Christian Moreau Chablis 2013, Burgundy, France
The 2013 Chablis has an engaging mineral-laced nose. The palate is vibrant with crisp citrus fruit, very fine acidity and a sense of symmetry on the finish that should see it age with style.
Tag Archives: Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal
The Balvenie 12 YO
NOSE: Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.
TASTE: Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours ~ nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
FINISH: Long and Warming
Glenmorangie Lasanta (12 YO)
Aroma: Warm spices mix with smooth chocolate covered raisins, honeycomb and caramel toffee.
Taste: Deliciously sweet sherry flavoured sultanas, orange segments, walnuts and butterscotch combine to create complex warm spices.
Finish: Long and satisfying finish with spiced orange and chocolate covered hazelnuts.
Balblair 2003
Appearance: Balblair 2003 is golden amber in appearance.
Aroma: On the nose there are the signature Balblair aromas: floral and fragrant punctuated with citrus fruits, apricots and honey.
Palate: On the palate it is full bodied, with notes of oranges, lemon, honey and spice.
Finish: The long lasting finish is sweet yet spicy; a superbly well-balanced dram.
Blanton’s Special Reserve
Tasting notes:
Nose: Dry Citrus, Raisin, Light Vanilla, Spice.
Palate Entry: Sweet with Citrus, marked by a Light Vanilla and Honey.
Finish: Crisp with notes of Spice and a hint of Cinnamon Apple.
Arola Celebrates Its Third Anniversary!
By Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier & CEO at All Things Nice
Chef Sergi Arola hosted a small group of people including me to celebrate the third anniversary of Arola at Mumbai’s JW Marriott. The group was made up largely of fellow wine writers, chefs and bloggers invited by the Food Bloggers Association of India.
Arola is Chef Sergi’s India outpost. For the uninitiated, Sergi specializes in cuisine from Catalunya, Spain with multiple Michelin stars at various establishments across the globe. The excellent Chef Manuel is at the helm of the restaurant in Mumbai and an all around star in general. Sergi spends his time globetrotting and looking over his restaurants in Istanbul, Spain, Portugal and other parts of the world.
The dinner started off a little quiet with my fellow diners more interested in tweeting about their food and drink rather than actually eating and drinking. Things seemed to find some balance eventually over endless Martini’s interrupted by Gin and tonics (we were after all at a gin bar) and the night unfolded into conversations about food and music. We had the resident DJ playing Led Zeplin as we chowed down on some delicious food.
Here’s the menu for the evening
Manchego Cheese
Jamón Ibérico
Iberian Ham served with Pan-Tomato
Gazpacho
Salmon Ahumado, Queso de Cabra, Esparagos Blancos
Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese, White Asparagus
Patatas Bravas
‘Bravas de AROLA’, Fried Potatoes, Filled with a Spicy Tomato Sauce
Pollo de Corral
Chicken Wings, Deboned and Lacquered with Spices
Gambas al Ajillo
Prawns, Garlic, Fresh Red Chili, Fresh Parsley
Coca de Pollo Moruno
Moruno Chicken, American Corn, Coca
Coca de Verduras
Sauteed Vegetables and Bocconcini Coca
Arola Special Seafood Paella
Arola Style Vegetable Paella
Huevos y Canela
Caramelized Eggs, Cinnamon”Crema Catalana”, Mandarin Sorbet
Baileys Truffle with Coconut Mousse
Arola is Mumbai’s only Spanish restaurant, well there could be one more but I don’t think they are in the same league. I actually love the vibe of the place; they have a beautiful lounge section at the far end ahead of the bar that opens out to the JW pool below and the sea. The bar itself is probably one of the coolest bars in Mumbai, the food is super and the wine selection is good. On a personal note I have always loved Spanish cuisine and wine. I do hope that we see an influx of standalone Spanish restaurants that are accessible to everyone. Until then, thank you for being around Arola.
Outlook Business Gourmet
Article by Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal of All Things Nice features in Outlook Business Gourmet.
For the longest time our options in terms of cuisines and gourmet foods available in India were limited. We had restaurants serving Indian cuisine and Indianised versions of Chinese and Italian cuisine and that was it. The hotels had the nicer restaurants and the stand-alone restaurant in India was pretty average.A trip to the local grocery store to buy cheese was limited to processed cheese and cheddar with a few other very basic ingredients.Sometimes to understand just how far we’ve come its good to look back and see what the gourmet reality was even just some fifteen years ago.
