The Latest Wine Kids On The Indian Block

Towards the end of 2015, there was a new wave of imported wines that splashed the Indian shores. Fratelli Wines- an Indian domestic producer, literally went the whole hog by augmenting their erstwhile portfolio of imported wines from 6 to 22 in an apparent bid to lay a greater claim to the Indian wine market. The only other domestic Indian producer in the imported wines space is India's largest  producer Sula with 30 imported wines augmenting it's bestseller domestic labels.

I had the privilege to be at the showcasing of these wines at Hyatt regency New Delhi. The overall event has been described in my piece published in the Jan 16 issue of vino india. In this post, my aim is to familiarise you with the wines straightaway . Wines that you are likely to encounter on your next visit to a shop in India.

(Retail prices indicated are ex New Delhi).

Zardetto (Italy)

Zardetto is located in the Conegliano hills in the heart of Prosecco vineyards. Fabio Zardetto (Owner) was present to show two of his wines:

Fabio Zardetto proudly showcasing his wine

Prosecco Cuvée Brut (₹ 1730): A crisp dry and a straightforward sparkler well suited for casual drinking. Fabio told me that this label is quite popular for use in cocktails as well.

Prosecco Extra Dry (₹ 2660): A tad sweeter than the above, this one was rounder on the palate with a fruity/ floral character. A suitable aperitif as well as with food.

Boisset - La Famille des Grands Vins (France)

Proudly calling itself a "family of families" with wines from Burgundy, Jura, Beaujolais, Rhone, Sud de France and California, this family owned business puts across their credo metaphorically – "oceans separate us, great wines unite us". Olivier Medigue (Export Manager) was present to explain the wines with fluid ease:

Maison Bonpas Côtes du Rhone Villages (₹ 2600): A full bodied wine with black fruits/ spice aromas and flavours. Appeared quite suitable for the average Indian preferences with its silky tannins.

Fortant de France Chardonnay (₹ 2340): Dry and light bodied on the palate with subtle tropical fruits flavours.

Fortant de France Grenache Rosé (₹ 1800): Refreshing, dry with red berries flavours and a long finish.

Fortant de France Grenache (₹ 1800): Intensely fruity wine with a luscious well rounded palate and pleasant tannins.

Fortant de France Cabernet Sauvignon (₹ 2340): Deep ruby wine with a full body, round tannins accompanied by ripe blackberries and cassis flavours.

Maison J Moreau & Fils (France)

Considered a specialist in Chablis wines.

J Moreau & Fils Chablis AOC (₹ 6030): A refined expression of Chardonnay with well balanced fruit-acidity and a minerally complexity.

Jean-Pierre Moueix (France)

A négociant (trader) from Bordeaux.

Château Bernadotte AOC Haut-Médoc 2008 (₹ 8175): A wine with half-half blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, which is quite uncommon for a left bank (of Gironde estuary) wine. The wine has delightful aromas of dark fruits, fruit cake and chocolate. A good choice for Christmas.

Château Chantalouette AOC Pomerol 2008 (₹ 10545): A full bodied wine with a firm stucture and flavours of ripe red fruits. Long on the finish.

Château Laujac AOC Médoc 2012 (₹ 6635): A surprisingly friendly wine with a savoury palate that makes it a very good gourmet wine.

Châteaux Vieux Lartigue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2008 (₹ 7490): A wine with rounded fruit flavours and silky tannins. Fruity and sweet spice aromas make it an indulgence! Likely to be an excellent companion with rich Indian preparations - I'm thinking Butter Chicken (tandoor roasted chicken in creamy gravy) and Dal Makhani (slow cooked lentils with a smoky flavour).

Viña Edmara (Chile)

A producer that has a presence in the Central Valley as well as coastal area of Chile. The wines in the Fratelli portfolio come from the Central Valley.

Viña Edmara Chardonnay (₹ 2450): A typical warm weather Chardonnay replete with tropical fruit flavours and rounded mouthfeel.

