Mumbai, India

Spanish wines in India; where we are still coming to terms with wines, are usually not a part of our buying consideration set. Perhaps because we first got to know of the European heavyweights France and Italy which make great wines and then recently got convenience from simpler labels from new world regions like Australia and Chile. 

There are some big names like Roda and Mauro from Spain in India and Cava the sparkling wine from Penedes may soon be a common sight. One name that has been top of mind for all those who have bought Spanish wines is Torres. A family owned brand, now run by the fifth generation, Torres was very recently voted ‘World’s Most Admired Wine brand” by Drinks International, UK, the first European winery to earn the accolade. Torres wines have also expanded their interest in Chile and in America. In India, Delhi based importers, Prestige Spirits have been behind Torres in India and last evening they hosted Ms Emma Llorens the Brand Ambassador for Torres wines in a soiree at Pali Village Café, Bandra. Emma took us through a guided tasting of the following wines:

Vina Esmeralda:

A blend of aromatic varieties Muscat and Gewürztraminer, it gets its name from the color of the Mediterranean, Emerald. It has light perfume, some residual sugar and medium acidity. A no-fuss wine easily suited to the ‘Indian’ palate. Price: Rs 2000

Mas Rabell White:

Made of 100% Paralleda Grapes, an indigenous grape variety, it is name after the witch who resided in the house of Rabell. This wine has a very good body with great fruit and a hint of autolytic notes. This wine is found only in hotels/restaurants and not in retail.

Grand Vinasol:

A Chardonnnay and Paralleda blend with a majority of the former, this wine was lighter in body than the Mas Rabell with more tropical aromas and a hint of Oak-ageing aromas. Price: Rs 1850

Mas Rabell Red:

 A blend of Carinena and Garnacha, this wine has great body, supple tannins and a spicy finish. Again this isn’t available in retail across the globe, only for institutional sale. 

Gran Coronas:

This wine pioneered the use of foreign grape varietal in blends. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the major part of this blend. This Reserva wine had pronounced black fruit with hints leather and cigar like aromas.  Amazing wine I must say. Price: Rs 2500

Reserva Real:

Only 2000 bottles a vintage and we tasted the 597th bottle from 2001. Still holding on to the colour this wine saw a lot of forest and mushroom like aromas with underlying fruit and very soft tannins. It is available at select hotels in the country. It must be at least 30k on the menu. In my opinion the wine is at its peak, drink now

The evening ended in some disclosures, Torres to come up with Cava for the first time soon! The Indian market however will have to wait for it for a while, till then we have plenty of the other Torres pours to savour!

Mumbai, India

 ‘Economy forced me to become a vegetarian, but I finally starting liking it’ admitted Mr. A P J Abdul Kalam, ex-president of India, John Cleese the famous British author once questioned ‘If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?’ and Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles fame declared ‘If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.’ Well I am not here to debate about food choices but this topic of vegetarianism or consumption of meat is in contention many a times, with both parties trying to convert each other with the odd Vegan scorning at both of them. I am a vegetarian and strongly believe in eat and let eat.
We vegetarians would inadvertently choose a paneer or a mushroom  considering them being ‘celebratory’ or ‘ exotic’ from a menu and when it comes to choosing a wine from a list to match with our vegetarian food, you memory goes for a spin as nothing much is spoken about vegetarian food and wine pairing. Well it is difficult to pair specific vegetables to specific wines but we shall some broad principles for food and wine pairing whilst witnessing some pairings done by the Sommelier and Chefs from leading hotels in the country. 

Rich and Oily:
Any food preparation which is creamy or fried will require a wine high in acidity, the acidity helps to wash down the fat on your palate to make the food experience better. For e.g.: the humble Indian samosa could be paired well with an Indian Chenin Blanc, a grape which is naturally high in acidity. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Burgundy Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Dolcetto are some wine grapes known for its refreshing acidity. 

Tangy and tart:
Tomato, tamarind, vinegar  etc are ingredients which bring the acidity in your food and when pairing a wine with food high in acidity like a tomato pasta or a salad with lemon dressing one should pair it with wines with good acidity, the ones which an stand and shine through the food. Sparkling wines like Champagne, Prosecco or even local produce have mouth watering acidity. Note: Acidity should not be confused with the medical term; it refers to the mouth-watering element in food and beverage.

Chef Debdash Balaga and Sommelier Madhu Sudhanan from Jamavar – Signature Indian restaurant at the Leela Palace, Chennai with their pairing 

Gucchi Makkai Mushrooms
 Kashmiri morels with golden corn and mushrooms in a creamy tomato sauce

 Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru Morgeot, Louis Jadot, 1999 
 The heavy duty Chardonnay from Burgundy, France

Why does the pairing go well?
This golden Chardonnay laden with ripe apple and almond aromas and juicy acidity, complements the opulent sauce and the earthy mushrooms very well whilst allowing one another to unleash themselves to the end. Truly a Royal affair!

Sweets and desserts:

The thumb rule is that the wine should be at least as sweet as the food. Indian gulab jamuns, considering their sweetness are a difficult bet however to put a figure to sweetness in wines, it could be as low as 50 gms of sugar per litre and can go as high as 400. I am sure the jamuns have their soul mate somewhere. The easiest available sweet/dessert wines in India are from local producers like Reveilo, they label it as the ‘late harvest’. Also in contrast; a salt and sweet pairing works well too, a salty cheese and a sweet wine, it pairs  just like goat cheese and honey, like it; don’t you!! Lastly, people also say when in doubt, crack open a bottle of sparkling, see if it works for you!!!

Spicy and hot:
Spice in the food flares up our palate and the wine has to refresh it with every sip. In my opinion for the wine to do its job well, it has to either be sweet on the palate or at least smell sweet. Grapes like Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Merlot do good justice, also bold juicy  reds like Shiraz from hot climates like India, Chile or California fit in well. Albeit when we are speaking of very hot Indian Cuisine, it is very difficult to pair a wine, I would go with a glass of water.

Chef Deepak Dange and Sommelier Manoj Jangid from Tuskers the pure vegetarian Indian restaurant at Sofitel, BKC, Mumbai with their match

Sangri ke kofte
Cottage cheese dumpling, stuffed with pickled Ker Sangri cooked in tomato and yogurt gravy                                   

 Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand
A wine with good body, oak nuances and excellent finish. 

Why does the pairing work well?
Sangri ke Kofte in sharp and mildly spiced gravy receives the refreshing element in the pairing from Nobilo Pinot Noir, bursting with dark berry fruits and spice from the oak, it is well rounded with soft tannins only to leave one amazed after every morsel.

Proteins and Soya:
Dishes high in protein should be matched with wines high in tannins. Tannins which dry your mouth out and are only present in red wines soften the proteins and thus making both the wine and food more enjoyable. Aged cheeses like Cheddar work very well with heavy red wines. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Barolos are example of some heavy red.

Umami:
The fifth sensory element, which really heightens one's gourmet experience and one, cannot really stop at one!! Mono Sodium Glutamate also called ajinomoto is the artificial form but there are natural glutamates which are not harmful present in fermented products like Soya sauce, aged products like parmesan cheese, also in ripe tomatoes, mushrooms etc. Care must be taken while paring a wine high in tannins as the combination feels only bitter and less fruity. Crisp and juicy aromatic white varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Arneis etc work very well.


 Chef Ramandeep Kukreja and Sommelier Manu Manikandan from Riwaz, the Indian restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, Bengaluru with their match