To understand the gourmet food sector in India it’s important to begin with talking about the Indian consumer and understand him better. The average Indian consumer has more money to spend than ever before. He is a lot better travelled and is becoming more aware about different food cultures from around the world. He is better informed on food trends and even if he doesn’t move out of his room all he would have to do is skip through all the hundreds of channels available to him and he would have an opportunity to watch at least seven to ten different shows on food and food culture.
The Internet in terms of general content online and especially posts on social media like facebook, twitter and instagram would make it impossible for him to not be exposed to gourmet food. It’s not surprising therefore that food and restaurants have taken on such importance in the last few years. The Masterchef phenomenon is unbelievable, how many people are hooked, watching the show almost every night, watching contestants whip up gourmet dishes. It’s impossible to eat everyday food after watching these shows.
The buzz is everywhere, people are discussing their favourite restaurants and dishes and vacations are being planned around gastronomy and wine. Think back ten years ago and you wouldn’t notice this serious interest. This is all relatively new. This consumer is becoming more evolved and demanding which in turn is forcing food businesses to up their game.What’s really interesting here also is that this consumer is willing to pay more to get a better gourmet product or experience and that our palate is ready to try out various cuisines. A Chinese restaurant serving more authentic cuisine or a pizzeria serving a more traditional Italian style of pizza has far more takers than before. As any society becomes more sophisticated with basic and secondary needs being taken care off people often spend their disposable income on food, drink and other lifestyle products. In India to see this happening everyday and again we must remember that it has only just begun.
As India becomes a global business hub the number of people from all over the world that choose to make India their home will also increase. You can see it all around you, they bring with them their own food and drink cultures and create a demand that needs to be met. I find it very interesting to see expats shopping for vegetables at the local markets. The local markets have understood this new demand and are not only selling ingredients and gourmet products for this international customer but in a lot of cases have even learnt to communicate with them in their language. Don’t get me wrong I don’t peg India’s gourmet status with expats but I do certainly understand the value of what people with different cultures from around the world will bring to the gourmet world in India.
When I was twenty years old at the beginning of my career my food choices were limited. Can you imagine what the food world looks like to a twenty year old now? He can choose cuisines from all over the world; he can walk into a modern retail store and choose from a wide array of gourmet products and wine for that matter.It’s not new to him; he’s growing up exposed to it. The pace at which the culture for food and wine will change and evolve is unimaginable and every year the speed of change will increase.
One way to measure just how important gourmet food and wine has become in India is to realize that Chefs and Sommeliers are being given celebrity status and that corporates and banks are using food and drink as a medium to engage their clients or acquire new ones.
Modern retail stores like Godrej Natures Basket for example have changed the game. The number of options for every category of food available is staggering. There are imported fruits, organic vegetables, a range of coffees and teas, truffle oils and even artisanal pastas. Not only do you have cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano, Gouda available but you have aged options of the same cheeses available as well. Charcuterie is not limited to ham and bacon but people are buying Salami Milano, Iberico and Pata Negra. Even the chocolate world has changed.People do not want the same quality and brands that were available earlier. Our market place is capable of absorbing even high priced and ultra superior quality chocolates like Royce from Japan for example.
The availability of these ingredients and gourmet products has also led to a lot of experimentation with food at home making gourmet food even more popular.Technology is such a big contributor; we have applications for our smart phones that allow us to order food, to give reviews and to read them. Everybody is suddenly a food critic.
Rahul Akerkar broke the mold by creating Indigo, a superstar of a stand-alone restaurant. This was not only a revolution in terms of food but for the first time a serious wine strategy was in place that most hotels themselves had not adopted.We got to have a fine dining experience for the first time outside of a hotel. Since then the stand alone restaurant space has exploded with new restaurants opening almost every week. Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore see most of the action but cities like Gurgaon, Chennai and Hyderabad are also coming along quick.Kolkatta is slow but also on its way. Even in Goa, which has always been, known for its great sea food is starting to see more options than the humble Goan curry.
Molecular gastronomy has also made an in road with restaurants like Masala Library becoming huge success putting a spin on Indian cuisine. On that note there are restaurants that are also transforming the way Indian food is presented. Take for example Bombay Canteen and Indian Accent. Restaurants serving regional cuisines are also becoming popular. Indian food is one of the greatest cuisines on the planet and it so interesting to see modern takes on this cuisine. Having said that the Indian restaurants at the ITC hotels and the like have been centers for world class gourmet indulgences for the longest time.
