Monthly Archives: June 2015

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Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal in Germany

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An invitation from the German Wine Institute inviting approximately 40 Sommeliers from around the world offered me a chance to experience wines of Germany first-hand.

On landing at Frankfurt we were whisked off to Weisbaden about 30 to 45 minutes away by road. This is a small town in the centre of Germany’s wine producing region of Rheinghau.

There is a great vibe in Wiesbaden, and Spital the bar we visited post the wine dinner at WeingutKoegler was fantastic. Weingut Koegler is a charming winery with a lovely restaurant surrounded by ancient homes. I highly recommend a tasting of some of their fabulous wines, including a beautiful Pinot Noir that has spent some time in oak.

The next day we visited the Geisenheim University or the German Wine Institute.  This is where it got serious with a talk on German wines and a powerful session on German Pinot Noir. Unfortunately for Germany the international world mostly associates their wine with Riesling. While they are certainly masters at that grape variety, there is so much more to discover.

Get yourself up to the top of the Niederwald Park with the Niederwald monument and enjoy a majestic view of the river Rhine along with Rheinghau and Rhiehessen other bordering wine regions. Take the trail back down to the town where wineries and residential homes sit side by side and walk into a couple of tasting rooms to quench your thirst.

If you ever get a chance to visit the Ball de Weines in Weisbaden, don’t miss it regardless of the hefty ticket price. It’s one hell of a party that showcases top German producers who are part of the VDP association with a free flow of almost anything you like -. I spent my time drinking spirit made from Riesling and smoking some really fine Davidoff cigars in between bites of a very indulgent Black Truffle Risotto.

The next morning we headed to a wine fair showcasing over a 1000 VDP wines produced in Germany and then on to a town called Mainz in Franken about 2 hours away. This is a small university town, with a bridge where people converge to drink wine in the evening, very reminiscent of the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Please visit Juliusspital, a winery in the heart of Mainz, walking distance from the bridge. I was mesmerized by this place. For one, the revenue from the sale of their wines is used to sustain the hospital they run in the same complex. This is a state of the art winery with a jaw-dropping cellar that makes me want to go back to Mainz just to visit this place again. We stayed on the outskirts of Mainz in a hotel called Meintzinger, very close to the vineyards. I have always loved the German countryside and staying in a place like this was truly a pleasure. Very large luxurious rooms in a building that just spells Europe and everything I love about it.

The vineyards slopes in Germany are the steepest in the world and when seen up close you wonder how they manage to tend to their wines without breaking their backs. As one wine producer told us, there is a lot of pain in our way of wine making but when the wine is in the glass and we taste it the pain is all worthwhile.

There are many wineries in the region to visit, I was particularly moved by Weingut Horst Sauer for two reasons. Mr. Sauer doesn’t speak English but has the power to convey such intensity through his eyes. His wines are an extension of him and it is all pure passion.

The end of the journey was a tasting at Weingut Stein, I highly recommend this winery for their wines, the view of Mainz around you and especially because of their Michelin starred restaurant Ludwig Knoll that has some very fine wines from Germany and the rest of the world. The food was impeccable and the service exactly what you would expect. Rheinghau and the regions I visited are breathtakingly beautiful and Germany like always left me very satiated.

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All Things Nice at SIAL China 2015

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We’re proud to announce that Nikhil Agarwal was invited to SIAL China in Shanghai this May to represent the Indian wine industry at Asia’s largest food and drink show in the company of international wine buyers, wine producers and international media.

Nikhil conducted a seminar on the growth of the Indian wine market, insigths into the Indian consumer, the Indian wine industry as a whole as well as  the scope for international wine in India. The audience of international wine buyers were guided through a tasting of a selection of Indian wine Nikhil. They sampled wine from Charosa Vineyards, Grover Zampa, Vallonne Vineyards and Myra Vineyards.

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Celebrating India’s Finest at Le Pain Quotidien Mumbai

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We recently hosted the 3rd edition of ‘Celebrating India’s Finest’, an evening recognizing winners of the ‘Indian Wine Consumer Choice Awards’, 2015 at Le Pain Quotidien, Colaba on June 13, 2015.

This celebratory evening was in honour of the winners of the 3rd edition of the Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards held at the Sofitel BKC earlier this year. A pool of over 100 wine enthusiasts came together to evaluate premium Indian wines and create a list of their favourites through an unbiased blind tasting technique.

Winning wineries of IWCCA 2015 showcased their portfolio of wine to an audience full of wine enthusiasts at Celebrating India’s Finest this year. Over a 175 guests enjoyed a free flow of India’s best wines in the company of other wine enthusiasts.

A large spread of gourmet cheese and charcuterie by Fortune Gourmet and a selection of delectable appetizers by Le Pain Quotidien, Colaba made the evening even more indulgent. Guests were also seen buying and discussing Rocky Patel cigars brought into India by Cigar Connexion. The night was a combination of fantastic wine, great food and fabulous company.

Titan conducted an auction of an immaculate piece of their Nebula watch brand which raised Rs 81,000 via a silent auction. The entire proceeds from the auction went to Atma, our Charity Partner for the event.

All our guests were treated to complimentary service vouchers from Jean Claude Biguine, Gourmet Jam Jars and vouchers from All Things Nice.

Wining Wineries That Participated

  • Sula Vineyards
  • Fratelli Vineyards
  • Charosa Vineyards
  • Vallonne Vineyards
  • Reveilo Wines
  • Nine Hills
  • Myra Vineyards
  • York Winery
  • Chateau D’ori
  • Grover Zampa
  • Gooddrop Cellars
  • Turning Point

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Rita Taketsuru – The Whiskey Princess of Japan

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An undated portrait shows Nikka Whisky founder Masataka Taketsuru and his wife Rita.
An undated portrait shows Nikka Whisky founder Masataka Taketsuru and his wife Rita.

 

Rita or Jessie Roberta Cowan grew up in Glasgow where she met Masataka Taketsuru, one of Japan’s most recognized whiskey veterans.  Masataka’s family owned a sake brewery that was in business since the early 18th century. Having to take over the family trade, Masataka travelled to Scotland to study chemistry. He then took up apprenticeship at the Longmorn distillery in Speyside and later at the Hazelburn Distillery in Campbeltown where he learned the secrets of whisky making. It was during his time in Glasgow where he met and fell in love with Rita. They married shortly after and left for Japan where Masataka worked on setting up his very own distillery.

During this time, Rita played a critical role where she provided financial as well as moral support to the business. She built a network of contacts that helped when her husband needed investors. With a war hovering over Japan, Rita stood her ground and the distillery prospered, one reason for this was that because of the war it was now impossible to import Scottish whisky.

Rita Taketsuru  has achieved country wide fame as her story and the story of her husband has been dramatized on TV. The show, called Massan was a huge hit with Japanese housewives, all inspired by Rita’s commitment, reportedly drinking so much whisky these days that the demand it difficult to meet. Whether this demand is a short time fad that will disappear or not is difficult to say, however Rita Taketsuru, the loyal supportive wife of Masataka Taketsuru will certainly be remembered in the years to come.

India, India, Wine

Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Bronze Medal Winners Tasting Notes

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Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc 2014– Bright straw yellow. Lively intense flavors of tropical fruits with gooseberry and orange flavors on mid palate. The palate is broad, balanced and quite rich with tropical fruit and a grassy mineral freshness.

 

Charosa Selections Shiraz 2013– Ruby red, bright, fresh dark fruits on the nose with some vivid raspberry, strawberry, cherry, vanilla and toasty aroma notes. The mid palate expresses ripe red fruit and mature tannins. Great spicy finish with a hint of oak.

Grover Art Collection Cabernet Shiraz 2014– Intense notes of blackcurrant and blackberry with nuances of Mediterranean herbs and black pepper. The palate is concentrated showing ripe, elegant dark berry fruit with great intensity and weight, complemented by soft, fine grain tannins. Great structure with a powerful and persistent finish.

Grover Art Collection Rose 2014– Intense bouquet of berries and sherry with a fruity, light bodied, smooth palate. Pairs well with mildly spiced preparations of fish and poultry.

Myra Cabernet Sauvignon 2012– This medium to full bodied, fruity wine is marked by supple tannins and a good finish. While excellent on its own, it also pairs very well with creamy pastas or Indian gravy dishes and hard cheese.

Sula Chenin Blanc 2014– A semi-dry, refreshingly light wine bursting with pineapple and stone fruit. Food pairing makes for a delightful aperitif and ideal with food that has a hint of sugar and spice.

Zampa Soiree Brut 2012– The aromas reveal floral, fresh lemon with hints of toasted bread and white fruit such as pear. The palate is light and creamy, clean, lemon and crisp. It has fine beads and a persistent mousse with a dry finish in classic brut style.

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The Bombay Canteen

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Walking into Bombay Canteen in the evening is like stepping into a yesteryear ghetto pub. The people, the jabber, the unending bar, the music and the vibe all within the quite compound of Kamla Mills is invigorating. The restaurant offers you an eclectic mix of Mumbai’s favourite food and the city’s incomparable hospitality.

