For wine lovers around the world who enjoy wine and the good life Vol 16 Issue 1, Winter 2020 INDIA SommelierTHE WINE MAGAZINE Has Indian Wine Arrived? A CRITICAL TAKE ON THE INDIAN WINE SCENE Roussillon Resurgent SOMMELIER INDIA WINE MAGAZINE VOL 16 ISSUE 1, WINTER 2020 WINTER 1, ISSUE 16 VOL MAGAZINE WINE INDIA SOMMELIER page 12 EMERGING INTO THE LIMELIGHT page 60 Hospices De Beaune A CHARITABLE INSTITUTION WITH A FASCINATING HISTORY page 32 Rajat Parr THE MAN OUTSIDE THE BOX page 42 CAROLINE FREY A WOMAN AND HER WINE ESTATES page 24 INDIA’S PREMIER WINE MAGAZINE. CONTROLLED CIRCULATION 100 95 75 25 5 0 Sommelier_India_Col_FP_297� 210 vineyard break PRINT 06 December 2019 11:56:30 from the editor Which Wine? Twenty for 2020 Which wine should I drink is a question I am asked more often than I can say. So, as we step into the New Year, here is my list of twenty for 2020, including wine suggestions from SI friends and readers. WHITE WINE 1. Cakebread Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Napa Valley, California. Rs 7,790. Importer Brindco Limited 2. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Chablis, Burgundy, France. Rs 4,000, Maharashtra. Importer Sula Selections 3. Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne Blanc-Chardonnay, Burgundy, France. Rs 3,500. Importer Prestige Wines and Spirits 4. La Reserve de Bourgogne-Chardonnay, Château D’Etroyes, Burgundy, France. Rs 3,000. Grover Zampa Vineyards 5. Susana Balbo, Torrontes, Salta, Argentina. Rs 2,984 in Maharashtra. Importer The Wine Park 6. Sula Dindori Reserve Chardonnay, Nashik, India. Rs 1050 in Maharashtra RED WINE 1. Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2017, Santa Barbara County, California. Price Rs 7,500 in Delhi. Importer Massale Wines. 2. Tenuta Sant Antonio, La Bandina, Valpolicella blend, Italy. Rs 5,282 in Maharashtra. Importer The Wine Park 3. M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Red 2016, Rhône Valley. Rs 4,630 in Delhi. Importer VBev 4. J’Noon Red 2017, Akluj, Maharashtra. Rs 4,000 in Delhi. Fratelli Vineyards 5. Insignia-Shiraz Amphora blend, Nashik, Maharashtra. Rs 3,500 in Delhi. Grover Zampa Vineyards 6. Vina Pomal Reserva Rioja, Tempranillo 2013, Spain. Rs 3,420 in Delhi. Reva K. Singh, Founder and Editor Importer VBev in Chief 7. Paul Jaboulet Aîné Paralléle 45 Côtes du Rhône, Rhône Valley, France. Price Rs 3,100 in Maharashtra. Importer Gusto Imports 8. Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon, Nashik, Maharashtra. Rs 2,200 in Delhi. Sula Vineyards 9. KRSMA Syrah 2016, Hampi Hills, Karnataka. Rs 2,000 in Karnataka. KRSMA Estates 10. KRSMA Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Hampi Hills, Karnataka. Rs 2,000 in Karnataka. 11. Sette 2015, Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Akluj, Maharashtra. Rs 1,800. Fratelli 12. Le Grand Noir Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, France. Rs 1,550 in Maharashtra. Sula Selections ROSÉ 1. Château de Montfaucon Le Demoiselle Rosé 2018, Lirac, France. Rs 5,000 in Delhi. Importer AR Exports 2. MS Rosé Sangiovese Akluj, Maharashtra. Rs 1,280 in Delhi. Fratelli Vineyards JANUARY-MARCH 2020 Sommelier INDIA 1 contents VOL 16: ISSUE 1, WINTER 2020 `250 07 OENOPHILE’S NOTEBOOK News, views and trends for 48 the wine buff 10 WINE PRIMER How to understand wine names 12 HAS INDIAN WINE ARRIVED? Columnist Raghu Bahadur is back after a short break, casting a critical eye on the Indian wine scene 14 CHANGING TRENDS IN CHAMPAGNE Champagne is currently undergoing a greater revolution than any other wine region, writes Jancis Robinson 32 BUILT ON SALT, RUN ON wines were a powerful tool of 18 ALWAYS READ THE WINE WINE political seduction. PRINT Julia Sherstyuk-Viswanathan Steven Spurrier on Académie du looks back into the fascinating 38 JEAN-CHARLES BOISSET’S Vin Library, his new imprint for lovers history of the Hospices de Beaune HOMAGE TO NAPA VALLEY of fi ne writing and fi ne wine when salt was a gold-bringer and 1881 Napa, the new wine history museum is a must-see, 20 CELEBRATING CALIFORNIAN must-taste destination, FOOD AND WINE AT MANRESA 68 writes Mira Advani Shoba Narayan enjoys a meal at Honeycutt Manresa, a jewel of a restaurant in Los Gatos 42 RAJAT PARR – THE MAN 24 CAROLINE FREY, A WOMAN OUTSIDE THE BOX AND HER WINE ESTATES Shagun Mehra Caroline Frey’s approach to profi les the rise of a winemaking has won her plaudits Calcutta boy who is across some of France’s most one of the world’s fi nest important wine regions. sommeliers and a cult Rahoul B Singh reports winemaker 2 Sommelier INDIA JANUARY-MARCH 2020 36 Volume 16 Issue 1 Winter 2020 Founder Reva K Singh Publisher Shiv B Singh Advisory Council Dhruv M Sawhney – New Delhi Steven Spurrier – London Ravi Viswanathan – Singapore Editor in Chief Reva K Singh Chief Copy Editor Bunny Suraiya Tastings Co-ordinator Gagan Sharma Correspondents – India 46 KEEPING UP WITH THE 72 ALTO ADIGE 2019 SUMMIT Raghu Bahadur, Brinda Gill, Aditi