Nowhere in the world do rains impact life as much as the monsoons in the Indian subcontinent, bringing life-giving water for the parched land and replacing the searingly hot “loo” that blows in Delhi and the north Indian plains in the summer with cool winds. In the semi-arid Deccan plateau area, the transformation is almost magical: overnight the landscape changes, from browns to greens, from dry and hot to wet and cool.
Time, perhaps, for a new set of wines to go with the change of season.
Wine consumers are unlike whisky consumers or beer-drinkers — they want variety. Of course, the stuff has to be reasonably priced. Given that, wine aficionados are an adventurous lot, willing to try brands and grapes they may not even have heard of (but if the wine is not of good quality, they will not return).
Unfortunately, the choice of wines available to us is fairly limited. Wines produced in India suffer from a lack of differentiation as most are made from only four grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. It’s almost as if He had decreed that “Thou Shalt Grow Only French Varietals”! There is only a single Sangiovese, just one Grenache (that too as a blend), one Merlot, a few Zinfandels, and that’s about it. There are no wines at all from other parts of Europe — which is sad because Spain, Portugal, the south of France and Italy have scores of grape varieties which, I am sure, would do well here. It’s understandable that cold-climate grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling) do not do well here — but why is nobody growing grapes like Pinotage, Malbec, or Tempranillo (to name but three varietals that may suit our terroir)? How about grapes from Sicily (where the climate is hot and dry, like in India), or the floral and sweet Torrontes (originally from Spain)?
An exception is Vintage Wines (Nashik), which had come out some time back with a Nero d’Avola (red) and Grillo (white), and has recently launched Reveilo Sangiovese, another wine made from what are originally Italian wine grapes, now grown in its own vineyards.
Sangiovese is the main grape of Chianti, the distinctive wine of Tuscany. Famous Chiantis include Ruffino, Antinori, Frescobaldi, and Querciabella. Sangiovese also features prominently in “Super Tuscans”, where the grape is less than 85 per cent; the rest usually being well-known French varietals. These are complex and expensive wines; labels available in India include Sassicaia, Tignenello, and Brancaia.
Like a good Chianti, the Reveilo Sangiovese is very dark red, with dark cherry and berry aromas, a full-bodied mouthfeel, firm tannins (that soften with aeration), and a good long finish. Quite yummy, really — the wine will do well with most continental cuisines, particularly red meats, while being able to pair well with medium-spiced Indian and oriental dishes. It is also interesting to have on its own, as an aperitif — just ensure you decant the wine beforehand and allow it to “breathe” before quaffing. Priced at Rs 695 in Mumbai, this is a wine well worth trying.
I know that some of the wineries with their own vineyards have experimental plots of different grape varietals, and one looks forward to more such wines being available — at least these will have some differentiation from their vanilla cousins.
As the Italians say, cin cin.
The writer is a Bangalore-based wine consultant