Viña Edmara Pinot Noir (₹ 2550): A juicy delight on the palate this wine had ripe red berries and vegetal aromas.

Il Casone (Italy)

The winery is situated in a small town called Trebaseleghe, at the junction of three Venetian cities Treviso, Padua and Venice.

Il Casone Pinot Grigio (₹ 2310): A refreshing wine with citrus and dried flower aromas. Delicate on the palate with subtle flavours of tree fruits. A good wine wine on its own or light food.

Caliterra (Chile)

Established in 1996 as a joint venture between the Robert Mondavi family and Viña Errazuriz from Colchagua, Chile. "Caliterra" is amalgamated from "Calidad" (quality) and "Tierra" (land). The name hence signifies the respective strengths of the partners.

Caliterra Chardonnay (₹ 2340): Straw coloured wine with an expressive nose of citrus, dry fruits, and a hint of spice. Delicious on the palate with a good balance of acidity and ripe fruit.

Caliterra Merlot (₹ 2340): An intensely fruity wine with ripe aromatics and flavours of red berries and rounded tannins that make it an easy drinking wine.

Casa Sola (Italy)

The vineyards of Casa Sola are located in the centre of Chianti Classico area in Tuscany. The region prides itself on its rich biodiversity that comprises of forests and olive groves interspersed with vineyards.

Casa Sola Chianti Classico (₹ 3600): A medium ruby wine with blackberries and spice aromas. Medium bodied on the palate with rounded tannins and a hint of oak.

The augmented import portfolio launched by Fratelli signifies an increasing trend among major domestic winemakers in India to expand market reach amongst a wider crossection of wine consumers. 

I also had the opportunity to converse with Kapil Sekhri, Managing Director Fratelli Wines who said that the whole idea behind adding imported wine labels to their portfolio was to offer a complete range of wines to the consumers. It is a welcome thought that more domestic wine producers could do well to emulate in the interest of  well rounded portfolios.

Something that the increasing number of Indian wine lovers would welcome with open arms.

Introducing vino india- news, views and reviews from the market for wine in India

One fine day  in  2010 when I was still in my Army uniform, I received an e- mail from Wine and

My "Guns" days

Spirit education Trust, London. The mail communicated that I was being considered for the Champagne Scholarship courtesy my distinguished performance in their curriculum; and that  I would be interviewed by the ambassador of Champagne in India to take the process forward.

My excitement was but naturally, a foregone conclusion. The first question that came to my mind was- “Who was the ambassador of Champagne in India and what possibly would he speak to me about?" Ringing up a couple of friends in the wine industry I was updated that  the ambassador of Champagne in India was a certain Mr. Rajiv Singhal, a pioneering personality in the Indian wine scenario. None of my friends however, had an inkling of what could be the interview like.

Circa 2015 and as if steered by destiny, I have teamed up with the same gentleman i.e. Mr Rajiv Singhal,  to launch  vino india- a new initiative in the Indian wine space. Much wine has obviously flown through the barrels ever since I received that  coveted interview call.  It is  therefore incumbent upon me to share this news with the esteemed readers of Guns to Gewürztraminer-  my  raison d’être  in the  vinous cyber space .

So what is vino india ?

 vino india is an e-newsletter that has been founded to create a digital experience for trade professionals as well as consumers - both in India and overseas. It aims to provide updates from the Indian wine scenario in an unbiased manner while shunning ‘patronage’ driven content.

My role in vino india

I am the Managing Editor of vino india. Rajiv is the Chief Executive. But more importantly we are partners in wine passion, with our individual capabilities harnessed for the wine cause.

The relation between Guns to Gewürztraminer and vino india 

First the differences between the two.  The former is a blog while the latter is a newsletter. The former is an individual sharing of wine passion while the latter has- as the tagline says-  news, views and reviews from the market for wine in India. 

As individual entities Guns to Gewürztraminer and vino india are unrelated in purpose and function. But by virtue of my being the Managing Editor, there will be some content from vino india authored by me, that I would like the readers of Guns to Gewürztraminer not to miss out on .  Such shared posts will be acknowledged  with a simple statement in italicised blue colour as “Published in vino india” towards the end of the respective posts.

I am sure this would give you a fair idea on vino india . If interested in knowing more, do take some time off to visit www.vinoindia.in where you will also find the inaugural issue. Subscription to vino india is monetarily free . So do also bless it by subscribing if you like what you see.

Santé, Salud and Cheers!

A tête-à-tête with the CEO Vinexpo

Guillaume Deglise has his hands full. The recently appointed (Sep 2013) CEO of Vinexpo is actively helming two expositions this year- one in Hong Kong (Vinexpo Asia Pacific from 27-29 May ) and the other  in Japan (Vinexpo Nippon in Nov). Established in 1981 at Bordeaux, France, Vinexpo is the largest gathering of wine and spirits professionals from around the world aimed at promoting the  trade, as also to addressing socially relevant issues such as responsible and balanced consumption of alcohol. 

Guillaume, with the Chairman Vinexpo M. Xavier de Eizaguirre was in New Delhi  this March to present the 5 yearly forecast report for the alcoholic beverages trade, that Vinexpo periodically commissions with International Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR)- an apex trade body situated in London. I had the opportunity to interact with him one-on-one at the über chic Royal Club Lounge at Hotel Leela Palace, courtesy Mr Rajiv Singhal, Vinexpo’s key person in India and one of the most well known Indians on the international wine scene. Here are the excerpts of the conversation:

Interacting with M. Guillaume Deglise, CEO Vinexpo at New Delhi on 10 March 2014

Me: It is momentous to have two expositions in a year. When do we see a Vinexpo happening in India?

Guillaume Deglise (GD): To be frank, it could be a while. The Indian market is growing fast and generating a lot of interest in the global wine and spirits community, but in terms of volumes it still has a lot of catching up to do. For example if the Chinese consumption of wine per year is estimated at 171 mn cases by 2017, for India it is just 2.1 mn cases. Having said that, the projected growth rate on Indian consumption (73.5% in the period 2013-17) has a lot to cheer about and I suppose when the cost benefit analysis is favourable, we will be happy to host a Vinexpo here.

Me: I have interacted with some exporters from Europe who opine that the current hotshots of the Asian market are witnessing a saturation in demand and so, emerging markets like India are likely to be the new poster boys of the trade. Do you concur with it?

GD: China in some ways has seen saturation but that has been mainly in the higher end wines like the Bordeaux Cru Classé. This is apparently due to the fact that there have been new importers in that country who have not taken the industry quite seriously. However, I think that the market in China will get more structured and we may well be just at the beginning of what the Chinese market will be in the coming times. Japan on the other hand is a very sophisticated market and cannot possibly be compared to China. The Japanese economy is doing extremely well and hence the Japanese market has been continuously growing. So overall, the entire Asia Pacific market is a promising prospect and momentary dips in trade are not a very big concern .

Me: What is the status of South Korea  in this milieu?

GD: South Korea could be considered as being between China and Japan, and is a much smaller market. It is getting quite structured as well and we expect a good growth rate there too.

Me: In case of India, spirits is considered a more lucrative market as compared to wine. What is your opinion on this?

GD: Yes, in India, spirits is a huge market and  fuelled mostly by the domestic industry. But it is  significant that India also happens to be the fifth largest importer of spirits worldwide- tipped to become the fourth largest by 2017, overtaking Thailand. As far as volumes are concerned, it would be unfair to compare the two ( 373.5 mn cases of spirits vs 2.1 mn of wine)  so the rightful parameter to adjudge the progress would be the growth rate and  wine has a bright future in India going by that.

Me: There have been speculations since long that the import duties on alcoholic beverages in India are likely to be slashed by up to one thirds of the current level -thus benefitting the business and the consumer equally. However, during one of my interactions with a key person in the Federation of Indian Chamber of Trade and Commerce and Industry (FICCI)- a premier trade body of India,  it came to the fore that unless the European Union (EU) agrees on certain ‘give and take’ concessions demanded by the Indian side, this may well remain a speculation. Could Vinexpo organization facilitate this understanding by  making the right noises to the decision makers in the EU?