TIMES Michèle Shah reports from the Alto Pai, Kaveri Ponnapa, Ruma Singh Importers of spirits and champagne, Adige summit on the unique wines of Correspondents – Overseas Renu Chahil-Graf – EU, Rosemary Monika Enterprises are now a unique geographical location George – UK, Mira Advani targetting the consumer, Honeycutt – US, Jancis Robinson reports Brinda Gill 76 CHEF JODHA ON – UK, Michèle Shah, Alessandra Piubello – Italy, Steven Spurrier – RAJASTHAN’S ROYAL CUISINE UK, Carol Wright – UK 48 ENCHANTING ABRUZZO Kaveri Ponnapa discusses Contributing writers Abruzzo, on the Adriatic coast in Rajasthani cuisine with Chef Akshraj Alok Chandra, Roopa Gulati, central Italy is a lesser known wine Jodha, executive chef at the ITC Suneeta S. Kanga, Shoba Narayan, Gagan Sharma region waiting to be discovered, Windsor, Bengaluru Administration and Accounts writes Alessandra Piubello Harendra Singh 79 WINE LOVERS COOKBOOK Design Inkspot Inc 54 SHERRY, AN IDEA WHOSE Plummy fare for all the year Layout Artist T M Jose TIME HAS COME Printed at Gagan Sharma offers a 80 PHOTO FINISH EIH Ltd, Unit Printing Press, comprehensive review of the Memorable moments in wine Plot no. 22, Sector 5, IMT Manesar, Haryana - 122050 marvellous produce of Spain’s from SI’s photo album Sherry Triangle Sommelier India is a controlled 82 GLOSSARY circulation quarterly produced by CMI, Consolidated Media Int, 60 ROUSSILLON RESURGENT Of foreign terms and wine jargon C-320, Defence Colony, New Delhi – The Roussillon wine region has 110 024, India. T +91-11-2433-1013. E [email protected]. emerged from the shadow of W www.sommelierindia.com. Languedoc to stand on its own 79 merit. Rosemary George reports Subscription: One year `1000. Two years `2000. Three, `3000. The views expressed in the 66 DENBIES – A SINGLE ESTATE publication are the writers’ own ENGLISH WINE PRODUCER and not necessarily those of the Denbies in the Surrey Hills is publishers. England’s largest single estate wine producer with 107ha under vines, writes Carol Wright JANUARY-MARCH 2020 Sommelier INDIA 3 contributors Sommelier India Wine Magazine is written by some of the best wine writers in the world. Our cast of writers includes wine experts, wine and food writers, professional journalists as well as emerging writers. We regard our stable of regular contributors as our most valuable resource. Raghu Bahadur Brinda Gill has Shagun Mehra worked as a banker a graduate degree in is a gastronomic for 42 years in Economics (Hons) explorer who travels India and abroad. from Lady Shri the world unearthing While abroad he Ram College, New all things food and started writing freelance and, more Delhi, and a masters from Gokhale wine. She enjoys international repute importantly, got his first introduction Institute, Pune. One of her major as a chef who stands for the treasures to real wine. When he returned to interests is discovering the unique of regional cuisines of India. Currently India he was pleasantly surprised wealth of India through the country’s her thali is filled with her NGO “Ear to find that what earlier used to be living heritage, crafts and people. to the Wild Foundation”, an initiative passed off as wine had disappeared, She enjoys writing on these subjects to save elephants from train collisions. and the rejuvenated wine industry and travelling. Brinda is the Pune A qualified WSET trainer who co- was thriving. He started writing correspondent for SI magazine and founded the KBR School of Wine in for Sommelier India ten years ago, reports on the recent upgrade of Mumbai, the first wine school in the projecting the viewpoint of a non- Monika Enterprises’ portfolio. country, Shagun Mehra returns to the expert who loves wine and is not too pages of SI with a write-up on Rajat fussy about the finer points of pairing. Mira Advani Parr, sommelier and winemaker. Honeycutt is based One of the in the wine region Shoba Narayan first women of Paso Robles, is an award- Masters of Wine, California and is the winning author and Rosemary George wine editor of PASO Magazine. She columnist and the is highly regarded recently curated “The Winemakers author of four books. among the UK’s wine writers. She of Paso Robles” and a large format She writes about wine and spirits for contributes to Decanter magazine colour coffee table book. She is also a number of publications including and decanter.com and writes a blog, the author of “California’s Central Mint Lounge and SI and talks to wine www.tastelanguedoc.blogspot.com. Coast, The Ultimate Winery Guide: experts at the Indian Wine Podcast, Altogether Rosemary has written 13 From Santa Barbara to Paso Robles.” (www.indianwinepodcast.com). She books, and most recently, “The Wines Her stories on the wine and food is passionate about wines preferring of the Languedoc” published in 2018, culture of California’s Central Coast floral Alsatian wines that go with her and a third edition of “The Wines of feature in the Napa Valley Register.