Sommelier INDIA
Issue 5 October–November 2011
For Indians around the world who enjoy the good life
food & wine Indian Wine Industry Diagnosed
page 23
Wine Bar Hopping page 34
Restricted circulation magazine dedicated to wine lovers and the wine trade
38
Contents October–November 2011
` 150
26
ON THE GRAPEVINE
26 CHEERS TO CAMELLIA
8 PASSING THROUGH
Brinda Gill in conversation with a pioneer who brought wine to Indian dining tables – Camellia Panjabi of Taj Hotels
COLUMNS
30 LET’S DO THE ASADO
Jancis Robinson may belong to the old school of wine writers, but she is not falling behind new trends
A sumptuous grilled beef isn ’t just Uruguay ’s national dish but, as Marcela Baruch explains, a veritable dance of flesh and fire
12 DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS 2011
34 RAISING THE BAR
Steven Spurrier analyses the Decanter World Wine awards which grow bigger and better each year
Carol Wright ’s picks of wine bars around the world that are dramatic destinations in their own right
14 20 YEARS OF AN ICONIC WINE
38 GRAPES OF ‘‘GOLD’’
Ch ’ng Poh Tiong tastes and comments on a very special vertical tasting of Cheval Blanc
Brinda Gill learns the secret of Bird in Hand wines – the vineyards are located on top of old gold mines, giving them their distinctive character
4-7 NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS
10 OF BLOGGERS AND ALL THAT
18 IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT PAIRING Raghu Bahadur offers some sane advice on the contentious issue of pairing wine with Indian food
20 WINE AND FOOD – ARE THEY REALLY MADE FOR EACH OTHER? If American wine-drinking habits are anything to go by, then maybe not, as Eric Asimov discovers
FEATURES
30 59 THE ART OF FOOD AND WINE PAIRING Sommelier Lindsay Groves offers simple guidelines on pairing food and wine
REGULARS
62 RESTAURANTS FOR WINE LOVERS Our picks: Graze, Bangalore; Dum Pukht, New Delhi; Sen5es, Pune and Le Cirque, New Delhi
44 VINTAGE VIENNA Viennese wines enjoy a global reputation. Stuart George visits the Austrian capital to understand how this success came to be
66 GILLES GOUJON Chef Extraordinaire Romain Bonnaud lunches at the Auberge du Vieux Puits, the last restaurant in France to gain the prestigious third Michelin star
48 SWISS SECRET In a country known for chocolate, cheese and numbered bank accounts, viticulture is a well-kept secret. Chandra Kurt reveals all
68 CHEF’S TABLE
54 GENESIS OF GROSSES GEWÄCHS
71 PHOTO FINISH
The German Grand Cru initiative marks a return not only to German roots, but also to new horizons, writes Joel B Payne
Snapshots from SI ’s Photo Album
Soni Sangwan chats with Executive Chef Manisha Bhasin of the ITC Maurya and comes away with some valuable insights
23 THE END OF THE BEGINNING Christophe Meinen and Nicolas Weinmann attempt to diagnose the problems of the Indian wine industry and offer a prescription for recovery
72 SI LISTINGS
Publisher, editor and owner: Reva K Singh. Co-publisher: Shiv B Singh. Copy chief: Bunny Suraiya. Copy editor: Ratika Kapur. Executive assistant: Aienla Ozukum. Creative director: Peali Dutta Gupta. Design: Shamik Kundu. Layout artist: TMJ. Printed at EIH Ltd. Plot No. 22, Sector-5, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon - 122 050. Sommelier India is a trade bi-monthly privately produced by CMI, Consolidated Media Int, C-320, Defence Colony, New Delhi - 110 024, India. Tel: +91 11 2433 1013. E-mail: info@indianwinemagazine.com. Web: www.sommelierindia.com. For restricted circulation only. The views expressed in this publication are the writers ’ own and not necessarily those of the publishers. Subscription price: `1300 two years (12 copies) and `1700 three years (18 copies); international $56 two years (12 copies) and $82 three years (18 copies) without postage. Cover price (single copy) `150.
