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I could write a book on wines, but heck, I will use this column to have my say.
Wine drinking has caught on slowly but surely among urbane Indians. While some Indian wines compare with the best, many good labels from abroad are also available in India. You can buy a good ‘new world’ label or a Mouton Cadet from Rothschild for Rs 1150 or even a decent Chablis for Rs 1350 now!
Pretty good, given that two glasses of wine a day, especially red, can do wonders for your cholesterol levels and heart health (didn’t we always know it was good for the mind?).
This is because of the powerful anti-oxidants called polyphenols that relax the arteries, reducing blood pressure and preventing clots.
It is now understood why the French who really enjoy their food and have a decent amount of butter in their cuisine, also enjoy great cardiovascular health and longevity. The secret lies in the fact that they drink wine regularly—mostly red—and eat plenty of garlic too!
While in India we may not drink wine with our meals on a regular basis, we can opt for a glass or two as often as possible—at home in the evening and every time we go out. I know it is the season to be jolly but just one or two glasses please, says the Doc.
So, go ahead and see what you like. Taste is very personal. Don’t be intimidated. Treat it like a journey—some great experiences, some not. As long as the quest remains the same!
There’s a wine for every palate. Dry or sec (slightly tart, un-sweet), semi-dry or demi sec and then the more full-bodied mellow, somewhat sweeter, smoother versions—apart from dessert wines.
Among sparkling wines, the best known is of course champagne, named after its birthplace in France.
Personally, I think the wine notes or taste and feel, if you like, are submerged— even stifled—by the spices in most Indian dishes. There are always exceptions like grilled or delicately flavoured meat, seafood, vegetables...
Mostly, I wouldn’t ‘waste’ wine by having it with an Indian meal if it is spicy. If you look at it like yin and yang, the enjoyment of it is just as important as its benefits.
There are types to choose from: white, red or rose. The juice of grapes is mostly colourless but when the skin of red or dark grapes is left in, it imparts a red colour. In the case of rosé, the skin is included for only a part of the fermentation process and so it is pinkish.
Although a red does go well with spicy food, it might be a good idea, generally, to have a drier, younger wine before an Indian meal , as an aperitif, and a sweeter, more mellow one after…and then bask in its afterglow! I still remember a great Pouilly Fuisse from 15 years ago. Yes, it could be as good as that. Salut!
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