Bubbly for all occasions

Indians are still unused to champagne - and hesitant about uncorking it. Anoothi Vishal has a complete guide for those willing to experiment.

The bubbly that you uncork for a celebration may not, of course, be champagne at all. In a country like India where wine consumption and awareness is growing by leaps and bounds, one would expect this to be common knowledge. But sometimes even those who are not so blinkered by their Black Label are unable to tell the difference.

So, first things first: not all sparkling wine is champagne, a category protected by strict laws in the EU (champagne is produced only in Champagne) "" though, of course, in India, the best-remembered name in this category will still be Marquis de Pompadour, the "champagne" from the Indage stable that brought a taste of the bubbly to India more than 20 years ago and has been contemporarised vis-à-vis the Ivy Brut.

As a 24,000 cases-only market (in 2007), India is still a nascent destination for champagne. And most of us don't know much about the product; its many varieties and possibilities, even the fact that here is a drink suitable not just as an aperitif but as accompaniment to even Indian food "" all your pakoras, chicken tikkas and gajar ka halwas!

CIVC RECCOS: WITH INDIAN FOOD

Pakodas with a brut NV

Fish tikkas with a blanc de blanc

Tandoori chicken would be complemented well by a blanc de noir

Kebab platter with a vintage champagne (say, the '99 or '96 vintage).

Gulab jamuns with a demi sec

Gajar halwa with a rose

Rajiv Singhal, newly-appointed India representative of the Champagne Interprofessional Council, CIVC, a body that manages the common interests of champagne growers and houses, says it would be possible to, in fact, host a meal of several courses, each paired with different kinds of champagne.

On the other hand, it is a drink Indians are not particularly comfortable with (in 2006, CIVC commissioned a comprehensive study of behavioural patterns of Indian drinkers), for a variety of reasons including the "problem" of uncorking the bottle.

"You may hesitate to buy a bottle for a gathering at home", points out Singhal, "because you may not want to make a fool of yourself by struggling to open it"! That and the fact that the bubbly is still looked upon only as a special-occasions drink.

Now, as part of his marketing initiatives, Singhal is proposing to put up videos on how to uncork a bottle on sites such as YouTube, not to mention the possibility of cutting DVDS with clips on the same to be distributed through agencies such as wedding planners. But before such democratisation happens, here's a quick guide to what's available in India:

Vintage, NV or the snob's choice?
Anyone who thinks that Champagne is limited to what comes out of the Moet stable ""or Dom Perignon for a headier, more decadent experience "" is missing out on the fact that worldwide, there are about 13,000 marks sold. Even in India, there are now 23 houses being brought in by various importers, according to Singhal.

The most common category that is sold is non-vintage (NV) brut (dry) champagne. Unlike, say, red wine, it is not necessary to age champagne. But while you can safely stick to your NV, a vintage drink does make for a more unusual experience. Talk to importers or retailers and the consensus is that no one in India buys vintage champagne.

If you want to, you can opt for Moet 2000 or the Gosset 1999 (imported by Dhall Foods) in the country. Do note that champagne makers only declare vintage years when the harvest has been truly exceptional "" so these will always be a good option.

According to the CIVC website, traditionally, still wines from different years and crus (viticulture area, standing for the grape variety and terroir) are blended together to make the year's champagne.

Every year, a proportion of the harvest is kept in reserve to be used for future years' blends. Which is why winemakers are able to create the same house style year after year and a NV blend can thus show up the house style best.

Worldwide, the drink for snobs would be one of the prestige cuvees "" originals (as opposed to the classic blends) created by champenois by choosing a particular theme: Wine from either a particular growing area or cru, specially-selected area within that cru, the year (most of these are vintage wines), the grape variety (champagne is traditionally made from three grape varieties, but here, one dominates), or the ageing period (sometimes as long as 10 years).

If you have to pick up something exclusive and pricey, stick with the Dom (imported by Moet Hennesey India) or Krug (also imported by MHI), not to mention the very fashionable Cristal from Louis Roederer (imported by Brindco), all prestige cuvees.

On the other hand, if you are a connoiseur looking for an alternate exclusive option, you should look at grand cru champagnes coming from single estates "" the equivalent of, say, single origin coffee or chocolates. The Grand Cru Ambonnay from the house of Nicolas Feuillatte is a luxury choice also available in India (though obviously in top line restaurants).

Roses and demi secs
Wine often tends to get reduced to games of upmanship. But it can be fun too and there's nothing more fun than what we commonly call "pink champagne". This used to be quite the society ladies' drink when it first found its way into our metros a couple of years ago, but is widely available now "" you only have to check out the tables any Valentine's Day!

These are actually rose champagnes and several are available, including the Rose NV from Moet, Drappier (imported by Epicure), Laurent Perrier or Billecart Salmon. Another category that may find favour with the ladies is the demi sec (indicating more sugar, 33-50 grams/litre, than the usual brut, or dry styles that have not more than 15 g per litre sugar). Unfortunately, not much is available here "" you can only opt for Taittanger.

More colour
What many may also enjoy are the blancs de blancs, or whites on whites "" made from only chardonnay grapes, the white variety. This kind is characterised by great finesse. A blanc de noir, on the other hand, would use pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes and is characterised by power or fruitniness or both. Many options are available when it comes to the former, including Michel Gonet and Pommery. Cheers!