My Travelogue - Day 2 Paris (16th July 2013)

So trust me when I say this, but I have no idea where and how to start. So after an eventful day 1, I knew I was going to be struck by several amazing moments in the coming days. When I woke up on 16^th morning excitement levels were sky high.

We walked from the hotel to Place d’Italie bus station and caught the bus to Champs Elysees. Fun fact- people in Paris don’t know their roads. Technology plays a major part. Maps and GPS do all the magic. We got down at Champs Elysees and boss took out the map. We were in a pickle about where to go first. AARGHH! What a feeling it was. Nevertheless we went up to the second floor and the view of the city from up there was an experience in itself. Simply spectacular. Well, I wouldn’t say it was worth the queue though. Kidding.

On one side was the famous Louvre Museum and on the other side Arc de Triomphe. Since the Eifel tower was just walkable distance from Arc de Triomphe, we chose the latter. Walking along the sidepaths of Champs Elysees was definitely a treat to the eye. Souvenir and brand shops consumed the road in between. The Louis Vuitton head office was another “wow!! Look at that” moment. We reached Arc de Triomphe after a good 20 minutes’ walk. Well, Europe can get pretty hot at this time of the year and Paris was hot that day. We took the map and paved our way forward to Trocadero so that we could connect at Eiffel. Oh mother of god that was one hell of a walk. Tiring. But when you are do as the Parisians do. And that’s what we did.  Though we were exhausted by the time we reached the Eiffel tower we got our self a nice crush to rejuvenate ourselves because the queue to go to the top was not very promising. The queue was pretty lengthy and it went round and round and round around the tower. We waited for 3 hours in the mercy of the shade of the tower. And then when we reached the ticket counter the sign on top read, “TOP FLOOR TEMPORARILY CLOSED BECAUSE OF OVER CROWDING”

Hunger had struck me pretty hard by then. All I wanted was food. And of course, some nice beer. Kronenbourg  Biere Blanche came to my rescue along with lunch by the river with lamb and rice.  Yumm !!Wise men say that when you are hungry, it really shows the way you eat your food. I gobbled the food down and I was ready to hit the sack for the day. But the day had just begun. We headed to the Trocadero metro station and got the train back to the hotel. I must tell you that I was restless that I was not in touch with anyone back home and the only green side was that the Wi-Fi was active at the Hotel.

When you have a girlfriend back home you end up doing crazy things. So I changed into my tracks and headed out looking for an SFR store as suggested by a dear friend at the bar who I met the previous day. I got to the store and there was no one there who could speak English. I managed with sign language and broken English to make them understand that all I wanted was a Sim card with internet connectivity. Though I paid a bomb (how much, I don’t want to disclose here), I finally got myself a French number. To my horror the internet was not active and I cursed myself. Technology has indeed grown. We chat, whatsapp etc to bring your loved ones closer. But god darn, it all works on internet.

I rushed back to the hotel and got suited up for an experience of a life time -Le Lido C’est Paris. We had to contact Marie who was the International tourism Sales Manager for Lido, thanks to Cashin a regular at my bar who introduced us to her through mail. Further thanks to my new SFR connection we contacted her and she was ready outside waiting for us. We reached an hour early before dinner and the show. Marie was kind enough to show us around the place. Even the back of the house and also the PDR’s. She popped a Champagne bottle with us and accompanied us to the privileged seats. VIP Seats for LIDO for half the price was something unexpected.

We sat down and the dinner commenced with a bottle of champagne. I went for the kill with the menu ordering the foie gras with oven roasted peaches which was divine. Followed by Loin of Veal with Courgette, grilled mushrooms, olives and gravy which was a huge success with  amazingly cooked veal and to top it off Pompon Macaron Bonheur. The show commenced and there were colors everywhere. Artists gliding and mesmerizing the crowd with moves. Hot chicks flashing their ***** on your face was an interesting start but considering the walk from Champs Elysees  to Eiffel tower and the hunt for the sim card, the lion here could not growl with excitement anymore and went to bed in the cozy petit privileges seat of ours when the show was just half done. I remember been woken up by my boss with the words “watch it, I paid through my nose even after the discount.“ So yes, I did manage to catch the last 15 minutes. Trust me the show was fantastic but there is a limit to the entertainment a human body can take. We left Lido and did not want to make the mistake of taking a cab again. So we didn’t. Instead we enjoyed the street dancers on the way to the Roosevelt station and got into a metro and headed back to the hotel. I was darn hungry by the time I reached the hotel, god knows why. I went to a nearby café and ordered for a burger and fries and coke and that was it. Eternal glory. Mayonnaise and meat with mustard. May it be in France or may it be in India. Fattening but oh so good.