GD:  Well, Vinexpo could do very little in this respect- to be honest, since we are not a lobbying agency to the EU. We obviously have some connections with the main federations internationally but it is not the role of Vinexpo to interfere in the political issues. However we are following all these discussions very closely and are ready to contribute in any way we can.

Me: But if this were to happen, I see both the trade and the consumer benefitting tremendously.

GD: Of course! In fact, coming back to your first question of the possibility to conduct Vinexpo in India, a better Return on Investment will be the key consideration for companies to come here to showcase their products, and a friendly trade structure would definitely be desirable for that.

Me: So  I derive that my first question (of holding a Vinexpo here) is higher on the ambition side in the present day context.

GD: (laughs) Yes, but ambition is a must to make things possible at the first instance.

Me: Post inclusion of some Eastern European nations (e.g. Romania and Bulgaria) into the EU , the wine quality and trade in these countries has witnessed a quantum jump primarily due to technology and investments flowing in, as also planting of international grape varietals in place of some less than average local varietals. Is there a possibility of  such an inflow taking place from the EU towards the APAC region so as to dramatically boost the wine quality and trade here?

GD: Investments and technology is already flowing into this region by virtue of collaborations with renowned groups like LVMH and Pernod-Ricard. Also, expert consultants are being engaged individually by wineries, so there isn’t really a restriction on the expertise and funds being available. I think all such collaboration is bound to further increase with the increase in business thus resulting in the same benefits accruing as you have mentioned.

Me: But in India, winemaking is largely concentrated in the Deccan plateau region, which may be just a tip of the iceberg given the size of the country and the vast terroir available. I particularly believe that some regions in the lower Himalayan ranges may prove excellent for making wines if a proper study is done. Don’t you think there is lots more that could possibly be done in collaboration with experienced winemakers from the Old World?

GD: It would be difficult for me to comment unless a proper feasibility study is carried out in this respect. In my opinion it may be challenging to produce very high quality wines in many regions of India due to its tropical climate.

Me:  The region I am talking about has average temperatures ranging from  5-20 ° C  and is quite similar climatically to certain wine producing regions in Europe- except for the monsoon phenomenon- but then there are some rain shadow areas too.

GD: Is there any tradition of fruit producing in these regions?

Me: Certainly! There are lots of tree fruits like apples, peaches, apricots and pears being produced in large quantities in these areas. Even fruit based wines are being produced by certain estates in these regions.

GD: I think it could be worth exploring then. But I would re-emphasize that a comprehensive study on the terroir elements would have to be the first step in this direction.

Me: An interesting conclusion I have drawn from the IWSR study report commissioned by Vinexpo is that in the period 2008-13, Australia, Chile and Italy have become the leading exporters to India with impressive growth rate but France has slipped down.  In case of Australia and Chile, this statistics is plausible because of the inherent ease of identification of New World wines by the label. However, from the  Old World, Italy gaining two folds and France ceding nearly 22% is a matter of intrigue. What would you attribute this trend to?

GD: It is probably because the wine consumption in the past few years has been growing but not exploding. Surely France has let some market share slip by to other countries and it is because the Indian people are getting more and more interested in wines and they want to taste different things. But France is still exporting to India more than the double of what Italy does. In the present Indian context, the imported wines are driven by Australia by volume and France by value, with countries like the US, Argentina and Chile making significant progress.

Me: Counterfeit wines are a big issue in Asia Pacific to the extent that in one of the years, the annual production of a Grand Cru estate was outstripped by sales of the same vintage in China alone. Is  Vinexpo taking some proactive steps in controlling this scourge of the wine industry?

GD: We have periodically been cautioning all producers against this menace by giving out as much information as we can. We have been having conferences during various expositions and will continue doing so. It’s very important for us to provide a deep insight to the wine trade about the latest happenings in the market place.  I would also like to add that most of the Grands Crus have already organized their own defence against counterfeit wines by taking a number of initiatives like putting in place, a mechanism to  identify a real label from a fake one.

