I like women and women like me but that\u2019s definitely not enough when you reach the\u00a0dating-and-beyond stage. After spending a large part of my life in the company of some\u00a0fine women, I have learnt to understand the art of detail. The thing being, who has the\u00a0goddamn time??<\/p>\n
The mounting workload, the clocking of incessant air miles and the perpetual deadlines\u00a0leave little room for romance. However, in my journey to find the best wines and cheese\u00a0located in different pockets of the world I had an epiphany, one that allows you to mix\u00a0business with pleasure.<\/p>\n
Wooing your partner with some fine wine and carefully paired cheese is a heady mix\u00a0of detail and planning, couple that with a perfect location and you have a sure shot at\u00a0whatever you are aiming for. Putty in your hands, so to speak.<\/p>\n
Wine and Cheese is like Laurel & Hardy, Guns & Roses, Bill & Hillary, and other\u00a0combinations that are frequently better than either independently. But be careful, you\u00a0need to do the pairing properly to ensure maximum please and any cheese with any\u00a0wine will not work. Regions or vineyards that produce fantastic wine usually have very\u00a0high culinary standards and cheese is an integral part of the whole experience.<\/p>\n
You don’t have to know a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Chardonnay to appreciate these\u00a0destinations – they offer as much peace and scenery as they do great wines. Here’s a\u00a0look at some destinations that are a winner every time.<\/p>\n
We will start off with our very own Nasik. I would recommend making a trip to Sula\u00a0Vineyards which has done an excellent job in creating a wonderful wine experience.\u00a0Their tasting room with its breath taking view is one of the most perfect places on the\u00a0planet in the evenings especially in the colder months. You could head to York Winery\u00a0which is further down the road for more excellent wine and cheese with an even more\u00a0dramatic view and then bring the evening to a close less than a km further down the\u00a0road at Sula\u2019s 21 room only hotel Beyond.<\/p>\n
In Akluj, ahead of Pune is the state of the art Fratelli Vineyards with impressive\u00a0accommodations literally in the middle of nowhere. Get them to hook up a scrumptious\u00a0sun downer and dinner in their lookout point over the vineyards which are a little away\u00a0from the winery\/rooms for you and your partner. You will have never seen anything like\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
All the above wineries serve generous portions of assorted cheese as accompaniments\u00a0ensuring that your taste buds are in heaven.<\/p>\n
Away from India, if you are heading to the west coast in the United States, I suggest you\u00a0make a trip to Napa Valley and its surrounding areas which are littered with wineries\u00a0producing excellent wine. The wineries have tasting rooms, a restaurant or two and\u00a0rooms that are perfect for some alone time. They even have spa\u2019s so you have an\u00a0opportunity to go completely all out in pampering her.<\/p>\n
Bordeaux in France is another of my favourites; the city is mesmerizing with\u00a0unbelievable architecture. If you are into wine, this is your mecca and every street corner\u00a0has caf\u00e9s and restaurants dishing out incredible cuisine, glorious French cheese with a\u00a0wine list to match. You can also hire a car and drive into the adjoining vineyard regions,\u00a0visit some grand Chateaux and carry a picnic basket to make a stop wherever your heart\u00a0desires. Make sure you make a trip to Saint Emillion, a medieval town on the right of the\u00a0river Gironde that produces top wines and is simply drop dead gorgeous.<\/p>\n
One cannot talk about wine and cheese and of course romance and not bring Italy into\u00a0the picture. Head to Tuscany, rent a villa or park yourself in the middle of a vineyard and\u00a0take in the fantastic wines and gastronomy. Maybe after a glass or two you can tell her\u00a0how much you love her in Italian? Try Castello di Quercetto, a legendary wine producing\u00a0house with over a 100 years of history. I highly recommend renting one of their\u00a0apartments and spending some quality time there. Open a bottle of two of their Super\u00a0Tuscans and she will not be able to resist you. Additionally, your only 25 kilometers\u00a0away from the lovely city of Florence ! Need I say more? Veneto is another region within\u00a0Italy that produces fine wine, and with Venice one of the worlds most romantic spots as\u00a0its main city you cannot go wrong.<\/p>\n
In the southern hemisphere if you are travelling to Australia, especially the Southeast\u00a0of Australia make a trip to the wonderful wine growing regions of Barossa and Mclaren\u00a0Vale. Try their full bodied reds from the Shiraz grape varietal paired with some local\u00a0delicacies. I highly recommend visiting the Woodstock Estate in Mclaren Vale for some\u00a0fabulous hospitality and a charming setting. New Zealand is full of stunning beauty,\u00a0wineries producing top class wines and world class cheese. Take a trip to Marlborough\u00a0and visit the legendary Cloudy Bay winery. Also visit the charming Clos Henri winery for\u00a0an old world kind of wine experience.<\/p>\n
There is of course a lot more countries and regions to visit but this should keep you busy\u00a0for a while and in your partners good books. There are thousands of cheese and endless\u00a0wines and I hope that you spend a lifetime time taking in their pleasures along with your\u00a0partner.<\/p>\n
Cheers to good loving!<\/p>\n
Nikhil Agarwal,\u00a0Sommelier and Director at All Things Nice \u2013 www.allthingnice.in<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I like women and women like me but that\u2019s definitely not enough when you reach the\u00a0dating-and-beyond stage. After spending a large part of my life in the company of some\u00a0fine women, I have learnt to understand the art of detail. The thing being, who has the\u00a0goddamn time?? The mounting workload, the clocking of incessant air … Continue reading Article by Nikhil Agarwal for Mumbai Touch Down<\/span>