Ok , so the adjacent store was a booze store FYI and Indian mentality is quite strange. When we get beer in return as balance change, we just take it even if you did not want it in the first place. So yes I picked up Bavaria premium beer from Holland to wrap up my day.

I got back to the hotel and changed into something comfy. Though I was tired didn’t want to crash yet so I managed to sip the perfect brew and went online uploading some pictures on Facebook to make a lot of people jealous and slept away dreaming about tomorrow which was even more loaded.

My Travelogue -Day 1 Paris (15th July 2013)

When Shilpa Madkar, the food and beverage Professor, IHM Mumbai taught us about old world wines, I was one person who sat glued to whatever she said. We sat in awe while she drew maps on the board and tried to remember the regions she pointed out. One country that caught my attention was indeed France. For its wines, its regions and its classification, it was a cut above the rest. For a beginner in wines it’s always better you learn France as a wine region the last, because if you study about the wines of France it’s sure to confuse the wits out of you. Trust me. Been there done that. I took the risk of breaking down the complex wines of France and it was tough. In one such session I told myself that I would do anything to go there and experience France.

“If you have a dream, protect it”. I took Will Smith way too seriously when I watched his movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’.  Opportunities don’t come by again and again, so when one comes by  ,grab it and mutilate it- strong words! And that is all that I did.

Which is why I am right now in Paris. Enjoying what life has thrown my way so out of the blue.

Day 1 July 15^th 2013

The moment I got into the dream liner 727 Air India I knew I was going for the best ride of my life. I was disappointed that they did not give me a seat in front because I have very long limbs and economy class is not very broad minded when it comes to spacing. But I managed and shoved my bag inside the storage cabin and sat quietly.  Few minutes later, a gentle man came up to my boss and me and asked us to get up and follow him to the cockpit. I was a little skeptical thinking there was a problem, and followed him quietly. We reached the first class executive seats and he said “You will be travelling first class to Paris” and I was like what the!!! Wow! Now that was surprise number 1. I could have played football if I wanted to with the space I had to myself. I sat like a king, figuring out all the gadgets. Playing around with my recliners and whiling away time drinking away to glory. After a while I lost track of what I was drinking but Paris was still another couple of hours away. The most comfortable flight experience that I have ever had where I was pampered to the core.

After landing in Paris, confusion ensued. Too many options! So there was a Roissy bus which goes to the city, and there were shuttles that go to Paris on a sharing basis, RER trains, Taxis etc etc and we were like, “now what??”

The “now what” had to be answered fast because we had a dinner to get to. So without second thoughts we hopped onto a train, dragging the luggage up and down the stairs of every time we had to change trains. Finally Place d’Italie. The moment I got off the metro and stepped out I could smell life, love, joy, food and booze in all its Paris-ness. Well- planned, identical buildings; clean roads; roadside cafés filled with people enjoying drinks or making conversation or just chilling. I was in love with Paris already.

We checked into the hotel after a good stroll trying to locate it. After a quick shower I dressed up for the occasion. As Barney Stinson, from the famous sitcom, How I Met Your Mother would have said it, I suited up.

 Destination was Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, a michelin three star restaurant run by world renowned chef Alain Ducasse. I remember reading about michelin star restaurants when I was in college.  It was great to have a classification of restaurants on the basis of the service they offered, I thought. When I started working in the industry, my knowledge about such restaurants grew and I started hearing more and more about each restaurant. Fat duck, L’Arpège, Pierre Gagnaire, Savoy and many other fantastic restaurants became dearer to me.

We reached Plaza Athénée Hotel at 10 pm and what startled me was that the sun was just setting. So late?!!.  The concierge directed us the restaurant and the hostess greeted us and told us that the chef de cuisine was expecting us. Now that was a special moment. Yes, they are aware that we are from the Taj Hotels ,Resorts and Palaces but an entry straight to the Kitchen was fab. We were met by Christopher Saintage, chef de cuisine of Alain Ducase au Plaza Athénée. He showed us around and we spoke for a while. He was bloody well sure that we were going to love the experience. I could see that in his eyes.