New big global hotel chains are also coming into the Indian market and existing hotel brands are increasing their footprint. Each hotel opened adds more dining options and competition being healthy the quality of food and beverage. The expat chef was once only at the top five star hotel restaurants in India but now stand-alone restaurants are also bringing Chefs from various parts of the world to create something new and exciting. Chef Alex at The Table, Chef Kelvin at Ellipsis haveadded so much to the gourmet scene in Mumbai for example. The Table also sources some of it’s ingredients from its own farm in Ali bagh.
There are so many events taking place around gourmet food all the time. Cooking demonstrations, wine and food dinners, pop up restaurants, special Chef’s menu’s, visiting international Chefs you name it. There is a sharp increase in activity revolving around food events that makes this a very exciting time in India. So much so that venture capitalist are funding F&B businesses aggressively.
Watering holes are also taking gastronomy very seriously. The gastro pub has finally arrived and microbreweries are serving top gourmet food along with their stellar beers. Woodside Inn has spent a lot of energy and time in creating delicious dishes that go beyond the usual eats that you would find at a bar. I particularly like what Chef Manu Chandra has done with Monkey Bar. It’s varied and so different from anything else. Infact don’t be surprised if you find yourself going more often for the food rather than the drink.
Restaurant brands from London and elsewhere are opening all over India. Hakkasan, Maritime by San Lorenzo, Le Cirque, Wasabi and Arola by Chef SergiArola to name a few. Jamie Oliver is slated to open up his restaurant in Delhi in the very near future. However this is just the beginning, we haven’t even really scratched the surface yet. Mumbai and Delhi have only just started their journeys to become global destinations for food and as we get richer the quality of what’s on offer will also change dramatically. One key element that we must note here is that we do have one of the finest cuisines on the planet and in a sense we have always had a great food culture the only thing that was lacking was options and innovation.
Private party caterers no longer offer the traditional basic fair. They offer a fusion of food from all over the world, presented and plated to perfection. Gourmet food at weddings has been taking to another level where even international Michelin star Chefs are being flow down to cater to their guests. The concept of sit down wine dinners at home where top end wines and food is sharply on the rise for those food and rink enthusiasts who are looking to experience the next gourmet experience.
Wine becomes extremely important when it comes to any gourmet experience and I do think that wine as a category is currently piggy backing on food but in the future interest in wine will generate interest in gourmet food as well. The trend of consuming food and drink together is also on the rise. Our culture has always been one of many drinks followed by dinner and that would be the end of the night. I think the younger generations are beginning to do it differently and more importance is being given to eating and drinking at the same time like the western world. I see this at All Things Nice quite a bit as our wine dinners and dinners paired with single malt have become increasingly popular. There is no better pairing for food than wine and you do see a number of restaurants improve the gourmet experience by having in house sommeliers who are able to guide guests on which wine to have with their food.
Last as I begin to sign off there are gourmet food trucks that are about to unleash themselves on Indian roads adding to the plethora of options in the gourmet world. Perhaps one easy way for me to drive home my point on gourmet food in India is to ask a very simple question. Practically everyone you know wants to start a restaurant or a bar right?
Outlook Business
As a family we have always had a very healthy appetite for good food and good drink since the time that I can remember so I am not surprised that life has led me down this path. Getting into the wine business was pure chance. I was sitting next to someone who got a call from Sula asking her if she would like to join the sales team. All I heard was “wine company” from the person at my side when I grabbed the phone and said “I don’t know who you are but I would like to join”. I got the job the next day and what followed was a spate of vineyards visits, international trade shows and countless tastings, all of which got me so wrapped up in the world of wine that I could not think of doing anything else. The world of wine is enormous and fascinating;especially in India because if you pay attention you can see the industry and the culture for wine develop right in front of you. I wanted to be a conduit for change in the wine and spirits world.
To say that the quality of Indian wines have improved dramatically over the last few years would be a gross understatement. It’s not just one or two wineries that have raised the game, instead it’s the leading wineries of India that have somehow through a collective conscious decided that pushing levels of quality is the way forward. I am probably one of the biggest fans of the Indian wine industry. I have been lucky enough to be a part of it since the time I joined Sula Vineyards almost 15 years ago at the age of 22.
