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| Winesome India | |||||||||||||||||||
| By vino india | |||||||||||||||||||
| A winsome proposition is something that is cheerful and pleasant. Ravi Joshi under his eponymous venture Colonel Joe, presented "Winesome India" – Indian wines paired with Indian cuisine – to wine lovers in Delhi in partnership with Grover Zampa Vineyards (GZV), one of the oldest and most decorated wine producers in India and Gulati Spice Market (GSM), a very popular North Indian restaurant owned by wine-lovers Sumit and Chiquita Gulati. | |||||||||||||||||||
| According to Ravi, Indian wines have a lot of promise and have been witness to a growing acceptability. Numerous awards in global competitions that keep coming in, presence on wine retail shelves internationally and listing on very prestigious international restaurant wine-lists. He conceived the idea of "Winesome India" as a holistic showcase where wine would be served at the right temperature, in the right sequence and as the right pairing. This would help dispel the commonly held myth amongst many that Indian wines are below par. But he cautions about the need to formalize wine laws in India to instill consumer confidence on quality and consistency. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rohit Arora, Trade Marketing Manager GZV said, "the repertoire of cuisine planned by Colonel Joe in this passionate endeavour demanded a wide range. Our inherent advantage of producing wine in the two major regions of India i.e. Nasik and Nandi Hills, allowed us to play." He also informed guests that GZV is very proud of the international acclaim that they have won and almost all the wines presented that evening had been awarded at international competitions. The GZV Art Collection Sauvignon Blanc and La Réserve Red have also recently been included in the wine list of L’Arpège – a 3 star Michelin restaurant in Paris – rated amongst the 25 best in the world. | |||||||||||||||||||
| The depth of authentic Indian cuisine was represented, and spread into four distinct courses to show the planned pairings with the seven wines which represented the diversity of the GZV portfolio. Chiquita says "Pairing Indian food with wine is not such a big challenge as it is made out to be. The details always lie in deliberation". The evening started with flutes of Zampa Soirée Brut that was paired with a wide range of finger foods. For the starter, main and dessert courses, two wines each were paired (details below). | |||||||||||||||||||
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The Winesome menu |
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| The wines of the evening | |||||||||||||||||||
| While all wines basked in their dedicated moments of glory, there were some that had a higher share of lumens. These were: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grover Art Collection Rosé Grape: Shiraz A fresh and fruity wine with a pleasing salmon pink colour. Pairing with the 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). |
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| VA Collection Red
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon + Shiraz + Viognier An extrovert red, with flavours and aromas of black fruits and wild flowers, the wine has firm rounded tannins. |
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| La Réserve Red Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon + Shiraz By far the most iconic GZV wine, 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. |
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| Both the VA Collection Red and the La Réserve were presented 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. Very robust foods with matching wines that were at ease. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Zampa Soirée Brut Rosé
Grape: Shiraz A creamy and delightful Rosé sparkling, has aromas of red berries accentuated by yeasty notes and a lush palate that makes it gourmet inclined. A versatile wine that can either be enjoyed either as an aperitif or with food, including dessert courses with which it was presented. Pairing a dry sparkling wine with dessert has been successfully tried with international wines and it worked well with the Indian desserts too. The sprightly Rosé harmoniously counterbalanced the creamy Gulkand Firni (milk and rice reduction with candied rose petals) and the more robust Moong Dal Cigar with Rabri (cooked lentils in sugar syrup stuffed in filo pastry served with reduced milk dip). |
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The Grover Zampa line up |
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| The audience for the Soirée comprised of people from different backgrounds – defence officers, corporate honchos, leaders from the Food and Beverages industry and business owners. They all had a common cause – to revel in the Indian-ness of this wine expedition. | |||||||||||||||||||
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