We were seated in well set, nicely laid tables with the best cutlery, crockery and glassware. Stewards opened the napkins for us and poured us water. Just after they took leave, a lady came up to us and presented the menu and the moment she turned away there was a portion of relish on the table. Cured sea bass on toast that melted in my mouth. We went through the menu and before I could call for any one a steward came to us and started explaining each dish. Suggested the classics of the restaurant and how we should plan the meal. We settled with what we wanted to have. For mains, boss man had lobster and I called for a good turbot and for desserts Framboise and Baba au Rhum

We started with the relish. As soon as we finished with the bit sized relish , we were served an amuse- bouche with steamed vegetables and  dip. I couldn’t figure out what the dip was exactly but I promise you it was legendary. While we made our way through it, the big bread trolley came to our table. We were asked to select  what we wanted to have.  Even if it sounds a little clichéd, I have to say this, the French know how to bake. The sommelier came and suggested some wines and since I was having fish I thought of going with a nice Riesling. The service was truly commendable. Perfectly synchronized. The mains arrived in style and I enjoyed every bite like it was my last. Flawlessly cooked, not flaky, not mushy turbot, served with spices and herbs with a sauce which blended so well with the fish. The flavours were so divine.

Once we were done with the main course it was promptly cleared, the table crumbed and cutleries aligned for dessert. I have heard about world class fine dining service but this is the first time I experienced it. The sommelier bought his liquor trolley to the table and I had to choose which Rhum I would like to have with my Baba au Rhum. I tasted several good Rhums from Jamaica , Barbados and Martinique and I finally settled with Rhum 1987 from Martinique for its elegant aroma and subtle flavors. The Baba au Rhum was exemplary.

The entire experience was one worth the Euros we spent at the restaurant. As a parting gift we were handed a packet of sea salt as a souvenir to carry back to India. I was out of words and moreover I was stuffed. We headed back to the hotel and hit the nearby café for a beer and closed our action packed first evening in Paris.

Statutory warning: Never choose to travel by taxi in Paris if you are planning to save money for a better experience.  Bloody expensive. (Learned it the hard way). 

BIO DYNAMIC WINES - FOR A GREENER PLANET

The world has had its revelation. The human race has changed incredibly turning destroyer from creator, and now they are moving on as a Sustainer. Now, the whole world is in a quest to sustain and protect whatever is tangible. Work in a way that secures the future and future generations won’t curse us for the harm that we have done to their sustainability because of our crude actions. We as a race are trying to reduce the use of so many things which are indeed harmful and are constantly trying to invent things, which are greener, cleaner and friendlier for humanity .From the food we consume to the way it has been produced we have given birth to a new prefix – “ORGANIC”.
Well the world of wines has had this revelation way back in the 19th century. Through a series of interesting lectures on agriculture by Dr. Rudolf Steiner back in 1920’s the word Biodynamic came into being. At present it has become a copyright term so I am not very sure if it is right on my part to use it throughout my article. Kidding. In the recent past the culinary and beverage industry have seen a lot of terms which sound complicated and technically corny like Molecular Gastronomy, Molecular Mixology, Organic farming ,biodynamic wines and so on.
What exactly are biodynamic wines? Well, before my research on the topic, my impression on the biodynamic wine was that it is produced by keeping in mind the age old hoogga hoogga dance around the fire before planting the wines followed by another session of jigga jigga dance during harvesting and another couple of such entertainers in every other step. Well no one can say that I was completely wrong. Because bio dynamic wines are actually produced keeping in mind the farming techniques attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. Which means biodynamic wines are cultivated by linking sowing and harvesting to the phases of the moon or the positions of the planets; it can also include burying cow manure in a cow's horn over the winter, unearthing it in the spring , diluting a minute amount of the substance in 34 liters of water, "Dynamizing" it by stirring it by hand in alternating directions for an hour spring or so and then spraying the mixture over one's vineyard.
In the recent years the trend of biodynamic wines have spread like wildfire in many leading regions including France, Italy, Austria ,Germany, Australia ,south Africa, Canada ,Chile and the United States and now there are over 450 biodynamic wine producers in the whole world and that number is increasing at a rapid rate. Several large producers of these regions have started adopting biodynamic viniculture. And when one of the best houses of France - Romanee Contee started coming up with biodynamic wines I was dead sure that this revelation was on to something. Though it is quite similar to organic wine making it also emphasizes the significance of healthy soil for cultivation, by use of natural compost which is mainly