Undoubtedly, the best part about Bombay Canteen is the food. The menu is well thought through and has an item that every community in the city can associate with. The Crunchy Dried Shrimp reminds you of a walk past Colaba Market while the Methi Thepla topped with Pulled Pork Vindaloo presents a perfect combination of two very different cuisines. We also enjoyed the strong but smooth spice of the Kejriwal eggs and the well-plated Black Pepper Prawns.  Main course was a mix of Prawn and Kairi Biryani, some greasy-in-a-good-way Kheema Bheja Ghotala and a very comforting Uncle’s Coconut Mutton Curry with buttered pao.  A meal at Bombay Canteen isn’t complete without their signature cocktails. The Tar-Booz is my favourite; the kala namak or black salt brings the water-melon based drink to life! Another great accompaniment to the food at Bombay Canteen is Gateway Brewery’s selection of craft beer. Nothing compliments greasy, spicy, flavour loaded Bombay food like a chilled glass of beer! The desserts were unconventional and interesting, from Old Monk soaked gulab jamuns to masala chai popsicles. My favourite was the Jackfruit Tan-ta-Tan!

Whether you’re a thorough bred local or new to the city, Bombay Canteen must be on your check list for the next month. It’s a melting pot of Mumbai’s culinary joys under one (big) roof!

Bombay Canteen

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Doolally

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I along with thousands of others seem to be immediately hooked. I’d probably go as far as saying we are addicted to Doolally. Who can blame u?  It’s located in a nice quite street in Bandra, it’s very casual, always has a buzz, the beer is truly unbelievable, the grub is good and the price offers incredible value for money. Rs 250 for 330ml glass of world class beer just feels so right.

Since it opened I find myself dreaming about their beers and land up visiting on average of at least thrice a week. Sometimes it’s just for 2 quick pints. Sometimes it’s just because I’ve got off the sea link on my way home in the evening . I’ve even got one of the member mugs with my name on it.

The beer is undoubtedly the star of the show, with a variety of offerings and each of them with their own unique flavors, they keep you coming back for more. My favourite would have to be the Stout, though their Hefeweizen, Belgium wit beer, Belgium Farmhouse ale and their Weizenbock are excellent. There are more and I like them all frankly. Haven’t tried their cider and don’t intend to but it does seem popular as well. To get the uninitiated up to speed they are happy to pour tasting portions so that people can sample and then place an order.

They and the other brewpubs like The White Owl along with Gateway Brewing have upped the quality levels of beer available in Mumbai so dramatically that I think Kingifsher and the like will have to change their game if they want to retain quality oriented consumers.

The food though not the centre of attraction is actually very good and also different which makes it interesting. Scotch eggs, Kerala prawns, ghee chicken roast, the batter fried bombay duck all really good and all perfect to go with their beers.

No one can deny that there is a drink revolution going on in India, Doolally gives us an opportunity to drink world class delicious beer and not the crap that we’ve been subjected to all this while at prices that are affordable. Well at least since before Gateway came along.

At Doolally suddenly conversations about different kinds of beer and understanding their origins can be heard from every table and that’s something right ? Even though we’ve been drinking beer all this while we never really bothered to know the differences until now.

But Doolally has created another revolution, one that I have been watching closely. The revolution I’m talking about is the social revolution when it comes to drinking that Doolally seems to have set a tone for. I find that people are comfortable getting their kids ( very young kids as well) and even their pets to Doolally. Doolally has somehow created a vibe that is very welcoming, almost like a German beer garden. It’s this sort of vibe, openness to drinking a glass of beer that India needs. Going out for food and a couple of pints of beer if handled responsibly could also be a family affair.

Nowhere else do I see this phenomenon. It’s changing things, you see some people wondering ( My wife and I go with our twins every sunday) what we’re doing but then I also see them changing their stance when they see us having a good time. The kids freak out on the fries and we sip on a beer or two and spend our time together. Really nothing wrong with that.

Doolally 1

By Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier and Director at All Things Nice

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Suntory’s Yamazaki Single Malt Whiskey – Distiller’s Reserve

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The Japanese have received world wide acclaim for their high quality, ever expanding range of single malt whiskies.  These are produced just like any single malt whisky, distilled from yeast, water and malted barley at a single distillery before a maturation of at least three years in oak casks. There are two main brands that own Japanese distilleries: Nikka and Suntory, founded by Masataka Taketsuru and Shinjiro Torii respectively.

Suntory released the Yamazaki Single Malt Whiskey – Distiller’s Reserve in Spring 2014. It is one of the two Distiller’s Reserve single malt whiskies from Japan’s oldest and most renowned distillery.  This single malt is jam-packed with superb red berry notes, gained from the whisky being matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. It also features malt matured in Mizunara casks, adding subtle fragrant oak notes. The palate is mesmerising, the dried berries remain lively but well-balanced enough to make room for the light oak, peach and a small amounts of spice.

Suntory