Keep looking for new wines-Indian vintners are bound to serve up some surprises.
When genuine grape wines started being made in India, wine makers chose to go with the conventional ‘noble’ varieties of French-origin wine grapes: Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc white wines, and Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz (Syrah) reds.
This was only to be expected. In the early days of wine in India (the 1990s), few people knew what wine was and whether half-way decent wines could me made in India, so vintners sought credibility by seeking to replicate the most famous grape varietals.
Early on, bitter experience taught Indage (the pioneer) that cold-climate grapes like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir could not be grown here successfully, and so Indian sparkling wines are largely a blend of Chenin Blanc and Thomson seedless. Nothing wrong with that – the stuff is of quite drinkable.
Somewhere down the line people discovered that the American red grape variety Zinfandel also did well in India, and a few companies also went out and experimented with white wines like Viognier and Clairette. Today some of the most drinkable and fragrant whites are made from the Viognier grape. And there is one – just one – company making Chardonnay (Reveilo, from Vintage Wines, Nasik). Sula started growing Merlot, and indigenized its Satori Merlot (originally imported in bulk from Chile); the company has also launched a Riesling (amazingly palatable), having cracked the ability to grow this cold-climate grape in the hills around Nasik.
10 years down after Maharashtra’s 2001 Grape Procession Policy unshackled the Indian wine industry, and interesting phenomenon is happening: people are differentiating their offerings by introducing new grape varietals, originally from countries like Italy and Spain.
Vintage Wine Nasik recently unveiled Reveilo Grillo and Nero d’Avola both Sicilian grape varieties unknown outside the star hotels. The Grillo is delightful: aromatic and soft - a lovely tipple for the summer; the Nero d’Avola firm, tannic, and fruity – interesting, different.
Big Banyan debuted in 2007 with a traditional lineup of 2 whites (a Chenin & a Sauvignon Blanc) and 3 reds (a Cab, a Shiraz, and a Zin). To their credit (and perhaps winemaker Lucio Matricardi) the wines were of better quality than most others, and the packaging exceptional. They have now launched a ‘Rosa Rossa’ (a Zinfandel Rose’) as well as the ‘Bellissima’ Late Harvest Muscat Dessert wine (only 375 ml) – both very well made, terrific with both Indian cuisines and our Indian weather. Good stuff.
What’s next? I’ve not heard about any Pinot Grigio or Tempranillo grapes being planted, and am also somewhat surprised why neither Malbec or Gamay are here as yet. To say nothing about any lesser-known varietals (there are hundreds) – time will tell.
Meanwhile, keep looking for new wines to taste – Indian vintners are bound to have some surprises up their sleeves!
Wines I’ve been drinking: A Failla (“FAY-la’) Pinot Noir 2008 from the Keefer Ranch vineyard in the Russian River Valley of Napa, rated 91 points (US$ 45) by Wine Spectator, this lovely wine was redolent of plums, cherries and roses, with beautifully balanced tannins and a long smooth finish. Perhaps if/when wine grapes are planted in Himachal, we’ll get wines approximating this quality in, say, 20 years from now.
Till then, Cheers!
[Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant. The views expressed are his own]