Me: Lastly, what is your take on hi-tech gadgets steadily proliferating the wine world? For example, there is a particular gadget called “Coravin” originally designed for the medical industry that now realizes wine being  drawn from a sealed bottle  without having to pull out the cork. Do you think it is a welcome development or is it making wine drinking too much of a mechanical experience as some people think?

GD:  I believe that wherever technology is enabling wine appreciation, it is a progressive step. In case of the gadget you have mentioned, it may be a good means to appreciate wine by the glass without compromising on the storage life . Personally speaking, I would like to use it .

*********

Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong will take place from 27- 29 May 2014 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

To register online for the event,  visit  www.vinexpoasiapacific.com

Excerpts from Vinexpo Market Study for the period 2013-17

Rendez-vous Cattier- Encore!



Wines for the Evening

Pervasive luxury has to be the norm when a glitzy and glamorous Champagne House does a national level launch of its beauties. We are talking of Cattier- the famous Champagne house, that was recently in news when guests of famous Hollywood actor Leonardo di Caprio swirled and sipped  $ 3.5 million worth of its prestige cuvée Armand de Brignac at his birthday celebrations. The occasion this time however, was the India launch of Cattier held in New Delhi at Hotel ITC Maurya and came as a precursive cooler to the already soaring mercury in the Indian capital.

M. Jean-Jacques Cattier introducing the wines

Cattier is a family owned Champagne house that has owned vineyards in the exclusive Montagne de Reims area of Champagne since 1763. 1918 onwards, the house started producing Champagne under its own family name and currently exports to more than 60 countries worldwide (India being the latest). The wine styles range from crisp and minerally Blanc de Blancs (white wine from white grapes) to elegantly structured Rosés, and firm yet sophisticated Blanc de Noirs (white wine from black grapes) . I was disappointed though, to discover from Philippe that for the time being, Armand de Brignac would elude the Indian shores due to current market dynamics as envisaged by their importers- the Sri Lanka based Kosmos Group. Hope the viability is pretty soon!

Hors d'ouvres

My association with the Champagne house started last autumn when I went visiting them at Chigny les Roses in the very heart of Champagne district between Reims and Epernay. A visit to their three floors deep cellars and a dégustation session with none other than their President Monsieur Jean-Jacques Cattier was an  experience (read my earlier blogpost on Maison Cattier) that I started cherishing already.  So when I received an email from M Philippe Bienvenu,  Commercial Director Cattier, inviting me rather modestly for ‘a flute of Champagne’ to celebrate the launch of Cattier wines in India, my anticipation started building up. Needless to mention, the celebrations went miles ahead of a simple flute!

It  was deja vu to find M Cattier and Philippe warmly welcoming guests at the venue, even as the evening began with rounds of aperitif and hors d’oeuvres indicating the gourmet fare that lay ahead. Around an hour of tête-à-tête later, the dinner doors were opened and revealed

The Bubbly starts pouring!

immaculately laid out tables ready to receive the five course fare and the guests partaking of it. The selective gathering comprised of well heeled wine lovers from different vocations and it showcased the producer’s seriousness for reaching out to the widest possible cross-section of the Indian market.

Course by course, the experience unfolded as follows (since I opted for non-vegetarian cuisine, my apologies to vegetarians for skipping the detailed description and photos of veg dishes):

First Course (Entrée)

Wine: Cattier Brut Vinotheque

Type: Vintage 2005

Blend: 1/3^rd each Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay

Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Approx Retail price in Delhi: Rs. 4500.00

Vinotheque in French means “Library of Wines”. As I discussed this aspect with Philippe, he told me the significance of the name being in the exotic and collectible nature of the wine that is akin to storing in a library, only to be pulled out for use when the situation is apt- to say so- with the compatible mood, food and of course the ambience!

Accompanied Food:

Vegetarian : Summer mushroom fondue drizzled with white truffle oil and butter fried

goujons in  chive oil.

