy aromatics that were accompanied by a delicious palate.

Kumala Pinotage

No SA wine talk is complete without the mention of  Pinotage- the country’s derived varietal from Pinot Noir and Hermitage (also called Cinsault) varietals. This wine had complex aromas of red fruits and fruitcake. A well rounded medium bodied delicious palate and a medium finish made it a pleasant wine to relish even without food.

Kumala Shiraz

 A deep ruby wine with aromas of  ripe black fruits and black pepper.  Full bodied with round tannins and a distinct oak touch made it a good accompaniment with the robust and savoury main course dish called Chicken Kalagyosh- a chickpea and chicken stew with parsley paprika and olive oil.

To sum up the entire tasting experience, both the wine ranges have something unique to offer- coming from two distinct terroirs of the New World.The benefit-cost ratio however, works to the advantage of Kumala wines, significantly so, because Mud House may find ample number of worthy competitors for their pricing on the Indian retail shelves- including biggies from the Old World.

But then- it all depends upon catching the customer’s fancy!

With Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury (extreme left) and Ann-Marie Battista of Accolade wines (extreme right)
Pic: Prashant Sharma via Sula Selections