The Indian wine industry has had many reasons to go through this metamorphosis. For one they far are more wineries than before which has created a competitive market scenario forcing wineries to raise their game in order to succeed. The second and the most important in my opinion is that consumers in India have evolved. Not only are they more consumers of wine but also they are also more discerning consumers. You cannot put plonk in a bottle and expect it to sell. Wineries constantly need to innovate to keep consumers engaged.
Three, the wine industry in India is very young, we’re learning every year. We’re figuring out which parcels of land have better soils and climates for wine production and understanding which grape can succeed. We have also brought in or developed the right talent and infrastructure to produce world class wines. The use of oak barrels to add complexity to red wine and to some whites is now commonplace. I’m not saying the industry has got it together just yet; there are many improvements to be made at every stage of the business whether its grape growing, wine making, selling and marketing.
In a span of roughly three decades the Indian wine industry has achieved a lot. It isn’t easy to change the habits of a drinking population that can’t see beyond spirit. Every wine producer knows that it is not only about creating a brand but it’s also about creating a culture for wine in India.
It is common for people, even some of the savviest wine consumers to dismiss Indian wines for their imported counter parts. This generalization needs to stop. Indian wine is on par or certainly better than some of the wine produced out there.Sometimes people pay Rs 2000 or more for a bottle of imported wine thinking that the price or country of origin denotes quality. While the country of origin may, not everything produced in any part of the world is good or even comparable to Indian wine. The price in India for the imported stuff is made up largely of taxes, India applying the highest duties in the world on wine, so price cannot be a measure of quality. Consumers need to be more aware.
There are number of specific wines that deserve a mention, these are the finest examples of quality that India is producing as of now that are being appreciated not only in India but gaining recognition at Wine Competitions in India and across the globe. Yes, Indian wines are winning awards in competitions held in London, the US and in Asia and now the number of wines winning awards is increasing and it is becoming more frequent. Indian wines are also exported all over the world even to countries that produce large and high quality wines themselves.
Indian wine is dominated in terms of volume by two to three wineries with the rest of the wineries combined taking the rest of the pie. But in terms of quality the scenario is not so polarized. There are smaller brands that are producing exceptional quality wine but they have not been around long enough or don’t have the marketing muscle or marketing brilliance that the more established wine brands have. What’s also interesting is that exceptional quality is being achieved in all wine styles as well, it’s not just the use of barrel for example that are giving our reds finesse, there is more depth to wine making now than ever before.
For example Charossa owned by HCC has created an exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Reserve Tempranillo. The Tempranillo is a break through and this wine demonstrates just what experimentation with grape varieties can achieve.Grover’s and Zampa have joined forces and have launched a wine called Chene, which means oak in French. A blend of Tempranillo and Shiraz, which is phenomenal. Grover’s La Reserve has been a long-standingquality Indian wine that one can bet on safely. Myra Vineyards, a winery that I am closely associated with makes outstanding Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Shiraz. Myra’s new wine called Misfit that’s about to be launched is even better.
The launch of Chandon from Moet Hennessy has created a market place for sparkling wine in India like never before. A true game changer that has done wonders for getting people interested in drinking sparkling wine. Also with Chandon’s success I’m hoping that it will pave the way for more international brands to set up wineries in India bringing in with them their expertise. Another sparkling called Casablanca is one to watch out for, well priced, very crisp and delicious. York winery in Nasik produces a barrel fermented Chenin Blanc that gives this grape variety more weight, their newly launched sparkling wine with its low alcohol strength is a delight and their flagship red Arros is pure indulgence.
Fratelli’s Vitae, Sangiovese Bianco, Chardonnay and Sette are outstanding wines. Remember before Fratelli, no one made wine at Akluj, which again is a representation of the fruits of experimentation not only with grape varietals but regions for producing grapes for wine making as well. Vallonné Vineyards produces a world class Rose, a dessert wine that you cannot believe and a selection of super Reserve reds from grape varieties such as Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
A winery that has understood the Indian palate completely in Reveilo, their Sangiovese and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Shiraz have a steady following and their Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is sweet decadence. Oakwood a winery whose wines are yet to be made available produces an exceptional Sauvignon Blanc.