Non Vegetarian: Olive oil poached Scampi masked in raw Mango confit, paired with Sevruga caviar, port poached figs.

Tasting Notes: Clear pale gold colour with shimmering reflections. Aromas of golden apple, lemon and brioche. Refreshing acidity and layered complexity on the palate. Worked well with the freshness of Scampi, the tanginess of Mango confit and the salty palate coating texture of the Sevruga caviar.

Second Course

Wine: Cattier Brut Vinotheque

Accompanied Food:

Vegetarian: White corn agnolotti tossed in curry emulsion with beetroot essence.

Non Vegetarian: Chilean Sea bass napped in fennel confit, served with a side of fennel dill crescents and mustard butter.

Tasting Notes: As above. The wine complemented the freshness of Sea bass and balanced the aromatic complexity of the dish. And yes, the creamy texture of the dish found a great companion in the refreshing acidity of the wine.

Palate Cleanser

Green Apple Armagnac Sorbet- Served in an alloy spoon atop crushed ice in a cocktail glass.
Worked well to demagnetise the palate.

Third Course

Wine: Cattier Brut Blanc de Noirs

Type: Non Vintage

Blend: 70 % Pinot Noir, 30 % Pinot Meunier

Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Approx Retail price in Delhi: NA (currently not being imported in India)

Accompanied Food:

Vegetarian: Provencal aubergine rollatini on a bed of stewed baby tomatoes risotto and side of cumin spinach gnuddi.

Non Vegetarian: Slow braised lamb shanks, served with red wine Cipollini onions and rosemary thyme infused oil.

Officially, this third course was served with the Rose 1er Cru, but for me, Cattier Blancs de Noirs stole the show- and for good reason! First, I had already tasted this wine last autumn at Maison Cattier with none other than M Cattier himself and come to know of its virtues. Second, the robust dish with which it was served on this occasion had a perfect companion in this gladiatorial wine!  Incidentally, at hors d’ouvres   Philippe had indicated a ‘surprise’   inclusion in the degustation menu- and this happened to be it, being the unannounced entry that M Cattier ferried personally from France. This does not mean that the Rose was any less, but with Blancs de Noirs around, it gracefully bowed out to shine fully in the ensuing dessert course!

Tasting Notes: A pink gold colour expressing the strength harnessed within. A complex bouquet of black currants, plums, nuts and a distinct feel of spice. On the palate it was firm with lots of red fruits, jam and a hint of white pepper. The finish was smooth and lingering. The steely structure of the wine stood up perfectly to the firm and bouncy textured lamb. The medium sweetness of Cippolini onions was a delight with the spicy traits of the wine, and so were the aromatics of the dish that worked well with its layered complexity. It would not be an exaggeration to state the likeness of the pairing  to “brick and mortar” !

Fourth Course (Dessert)

Wine: Cattier Rosé Glamour 

Type: Non Vintage

Blend: 30 % Pinot Noir, 60 % Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay

Alcohol Content: 12.5%

Approx Retail price in Delhi: Rs 5600.00

Accompanied Food 

Caramelised Butter petit pots with almond tuille, side of coddled summer fruits and vanilla pod freeze.

Tasting Notes: A clear, beautiful salmon pink colour with aromas of strawberries, black currant and toast. A fresh and lively palate of abundant red fruits accompanied by a smooth, lingering finish. A residual sugar content of 25 gms per litre classifies it in the Sec (Dry) category thereby  giving the richness for pairing with a fresh dessert like the one above. Worked quite well with the creamy, mildly sweet, nutty and fresh nature of the dessert.

The dinner concluded with an aromatic

espresso accompanied by hand made chocolates and the celebrated artiste  Peter Mehta rendering Big Mountain’s sonorous- “Ooh Baby baby it’s a wild world“ with lilting piano notes.  “A' Bientôt- Au Revoir”- bade Philippe before I made a promise to Monsieur Cattier for a rendez-vous encore… maybe in France.. maybe in India!