The lalit hosted a tasting session of some choicest wines. Sula's Ajoy Shaw shares an etiquette guide with Christy Varghese
The brief yet torrential downpour the day before might have caught many unawares but it came as a huge relief for Delhiites who have been complaining of the prickly summer heat. And what better way might there be to celebrate, than by sipping on some of the choicest wines, that to home grown.
Sula has organised over 2000 wine tasting sessions in India and it was about time that they held one in Delhi. The lalit offers a very appropriate setting for Sula's first tasting session in Delhi. To those of you who are not aware, Sula is named after Sulabha, the mother of Rajeev Samant, CEO and founder. The evening is being hosted by chief winemaker Ajoy Shaw, who with his reliable facts and interesting anecdotes, has us in thrall.
“Unlike other drinks, there is always a long tale attached to the making of a wine,” he tells us. While Shaw engages us in a leisurely chat, the attendant pours me a glass of Brut Tropicale with a flourish. I can’t help but notice the colourful, almost lively bottle with the distinguished insignia of the brand. Shaw tells me that the symbol, a sun with the twirled moustache, which is iconic of most Indians, is rooted in the simple yet immensely important symbolism of how the most important step in the winemaking process is dependent on the sun. Without the sun, the grapes would not dry and fermentation would not take place. And that would simply result in low quality wines or none at all.
The Brut Tropicale is a sparkling fruity wine. About 15-18 months are devoted to the making of this choice white wine, and I discover that its refreshingly sour taste goes really well with the hara-bara kebabs served to us by Baluchi.
“Germans are probably best known for their top-rate soccer squad and their beer but not many are aware that they came up with another object of fancy, the Riesling, which just about every wine aficionado would be aware of,” smiles Shaw. The Riesling boasts colourful heritage and the fact that it is one of the top collectible white wines among wine connoisseurs. Sula Riesling is a wine which is typically made for consumption in Indian conditions. The glass which I am served has some confusing aroma emanating from within. When I voice my concern, Shaw tells me that that is not unusual. “Being a fine wine, Sula Riesling can be aged for a considerable time. But when it ages it emits confusing odours, not unlike petrol or kerosene,” he discloses. But nevertheless, it seems perfect for spicy Indian food. Shaw also lets us in on the fact that Sula is the only producer of Riesling in India.
Next up for the consideration of our already well pampered taste buds is one of the most popular wines, the Sula Satori. Described by Shaw as “one of those non-fussy type of wines,” the Satori’s mid-level pricing makes it quite popular among wine-lovers. Sour and and somewhat chewy, this wine has a mellow aftertaste which is quite pleasing. Shaw tells us that this is one of those wines which do not age very well. “Just like men, not every wine can age gracefully,” he says with a chuckle.
It is customary to have your wine with a good, hearty meal but most of us concur with Shaw when he voices his opinion that nothing can beat a glass paired up with a bowl of finger foods. While we ogle at the scrumptiously spicy paneer tikkas that are on the platter, we are served a very exotic wine, the Rasa Shiraz.
This is named after the first two letters in the first and last name of the founder, Rajiv Samant, and has a sleek classy look in a black bottle. This limited edition wine is made only in the best vintage years and the berries are tasted to determine the apt time for harvest. Only the best berries are employed to make this wine. The concoction from these choice berries spend 14 months in French oak barrels, before spending another six months in the bottle. It matures slowly and the effort resulted in the incredibly aromatic and strong strong glass that I am sipping on. “The Rasa Shiraz is extremely fine, and therefore can be aged for a very long time,” Shaw says with a twinkle in his eye, before swirling his glass to aerate the wine and sipping on it carefully.
The late Harvest Chenin Blanc has a significant honey-like flavour and a pleasantly sweet aroma to it as well. This sweet wine, which is served in half bottles, could very well be an alternative for dessert with 90-100 gms of sugar content per litre, while the average wine contains just 8-15 gms of sugar. “The berries are picked when it has dried to such an extent that it resembles a raisin. It is a very appropriate dessert wine, I would recommend you to have lemon tart with it,” says Shaw. We are served khubani ka meetha, which contains the pulp of apricot, along with some vanilla ice cream and though we would have liked to finish the bowl, we are too full, and a bit drowsy, courtesy all the wine that swishes around our bellies.