Editor’s Note
Classifying German Wine J
oel B Payne who is an authority on the wines of Germany was in Delhi earlier this year to hold a master class and tasting of some of the best German wines which he had brought with him. It has long been debated whether Germany should classify its finest sites according to the French system or the ripeness of the grapes at harvest. ““The resulting compromise,”â€? he writes, ““was typically German. It incorporated everything, but resolved nothing. Like a legal contract, only the lawyers who wrote it understood its content, if at all.”â€? Here, Joel describes the genesis of the German Grosses Gewächs or Grand Cru project and sheds light on a complex topic. Did you know that Vienna is the only metropolis in the world that cultivates wine within its city limits? Stuart George provides an overview of wine production in Austria. Austrian wines have made a name for themselves internationally as great wines to pair with food. And in this our Food & Wine Special, we bring you extra coverage on the subject PLUS a special booklet on Austrian wines paired with Indian cuisine. You’’ll be familiar with most of the dishes mentioned in the booklet, if not the wines. We tasted the wines with food cooked under the expert direction of ITC Executive Chef Manisha Bhasin who gives Soni Sangwan her personal ““recipe”â€? for success as a chef. Meanwhile, Marryam Reshii tells us what to expect at Dum Pukth if you decide to try out the food yourself. I met Anthony Gourmel, Asia director for the Baron Philippe de Rothschild group, at a wine dinner at the Oberoi Gurgaon where his upscale French wines were paired with Indian coastal cuisine. Anthony appreciated the fact that the wines were served with Indian food. ““That’’s what we want, for wine lovers here to drink the wine with their own food –– which they are used to,”â€? he told SI correspondent Ruma Singh later at a wine dinner in Bangalore. Elsewhere, Camellia Panjabi tells Brinda Gill how she undertook the pioneering task of introducing wine to Indian dining tables. If you are still wondering whether wine and food really go together, read what Eric Asimov has to say and Raghu Bahadur’’s take on the problematic issue of wine with Indian food. Wine, as I never tire of repeating, is a unique beverage denoting camaraderie and friendship, conviviality and celebration. It is also the most intellectual of drinks and the merits and demerits of food matches can go on forever. But don’’t get too deep into the discussion, simply share and enjoy the experience of fine dining and wine. Y
Readers Write „ Will wine take off in my homeland? I am writing to let you know that I was pleasantly surprised recently to learn about your publication –– Sommelier India. By way of introduction, I was born and raised in India and came to the US as a young engineer. While I continue to run part of an energy business for a Fortune 200 company, I have been foraying into a second career in wine. , DP D FHUWLÀ HG VRPPHOLHU &RXUW RI 0DVWHU 6RPPHOLHUV KDYH D VRPPHOLHU GLSORPD ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 6RPPHOLHU *XLOG DQG DP FRQVLGHULQJ SXUVXLQJ WKH 0: SURJUDPPH ,Q addition to holding classes on wine appreciation, I also have clients I advise on cellar management, and most recently have been invited to be the wine writer for The Examiner –– a leading newspaper. It is heartening to see folks like you developing wine awareness in India –– I applaud you for that. I have had the good fortune of travelling and immersing myself in some of the leading wine regions of the world including Bordeaux, 3LHGPRQW $OVDFH DQG &DOLIRUQLD (DFK WLPH , À QG P\VHOI wondering if wine would really be appreciated and take off LQ P\ RZQ KRPHODQG LQ DQ\ VLJQLÀ FDQW ZD\ /RRNV OLNH \RX are making good headway in that direction! I have looked at your website and the blog and it looks very well done. &DQ , VHH WKH PDJD]LQH RQOLQH" Sandeep, via email Yes, you can, and we will send you a link to download the digital version. Ed.
„ Awesome experience There is only one word to describe &KULVWLH¡V )LQH :LQH GLQQHU LQ ´'ULQNLQJ +LVWRU\¾ Sommelier India $XJXVW²6HSWHPEHU ² awesome. And Dhruv Sawhney, one of the participants, has turned it into a very interesting article without much fanfare, in a style that is highly readable. Raghu Bahadur, New Delhi
„Catchy labels E-mail: rks@indianwinemagazine.com
2 Sommelier INDIA
7KH ODVW LVVXH¡V DPXVLQJ DFFRXQW The Name of the RosÊ, about the quixotic names that are popping up on the labels of perfectly good wines struck a particularly relevant note.
Two weeks ago, in a small, elegant and quite provincial restaurant in Aarhus, Denmark, we were astonished to GLVFRYHU D ZLQH FDOOHG '*6 RU ´'DPQ *RRG 6KLW¾ RQ WKHLU wine list. At DKR 599, the equivalent of about US$ 115, it was the second most expensive wine they had in stock –– DQG RI FRXUVH LW¡V ZKDW ZH LPPHGLDWHO\ SOXPSHG IRU :KDW VSHFLDOO\ DURXVHG RXU FXULRVLW\ ZDV WKDW LW ZDVQ¡W DQ $XVWUDOLDQ or South African wine, as one might have expected. It was French! And it was really quite good. Stanley Pinto, Bangalore