Six of my friends and I started the Bangalore Wine Club, or BWC, at the end of 2001 as a forum to understand and appreciate wines. Today, with some 125-odd members and a waiting list, it's great to see the club flourishing.
A key feature that ensured continuity and freshness was to have BWC run by a committee that would be elected annually from among the members. Each committee brought its own flavour to the way things were done. And I like to think that both the social and the fine-dining space in Bangalore has been far richer as a consequence.
The current committee has set a scorching pace and has put together some landmark events. Apart from the usual sit-down pre-plated dinners with food and wine (generally imported) pairings, what is interesting is the emphasis on exploring Indian wines - many of which quite match the international standards in quality, if not yet in the consumers' perception.
BWC recently organised an 'Indian Wine Village' at the ITC Royal Gardenia hotel in Bangalore - a Sunday afternoon affair set in Botania, an open-air garden on the fourth floor - where 12 Indian producers set up stalls so that those attending could simply walk around and sample any number of wines, just like at any wine fair.
So which wineries were represented, and what were the best wines presented?
Krsma Estates, Hampi Hills, Karnataka: Even though new, the Krsma Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (Rs 750) shared honours as the 'best white', while the Krsma Sangiovese 2013 (Rs 1,000) was rated very high in the 'value for money' category.
Charosa Vineyards, Nashik, Maharashtra: This new HCC/Ajit Gulabchand-promoted venture has set high quality standards. The Charosa Reserve Tempranillo 2012 (Rs 1,500) was rated 'best red', while I thought the Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Rs 850) was distinctive and very good.
Fratelli Vineyards, Solapur, Maharashtra: This winery has been around for four years and is making waves with innovative wines. Its Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco (Rs 791), a white wine from red grapes, shared honours with the Krsma Sauvignon Blanc 2012 as 'best white' for its distinctive flavour and quality.
Grover-Zampa Ltd, Karnataka & Maharashtra: If a poll had been taken of sparkling wines, surely the Grover-Zampa Soiree Brut Rose (Rs 1,075) would have taken top honours (it's produced in Maharashtra by the erstwhile Zampa Vineyards).
What's becoming increasingly clear is that estate wines (where the vineyards are owned by the winery) have a clear quality advantage over wines produced from grapes purchased from growers, however closely producers in the latter category claim to be able to control grape quality. It is also clear that the best Indian wines are no longer cheaper than entry-level imported wines. Indeed, many have been pegged at higher price-points and still doing well.
Kudos to the Bangalore Wine Club for having organised such an innovative event (44 top Indian wines were on display). I look forward to similar exercises being conducted by other wine clubs so that their members start understanding that many Indian wines are as good, if not better, as many imported wines at the same price.
To be even more politically correct:
Jai Hind!
A key feature that ensured continuity and freshness was to have BWC run by a committee that would be elected annually from among the members. Each committee brought its own flavour to the way things were done. And I like to think that both the social and the fine-dining space in Bangalore has been far richer as a consequence.
The current committee has set a scorching pace and has put together some landmark events. Apart from the usual sit-down pre-plated dinners with food and wine (generally imported) pairings, what is interesting is the emphasis on exploring Indian wines - many of which quite match the international standards in quality, if not yet in the consumers' perception.
BWC recently organised an 'Indian Wine Village' at the ITC Royal Gardenia hotel in Bangalore - a Sunday afternoon affair set in Botania, an open-air garden on the fourth floor - where 12 Indian producers set up stalls so that those attending could simply walk around and sample any number of wines, just like at any wine fair.
So which wineries were represented, and what were the best wines presented?
Krsma Estates, Hampi Hills, Karnataka: Even though new, the Krsma Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (Rs 750) shared honours as the 'best white', while the Krsma Sangiovese 2013 (Rs 1,000) was rated very high in the 'value for money' category.
Charosa Vineyards, Nashik, Maharashtra: This new HCC/Ajit Gulabchand-promoted venture has set high quality standards. The Charosa Reserve Tempranillo 2012 (Rs 1,500) was rated 'best red', while I thought the Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Rs 850) was distinctive and very good.
Fratelli Vineyards, Solapur, Maharashtra: This winery has been around for four years and is making waves with innovative wines. Its Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco (Rs 791), a white wine from red grapes, shared honours with the Krsma Sauvignon Blanc 2012 as 'best white' for its distinctive flavour and quality.
Grover-Zampa Ltd, Karnataka & Maharashtra: If a poll had been taken of sparkling wines, surely the Grover-Zampa Soiree Brut Rose (Rs 1,075) would have taken top honours (it's produced in Maharashtra by the erstwhile Zampa Vineyards).
What's becoming increasingly clear is that estate wines (where the vineyards are owned by the winery) have a clear quality advantage over wines produced from grapes purchased from growers, however closely producers in the latter category claim to be able to control grape quality. It is also clear that the best Indian wines are no longer cheaper than entry-level imported wines. Indeed, many have been pegged at higher price-points and still doing well.
Kudos to the Bangalore Wine Club for having organised such an innovative event (44 top Indian wines were on display). I look forward to similar exercises being conducted by other wine clubs so that their members start understanding that many Indian wines are as good, if not better, as many imported wines at the same price.
To be even more politically correct:
Jai Hind!
Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant