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The festive season is on us, always a good time to break out the bubbly, which includes all sparkling wines and not just champagnes.
Actually, while all champagnes are sparkling wines, all sparkling wines are not champagnes - that title only applies to wines produced by the methode champenoise in the Champagne region of France from specific grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) grown in that region. Other bubblies, even if made from the same grapes and by the same process, cannot legally be called champagne: so in Spain they call their sparkling wines Cava, in Germany Sekt, in Italy Prosecco or Spumante, while elsewhere in France they are constrained to call it Mosseux or Cremant. Whatever the descriptor, it generally means a dry, aromatic, white wine which fizzes when opened (hence the term "bubbly"), and which is a favourite for all sorts of celebratory occasions.
The biggest and most well-known champagne producer in the world in Moet-Hennessy, which owns not only Moet Chandon Brut Imperial (the largest-selling champagne worldwide) but also such hallowed brands like Dom Perignon, Krug and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. The company's owner, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, or LVMH, is the world's largest and best-known producer of luxury goods with a portfolio that includes wines like Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Cheval Blanc, spirits like Hennessy Cognac and Glenmorangie Scotch, fashion and leather goods brands like Louis Vuitton, perfumes and cosmetics like Givenchy and Christian Dior, and watches and jewellery brands like TAG Heuer and Bvlgari, to name but just a few.
Moet Hennessy India is launching its sparkling wine 'Chandon' in Mumbai. Produced in Nasik, this is only the fifth location outside France where Moet Hennessy has produced its sparkling wines: Bodegas Chandon Argentina was established in 1960; Chandon Brazil & Chandon California in 1973; and Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley of Australia in 1986.
The wine itself was produced at York Winery from grapes harvested in February/March 2011, and has been undergoing a secondary fermentation in traditional champagne-style bottles ever since: riddling the bottles of the sediments took place recently, and the launch is today (Saturday, October 19) at the Four Seasons hotel.
Chandon is expected to be retailed for about Rs 1,200 per bottle in Mumbai - 33 per cent higher than the Rs 845 per bottle price for the Sula Brut but well below the Rs 4,500 per bottle charged for the Moet Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne.
Meanwhile, in an effort to combat the entry of Chandon, market leader Sula has just launched revamped Sula Brut and Sula Rose' Sparkling wines where the grapes used now include varietals like Chenin blanc, Viognier, Syrah, and Pinot Noir - this has reportedly added complexity and finesse to the wines. Other Indian wineries producing sparkling wines include Grover-Zampa and Fratelli, and doubtless more will jump into the fray in the future.
Whatever the outcome, consumers in India will benefit through a larger and better-quality choice of bubblies - more reason to 'break out the bubblies'!
Wines I wish I had been drinking: A 'sneak peek' at the Chandon Brut India, which is straw-yellow with green tints and has an aroma of fresh citrus blossoms, green apple, and vanilla and a balanced, fruity, yeasty and toasty palate with a lingering dry finish. This sparkler (made from Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir grapes) will re-define the market for celebratory wines in India this festive season, and is a must-try for all wine aficionados.
Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant
