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| Bienvenue - a French Indulgence |
| By vino india |
| Ravi Joshi won les cœurs et les têtes (hearts and heads) of wine lovers when he hosted Bienvenue (literally meaning Welcome in French), a special French wine and cuisine experience that offered French indulgence in a complementing ambience on the eve of French National Day. |
| La Fête Nationale or Jour de Bastille or French National Day is celebrated on the 14th of July. It signifies the storming of the Bastille (prison) by revolutionaries to release scores of fellow freedom fighters. This incident led to the oppressive monarchy being overthrown and transfer of power to the French people. For wine, the French revolution meant the transfer of ownership to the common citizens and opening up of the markets that were restricted to the royals and aristocrats. |
| According to Ravi, Bienvenue aims to highlight French indulgence of wine and cuisine, through a unified showcase of history, language and culture. Bienvenue’s debuted three years ago, as a wine appreciation session at a French language institute. |
| The venue for the soirée was Rara Avis – one of the few French restaurants in the capital. Jerome Cousin, who comes from Alsace, is the chef and partner of the restaurant. With an authentic French touch on the plate, for the wines, Ravi covered all the French wine regions armed with a non-vintage Champagne, a red and a white Burgundy, a Rhone Red, two Bordeaux Reds, a Cognac and a liqueur from the Loire in his arsenal. |
| Ravi and Jerome managed a well structured flow. The evening livened up when the lighter bodied Bourgogne red was served after the powerful Bordeaux in the wine sequence – it intrigued many. But all the queries were answered as the guests tasted the Bourgogne Pinot Noir with natural companions in the assortment of French cheeses having a diverse flavor profile ranging from vegetal to rancid and savoury. Of course, only a high pedigree Bordeaux was the answer to the powerful main course dishes! The menu given alongside tells the tale. |
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The Bienvenue menu |
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| The wines |
| Champagne Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut – A Pinot Noir dominated champagne with excellent structure as well as freshness. |
| Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne Blanc 2010 – A crisp light Chardonnay with mineral undertones. The wine retained its acidity appreciably well despite the vintage. |
| Domaine Boisson Côtes du Rhone 2012 – A mouth filling, juicy and spicy wine offered a distinctive flavor profile that worked well with the entrée (even if it was a red). |
| Ormes de Pez, St Estephe 2009 – A Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. True to its pedigree, the wine was robust, fleshy and a worthy companion to the powerful main course. The star of the evening. |
| Château La Lauzette, Haut Medoc 2010 – A medium bodied wine with rounded tannins and black fruit flavours that offered an additional dimension to the main course. |
| Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne Rouge 2009 – A light bodied fruity-vegetal wine that went hand in glove with the cheese platter. |
| Cointreau – The iconic and intense orange liqueur from Angers in the Loire that coupled well with the liqueur infused crêpes and lemon tarts. |
| Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac – A fine eau de vie aged for 4 years in French oak barrels. The macarons couldn’t have had better company. |
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The wines for the occasion |
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| Bienvenue got wine sponsorships from major importers (Prestige Wines & Spirits and Sula Selections) and the Chief Executive of vino india. The Embassy of France in India offered prizes for some activities during the soirée. The Ambassador, H.E. François Richier very kindly offered three bottles of wine from his private cellar as well! Ravi Joshi is committed to promoting wine to wine lovers in a well animated environment, and is happy to "get his hands dirty" every once in a while. |
| vino india brings you a special report on the Bienvenue event. Please share any feedback with vino india info@vinoindia.in |
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