Kavita Devi Faiella H o t Food L ı st July-August Sula’s Dindori Reserve Shiraz Harper’s Bazaar picks four wines from Sula Vineyards’s bouquet that women are sure to love While Chhavi may not be a yardstick, she is definitely an • Sula Vineyards Blush Zinfandel indicator of the growing 2008: A rosé with the sweet aromas oenophilia, the love of wine, of watermelon, grapefruit and amongst women. As more honeysuckle, it has an off-dry palate and more indigenous and and flavours of candied fruit. Served international wines make chilled, it’s great for picnics and hot their presence felt, Ameeta Sharma summer days. Rs 400 onwards. exclusive wine clubs multiply and it becomes occasion, to just wanting to understand The all-welcoming approach has other • Sula Vineyards Dindori Reserve difficult to get tables at wines better.” The group consisted of benefits as well. “you can’t ignore the fact Shiraz 2007: This is a dark purple haute wine bars, women homemakers and corporate executives, that holding a wine glass is a fashion wine with intense aromas of pepper, are finding themselves aged 27 to 45, some of who knew a lot statement, not to forget its much- Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle Karishma Grover dark fruits and spicy oak. Its perfect wanting to turn about wines, some who had absolutely no publicised health aspects,” says Sanjay accompaniments are grilled meats connoisseur. And it’s not knowledge. “I think this itself is an indicator Menon, oenophile and managing director and seafood, and spicy Mexican just about the taste. Wanting to learn and of the rising popularity of wine amongst of the K.B.R. School of Wine. “people are dishes. Rs 700 onwards. understand wines is the aim. women. Constant and easy travel abroad, exposed to these trends today. So, why Kavita Devi faiella, 26, sommelier and where women are exposed to various should women have apprehensions in • Sula Vineyards Late Harvest the young regional cellar master at Aman labels, has whet their appetite.” holding a glass of wine?” K.B.R. School Chenin Blanc 2008: This is a pale new Delhi, attributes it to the developing exposure to international varieties has of Wine, which was initially started for the lemon-coloured wine with complex Of wine scene here. Still in its infancy in India, certainly got people asking for more. Dharti hospitality sector, today has more Wine aromas of lemon drops, pears, ripe wine is an exciting subject to explore. LLA Desai of the Mumbai-based consumers seeking it out to learn about pineapple and hints of rose petals. e “Wine has traditionally been a male bastion. finewinesnmore has brought 160 wines. The number of women enrolling Fail It’s an ideal dessert wine. and However, given that it’s still developing VI international varietals into the country over equal that of men. Rs 300 onwards. here, the playing field between men and De the last two years. The company has the The idea at the end of the day, says women is levelled. Women here are not as avita Sicilian Donnafugata label, literally Ameeta, is to aim to get more wine into the • Sula Vineyards Riesling 2008: y K S inhibited as women in traditional wine e meaning ‘woman in flight’, a wine that home. And this will happen as women get With the scent of flowers and green rt drinking countries when it comes to ou celebrates women everywhere. neetu more comfortable with the drink. “once lemon, one can taste a hint of C ; wanting to learn about wines. Instead, I R Sheth of The Wine Rack, also a Mumbai- women know exactly what they want, ARDS e cloves on the palate. Served chilled, IndianWomen women are fallIng In love V o have women walking up to me all the time ney based company that imports and they’ll probably not allow men to order for the wine is perfect for lightly grilled VI gR with that go to enquire about wines,” says Kavita. A LA distributes premium wines in India, is them anymore,” she says. And almost all chicken/fish and Indian vegetarian wines for reasons u S direct result is Aman’s Women’s Wine Club y working on familiarising connoisseurs with of them agree that as far as tastes are starters. Rs 600 onwards. S ARISHMA beyond taste that is to start mid-August. The group will e South African wines. nashik’s Vallée de Vin concerned, the stereotype that women rt y K S ou wirling a primitivo in hand, several indigenous wines inferior. “I am see 12-15 women come together each e that started in 2006 offers three varietals of enjoy sweeter wines is a myth. Which is Sula’s Late Harvest C ; rt Chenin Blanc, Reisling 32-year-old Chhavi Sachdev is always eager to know the grape, the month for tasting sessions and to discuss ou Zampa, one of them a rosé made from probably one of the reasons why there C and Blush Zinfandel enthusiastically talking about how varietal, the region where it is grown, and wines in an informal atmosphere. “We plan Syrah grapes with notes of red berry and a aren’t many wines targeted specifically at SHARMA on; D ta Smuch she enjoys her wines. “I love the of course I pay keen attention to the on drinking a country a month,” says an n hint of strawberry. women. Says Alexandra Marnier- ee variants of the Zinfandel grape, of which taste,” she adds. Starting out as a white enthusiastic Kavita. HA Karishma grover of grover Vineyards, a Lapostolle of Casa Lapostolle, the AM & C y T S primitivo is a genetic equivalent,” she says wine drinker, over the past eight years Such wine groups are increasingly e third generation vintner who recently acclaimed Chilean winery, “If we make rt throwing around wine vocab with the Chhavi’s palate has matured and she has finding patronage. After consistent queries y Moe stepped into the family-run wine wines targeted specifically at women then ou S e C : same practiced ease with which she progressed to red wines. Today, she from several well-travelled women, wine T business, agrees that the excitement that means we are differentiating in the rt ef ou noses her glass, and takes a sip of her frequents Chateau Indage’s Café Ivy Bar & writer Ameeta Sharma, who has been L about wine amongst women is palpable. tastes of men and women. And there is no C : op T HT favourite red. The Mumbai-based Bistro, popular for its wine list, and is an writing on wine for about six years now, “Drinks like whiskey aren’t conventionally difference.” “If anything,” adds Karishma, g M RI o entrepreneur who runs an audio active participant in wine discussions on held a wine awareness class for women in R targeted at women. So wine becomes a “the fact is that women have a greater o T e f production house obviously takes her the internet. going off on a wine tasting May. “Women wanted advice on everything T socially acceptable choice as the image sense of smell and taste. I believe they are ef L M wines seriously—she knows her Shiraz weekend has been on her must-do list for from pairing the right wines with the right CKWIS that it projects is one of not overstepping more into the quality of the wine.” Bacchus o o R f from her Cabernet Sauvignon and deems some time now. food, to selecting the right wine for an CL the boundaries.” would be proud. n By Preetika Mathew 000.