Sula constantly innovates and if I had to choose two from their massive portfolio it would be their Riesling and their solid Dindori Shiraz. Krsma a relatively new winery with an emphasis on small quantities and high quality is very exciting as well. Nine Hills from Pernod Ricard has changed things around to produce better quality wine in the last few years.
My apologies for what may seem like a barrage of wines and brands but I am truly excited, this Sommelier is watching wine become more important everyday. I’m happy that we can open bottles produced in India at prices that are within reach and that they are good and getting better. Remember we’ve only just begun, we’re babies on a global scale and we’ve reached this far in such a short period of time. And if India’s short vinous history has given us what we have today then the future looks very promising.
Sommelier and Founder, All Things Nice
Sipping wine in Germany
Article by Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal featuring on CNTraveller.in
I’ve always loved Germany. It started when I backpacked through Europe and spent time in Munich over gallons of fantastic beer and great food at 21. Over the years I visited Munich many times but never really got down to going anywhere else besides Dusseldorf. So, when an invitation from the German Wine Institute inviting approximately 40 Sommeliers from around the world including yours truly came along I just couldn’t say no!
We were invited to experience first hand, the wines of Germany.
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.
As Sommeliers usually do, I checked into the Raddison Blue and immediately walked to a wine bar I saw on the way to our hotel.
It wasn’t surprising to see a group of fellow sommeliers on the trip already on the Riesling& Pinot Gris bandwagon. This is a lovely spot to drink some vino and watch the town’s people and a plethora of super cars pass you by. Wiesbaden is a very rich town. There is a great vibe in this city and Spital the bar we visited post the wine dinner at Weingut Koegler 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 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 Weisbaden 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 ajaw-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.
Mans World Magazine
Article featured in Mans World Magazine by Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal.
My travels started with some pretty bizarre backpacking trips through Europe, North America and India when I was in my late teens. At that time I didn’t want to spend money on fancy restaurants, or clothes or gizmos and had actually never even had a sip of wine. I ate packets of chips for breakfast, lunch and sometimes-even dinner, visited the sites and museums I wanted to visit and then in the early eveningsI would unleash myself at the city’s coolest bars with a day’s travel savings all meant to be blown on Guinness and whisky – that too in some pretty impressive quantities, if I do say so myself. Now only one thing has changed – I eat well while there is still a lot consumed!
I now seem to travel more often that not with the intention ofeating and drinking and the decision on where to go is directly based on how good the drink and food scene is.
As a Sommelier,I’m fortunate that I do what I do and it’sbecause of what I do what I that I get to travel all over the globe regularly, scoping out the food and wines scenes.
Some of the greatest wine experiences I have enjoyed are in Australia. For one they produce a lot of truly high quality wine and yet it’s all very casual. The food in Australia is off the charts and the general level of quality of what’s on offer is very high even if you don’t go to the top end restaurants. The beauty about Australia when it comes to food is that it’s just so diverse. You have people from all over the world who have made Australia their home bringing with them their own regional cuisines and flavours. In a nutshell you are spoilt for choice and no matter which city you go to there is almost always a great wine producing region close by for you to visit.
I’d go to Melbourne and the surrounding wine regions of Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsulafor some Pinot Noir and definitely to Adelaide with Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Eden and Claire Valley and McLaren Vale a few hours away. Barossa has the grand Yalumba winery and also the small and charming Rockford Winery, which you will fall in love with instantly because it seems to be stuck in a world that is long gone.
In McLaren Vale a gastropub called Victory Pub really got my attention. They have a stunning view of the sea, a phenomenal menu and a vast array of wine ranging from great to the worlds very best and most sought after. Drink a couple of pints early evening and then move on to the food and wine. I can’t tell you enough how I wish that pub were close to my home.On the west of Australia, a full day drive away from Perth you have the Margaret River wine region which producers exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. All of these regions are very wine tourist friendly with great hotels and excellent restaurants.
One of my favourite wine places in the world would have to be Bordeaux in France. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and as you would imagine is drop dead gorgeous. I go during the month of June for Vinexpo, one of the world’s largest wine shows. This is a great time to visit because they are a few festivals like Fete de la music on at the time as well. Bordeaux is responsible for some of the worlds most sought after wines, a trip here and the surrounding area is guaranteed to give you a hedonistic dose of pure wine pleasure. Besides the Chateaux in the surrounding regions you have to visit Magnum Vin a wine bar in the building where all the chateaux pay their taxes in the centre of town.They offer a selection of about 30 wines, which keep changing every couple of weeks. You get to drink the very best at Euro 1.50 to 3 a glass!
