Cheers to the red bubbly

BEVERAGES: Wine-drinking is undoubtedly catching on in India. But will the fad now also extend to red sparkling wines?

Want to raise a toast to that big corporate deal that just got signed? Or are you thinking of opening a bottle of bubbly for your 21st birthday? Instead of opening a bottle of "white" sparkling wine, try some red sparkling wine.

Though white sparkling wine and champagne are market leaders in the sparkling wine segment, there are also red and rose sparkling wines which make up less than 5 per cent of the total sparkling wines market.

And these are being brought to India by Bouvet-Ladubay from Loire Valley, France (now a UB group company) which specialises in making these two kinds of sparkling wines and selling in over 35 countries.

India is the 36th country where these sparkling wines are being sold. Says Sanjay Roy, head, marketing and sales, wines, UB group, "Worldwide, Bouvet sales stands at 3.5 million bottles."

Commenting on the selection they intend to offer to the Indian consumer, Abhay Kewadkar, business head and chief winemaker, UB Group Wine Division says, "The flagship Bouvet Brut is complemented by a unique red sparkling wine and a rose sparkling wine as well "" a total of six sparkling wines. The still wine portfolio has three reds and three whites. The 750ml bottles of wines will retail at prices ranging between Rs 1,600 and Rs 2,500 and will be available in the major metros. Some of the wines to be sold under the Bouvet Ladubay banner include: Bouvet Tresor Blanc Medaillon, Bouvet Brut, Bouvet Rubis Excellence, Bouvet Rose Excellence (sparkling wines); and Anjou Les Nonpareils, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur Blanc, Bouvet Chinon Rouge (still wines)."

For those interested in the details of how red sparkling wine is made, here goes. For Bouvet Rubis Excellence, made the traditional wine-making way, the grapes used are Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grolleau.

White sparkling wine is put through a second fermentation and voila, red sparkling wine is ready to drink. Says Kewadkar, "The colour is a surprise "" a bright and shimmering cherry red with very fine bubbles."

As for its promotion, in a country like India which has only recently awakened to the charms of wine, Roy says, "The Bouvet Ladubay wines are luxury wines targetted at the middle-upper end of the wine market. The range will be made available to wine lovers through the star hotels, fine dining restaurants and top-end retail outlets."

From wines, Indians need to take yet another leap of faith to now start experimenting with red sparkling wines. Cheers to that, anyone?