This deep red wine has come of age in fine oak barrels. Crafted with hand-selected grapes, it is medium-bodied and infused with rich currant flavours. It is best paired with simple flavours, lamb, tandoori preparations and mildly-spiced curries.
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Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Chile
120 Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, fruity wine dominated by tropical and citric fruit such as grapefruit, lime and lemon peel complemented by white peach notes and distinctive variety herbs increasing complexity and lifting fruity sensations, a very interesting aftertaste amid smooth fruit and fresh acidity with a lingering and persistent finish.
York Chenin Blanc 2014, India
The semi-dry Chenin Blanc is a blend of Chenin fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. It has unique aromas of fresh tropical fruits like guava, apricot and pineapple. The oak aged component of this wine gives it good structure and complexity with very balanced acids.
Yellow Tail Pink Bubbles NV, Australia
This sparkling rose has an appealing bouquet of wild strawberries, red cherries and sweet spice. The palate is full with cherries, tropical fruit flavours and sweet face. Fresh spritzy and crackling with vitality.
Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Silver Medal Winners Tasting Notes
Charosa Resrve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: Dark ruby red with complex aromas of ripe fruits, black olive, vanilla, eucalyptus, chocolate with a hint of sweet spice. On the palate this wine is rich and soft, expressing ripe fruits like plum and raspberry.
Chateau d’Ori Chardonnay 2012: Fresh and pleasant with a distinct nose of pineapple and citrus fruit, this excellent Chardonnay distinguishes itself with a memorable finish. The wine pairs equally well with poultry and paneer, fish and vegetables.
Fratelli Sette 2011: A great fusion of powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, roundness and richness of Cabernet Franc teamed with the fine, elegant floral notes of Sangiovese. The pleasant and refined notes of wood are well merged with the wine, adding a balanced vanilla flavour, silky tannins and a vibrant finish.
Grover Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection Red 2013: Fragrant perfumed aromas with elegant lingering dark fruits, spice, pepper. blackberry jam and violets. Well-balanced tannins.
Myra Reserve Shiraz 2013: Its medium-bodied palate has a soft finesse-filled tannin structure. Its gentle oak and vanilla nose and palate makes it a perfect complement for grilled meats and seafood and medium-spicy Indian food.
Nine Hills Chenin Blanc 2014: This medium dry, medium bodied wine is crisp and refreshing. It has light floral and fruity aromas with flavours of tropical fruits like peach, banana and pineapple.
Nine Hills Shiraz Rose 2013: Medium dry, this wine is crisp and refreshing. It is light to medium bodied with aromas and flavours of cherry and strawberry.
Reveilo Merlot 2014: An intense ruby colored, medium bodied wine with mouth filling flavours of ripe plums, black cherries and cassis complimented with spicy characters. Soft tannins and balanced acidity provide a remarkable structure to this wine.
Reveilo Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2013: The aromas from the overripe grapes are purely of raisin grapes, dry figs, honey and dry fruits like almonds and nuts. On the palate, the sweetness is perfectly balanced with acidity, resulting in a very pleasant velvety taste.
Reveilo Syrah 2014: Strong aromas of pepper, smoke and red berry fruits, which follow through on the palate, with notes of spice and flintstone. Soft complex tannins give this medium bodied wine a good finish.
Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: An extremely powerful bouquet of aromas with notes of black fruit and green pepper. The tannins are sweet and smooth giving the wine a long and persistent finish. The wine has an appealing mouth feel and is nicely structured.
Reveilo Sangiovese 2014: An intense, ruby coloured wine with aromas of raspberry, cherry and spice. The palate is soft and fruity with finely textured tannins and well balanced acidity giving the wine a rounded and lingering taste.
Reveilo Grillo 2013: The wine greets you with a bouquet of citrus, lemon, orange and grapefruit. It is a medium bodied wine with crisp acidity and a long mineral after taste.
Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier 2014: Grown on the distinctive red soil of our Dindori estate, the reserve Viognier is showing exotic apricot and lychee aromas followed by a lengthy mineral presence and fresh acidity on the palate.
Sula Brut Rose NV: A sophisticated, perfectly balanced bottle-fermented Rose sparkling wine. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir grapes, this salmon pink palate-pleaser packs a million tiny bubbles in every celebratory sip.
Sula Brut NV: A blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sultana and Pinot Noir, this celebratory sparkling wine, made in the true methode champenoise style, is a creamy, complex nectar that goes down like a dream.
Sula Satori Merlot Malbec NV: A medium-bodied Merlot-Malbec blend with hints of black cherries and ripe red fruit. Well structured and smooth on the palate. “Satori” is a Zen term meaning “sudden enlightenment”.
Sula Sauvignon Balnc 2014: Herbaceous, crisp and dry, with hints of green pepper and a touch of spice at the finish, this wine is well balanced with good acidity.
York Sparkling Cuvee Brut NV: On the nose along with perfumed characters of lemons there are secondary characters of cheese and butterscotch. The 12 months less ageing gives it complex characters of cookies, cheese and cream on the palate.
Rioja – Spain’s Iconic Wine Region
Rioja – the home of the berry loaded, barrel-aged red wine made from Tempranillo and Garnacha – is one of Spain’s most important wine regions. Rioja was the very first Spanish region to be awarded DO status, back in 1933, and in 1991 became the first to be upgraded to the top-level DOCa. All top-end red Rioja is matured in new oak barrels; American oak is the preference, but many wineries use a mix of American and French oak. This contact with virgin oak is what gives Rioja wines their distinctive notes of coconut, vanilla and sweet spices. The amount of time that a Rioja wine spends in barrel shows whether it is categorized as Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva. Rioja Joven wines, which are intended for consumption within two years of vintage, spend little or no time in oak (jóven is Spanish for “young’). Rioja Crianza wines are aged for one year in barrel, and one year in bottle. Rioja Reserva wines spend a minimum of one year in oak, and cannot be sent to market until a full three years after vintage. Rioja Gran Reserva wines are the region’s very finest and most expensive wines. These undergo a total of five years’ aging, of which at least two years is spend in oak.
In Spain, wineries are commonly referred to as ‘bodegas’ though this term may also refer to a wine cellar or warehouse. For quite some time, the Rioja wine industry has been dominated by local family vineyards and co-operatives that have bought the grapes and make the wine. Some bodegas would buy fermented wine from the co-ops and age the wine to sell under their own label. In recent times there has been more emphasis on securing vineyard land and making estate bottled wines from the bodegas.
Celebrating India’s Finest at Le Pain Quotidien Mumbai
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
Rita Taketsuru – The Whiskey Princess of Japan
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.
Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Bronze Medal Winners Tasting Notes
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.
The Bombay Canteen
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!