When in Bordeaux you don’t necessarily have to be at a wine bar, just about any restaurant has a great wine list. I landed up spending a lot of my time at a restaurant called Le Petite Commerce on Rue Du Parliament. This is a restaurant with a lot of energy, great food and a lot of chatter. The wines are great, reasonably priced and the food is great. Please visit Saint Emilion on the other side of the river. A charming hamletthat is beyond comparison and is full of small Chateaux producing some of the world’s best.Walk around, stop and sip on some wine, walk around, stop and sip on some more wine, you get the idea.
Don’t limit yourself to Bordeaux when in France. Travelling from one wine region to another is really simple. I’d take the TGV and take in the scenery as you go wine region hopping. I would go to the Champagne region, not too far from Paris and then the Rhone Valley personally. You could head down towards Spain from Bordeaux and visit wine regions like Priorate, relatively close to Barcelona. I will admit that I seem to have the very best times in Spain, their style of wine making is what I like, their food is now globally renowned and the folks are friendly. A glass or two of Rioja and some Iberico along with an assortment of tapas in the company of the friendly Spanish, how can you go wrong!
I was recently in in Germany and visited Weisbaden in the Rhienghauwine region. Stay there a couple of days and visit the wineries in the nearby distance. Visit Baden or Franken a short distance away. This is Riesling country but do try their fabulous Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
If you get up to Mainz please visit Juliusspital, a winery in the heart of Mainz, walking distance from the bridge that cuts across the river, very Prague Charles bridge like. I was mesmerized by this place. For one, the revenue from the sale of their wines is used tosustain the hospital they run in the same complex. This is a state of the art winery with ajaw-dropping cellar that makes me want to go back to Mainz just to visit this place again.
Now you might not associate wine regions with a mega polis like Shanghai but it is worth a visit. I was invited to China to give a talk at SIAL, Asia’s largest food and wine showin Shanghai on the Indian wine industry recently and was completely blown away. For one the food, I’d probably go as far as to say their cuisine is probably one of my favourites and then to have a plethora of wine bars and wine savvy restaurants to go along with the food is fantastic. I have always liked Asian cities that are modern; they have this energy that I love. Millions of people, serious local food culture and western influences when it comes to lifestyle make these cities so exciting when it comes to food and drink. Hong Kong for example does food and wine so well along with Shanghai.
We can’t talk about wine and gastronomy and not pay a visit to Italy. I know all of us visit Florence and Venice etc but perhaps you should visit Alba in the Piedmonte region which is in the north west of Italy. For one you will have the fabulous wines of Barolo and Barbaresco to keep you company. Two, they can’t have some of the worlds best wines and not the cuisine to match them. I thoroughly enjoyed two dining experiences in Alba, one at Bovio in La Morra, the view is phenomenal and the other at Eno Club in the centre of Alba. With snow capped mountains as your backdrop, ancient architecture, some very fine wine produced in the most charming of wineries and food (I still remember my risotto), truffles, it really is a gourmands and wine aficionados dream come true.
Last but not least by any means a wine destination you need to go to is in our very own backyard. Indian wine has truly come of age and Nasik is scattered with some wonderful wineries that are pushing the quality frontier. A large number of you may have already visited Sula Vineyards, but please visit the others as well. If you have not visited Sula yet, I suggest you go on a weekday rather than a weekend and enjoy this complete winery experience at your leisure. They have great restaurants and of course Beyond their hotel where you can sleep in heavenly peace. York winery is close to Sula and the Gurnani brothers that own the winery and run the show have got some excellent wines for you try. Their newly launched sparkling, barrel fermented Chenin Blanc and Arros are some of my personal favourites. The view is stunning and the food is more local in nature in comparison to Sula, which is what I really like about their tasting room.
By the time this article is out Vallonné Vineyards will have launched their rooms and café. Vallonné is pretty close to Grover Zampa so you could visit there as well. In a completely different direction, Akluj houses Fratelli Vineyards. They have created a top class winery with a few rooms. There is nothing in the surrounding area, which is what I like most about this spot. Pack a couple of bottles of their fabulous wines, go to their tasting point on top of their vineyards and breathe it all in.
As for me – the next stop is Sicily! Perhaps you may hear some more of my fine food, drink and travel adventures but till then bon voyage and salute!
