The last few weeks have been quite eventful, at least for me. I still haven’t managed to earn my Bentley but I work relentlessly, days on end, for that. Other things have however managed to keep my spirits alive and singing.
The first is the onset of winter. Most people stack away the summer wardrobe and bring out the woollies; I merely switch to deeper reds and profound whites and do away with the wine chiller.
I managed to side track to Torino during the truffle festival. Swiss International Airlines meanwhile regaled me with some locally-made exceptional white Pinot Blanc. It was only shaded by the Chardonnay they serve in their first class. With their new air cushion seats, I think they just may be the first airline to understand service in Europe since Louis 14th.
Zurich threw up some fantastic restaurants – Zeughauskeller (meaty like a jungle) and Hiltl (pure vegetarian paradise), both of noteworthy mention. I missed Blindekuh, where you are served by the visually challenged and eat in the dark.
Then, I organised two events – both extremely interesting for me. The first was a tasting of Indian wines from as many vineyards as I could convince to send me bottles. The verdict, the new verdict, if I may modestly and happily admit: Indian wines are definitely getting somewhere and it ain’t where hot winds blow over lava lakes. Some new wineries are doing a great job. The only thing now that remains is to go to the region and figure out who is actually making the effort and who is merely bottling foreign bulk wine and calling it Indian. That said, Sula Riesling is one wine I would love to see in Delhi.
While on the topic of Indian wines, when I had a chance to meet with the people behind two established Burgundy houses – Mme. Nathalie Tollot from Domaine Tollot-Beaut and Arnaud and Mme. Laurence Mortet from Domaine Denis Mortet - the one thing I did was bring around a bottle of an Indian white and a red for them, both from Nashik! This was for letting me taste their gorgeous wines which can only be likened to a 40-piece orchestra comprising the best of the Philharmonics, playing on your palate, just for you.
Back to my events, the second event was the organisation of the Second Indian Sommelier Championship during the recently and successfully concluded International Food and Drinks Expo 2009, New Delhi, the only trade-relevant wine and food show in the capital. The prelims had thrown up many an able contestant and the judges (Kavita Faiella from Aman Resorts, Angelo D’Ioia from the Oberoi and Dirk Reinhardt from the Claridges) had a tough time adjudging the top three. Gandhib from Aman Resorts took third place, behind the very confident girl Rachna Gadi, from The Trident, Gurgaon.
The trophies stole the limelight, almost three feet high specially-made limited edition wine glasses from ARC, mounted on an impressive wooden base. Pity then that the suave and stylish winner, Shubham, from Aman Resorts, accidentally stumbled on his way out and smashed it into a million pieces!