mineral, vegetal or animal material in a very stringent quantity throughout the process. What excites me is that the farmers are so particular and they plant and tend to their crops according to the calendar where the energy in the plant is at peak due to some natural phenomenon and the precision in which these details are considered are at an epitome. Use of less chemicals reduces the sulfur content in the soil, creating each bottle of wine with minimum handling. The sulfur content in the wine is also of very high importance but the wine makers know it is required just in the right quantity or let me use the term “traces” so as to balance the wine in transit. It’s quite true that biodynamic wines do bring out the true flavors of the fruit because of its lack of intervention using other chemicals and hence the wine is more exclusive though low in alcoholic content when compared to its counterparts. The winemakers have observed that the biodynamic wines are more vibrant and claim that these wines are stronger and clearer in taste and are drinkable for a longer period of time. One another interesting thing noted is that there is a clear connection between the physiological ripeness of the fruit with the sugar content present which makes it a balanced wine and this helps to keep the alcoholic content perfectly balanced and same even where there is a change in the climatic condition.
All said and done, not everybody is very convinced about the quality, longevity and the durability of these wines. Especially a lot of resistance coming from the old world wine regions in lending out the appellation for Biodynamic wines and hence it is only given a simple “Vin de Table”- table wine. Well that does not mean that the wines produced biodynamically are an easy buy in the market like every other table wine. It has its own special way of being charged at a premium much like the sought after sourdough bread or the unpasteurized cheese. But not to forget, not just any winery can call them biodynamic, there is a very strict process that they must adhere to so that they can be classified as biodynamic.
When the whole world is embracing this new gig I was asking myself what Indian wineries were doing about it. I am sure they are certainly embracing the sustainability and organic shift that is taking place but considering the youth of the industry they have a long way to go before they can take that next step. The immediate goal right now seems to get the industry off the ground before taking that plunge, but it’s nice to know the big wigs in the industry, such as Rajeev Samant CEO of Sula Vineyards, are talking about it.
Now we just have to wait and see how this new hurricane is going to change the whole segment of the beverage industry. Till then I think you should just forget the lunar alignments and planetary changes and just enjoy the glass of beautifully crafted biodynamic wine and you will learn for yourself how special it can be.

INDIA SHINING - THE VITIS VINIFERA WAY!!

When I thought about writing about Indian wines taking the advice of my good friend Sherine Thomas, I didn’t really know that I was stepping into an ocean of information. I really don’t want to start this piece by give you the market figures and statistics. That will make the read quite morbid. Stastical figures here in the article is strictly for wow and boo purpose of comparison. I had an interesting but a month long research that I had to do to shape up this piece on the ever evolving and never changing risky, but classy market- The Wine Market, India.
The history of Indian wines date back to 2500 BC it seems. I wonder what they called this fermented grape juice then in India. It’s believed that it was the Persians who introduced the wines to the Indian people and thus got us all drunk. In 1844 Indian wines were showcased in the great exhibition of Calcutta. That’s an interesting fact. But the producers of these wines came into light and brands came into being in the dawn of 20th century. In the late 1970’s two new wines: Golconda (Shaw & Wallace) and Bosca (UB) became much popular to the wine explorers. Chateau Indage was a later part in the bargain and Grover vineyards set the trend moving for Indian wines. According to me the wine market was at the verge of slowing down when MR Rajeev Samanth gave up his Silicon Valley job and started growing vines in the 20 acre farm of his family in the Nashik valley. It was not late when he had Kerry Damsky, the Davis trained winemaker from Sonoma onboard his new venture.

After the success of Sula sauvignon Blanc in 1997 & later the Chenin Blanc which became the biggest seller in India, there was no looking back for Mr Samanth. Grover vineyards in the state of Karnataka also started making some brilliant wines at the same time. Michal Rolland, the Bordeaux consultant kept Grover in roll with the competition.
God! I am talking as if there is only Sula and Grover in the whole of the Indian wine market. Totally forgot to step into the international wine market.

India is the 2nd largest populated country. 1.24 billion. God! Now that’s a whooping big number. If you take into account the per capita amount of wine being consumed in India it sadly comes down to an estimate of 11ml and that’s a miniscule amount. The per-capita consumption of 11 ml when compared to the world over consumption of 4 litres , 8 litres of United states , 2 litres of china and a whooping 40 litres in France shows where India stands when it comes to consumption. India has a long way to go from becoming a wine destination, but given the progress that Sula made in just over a year, the future does indeed look brighter. We can clearly see that there is a huge growth potential in this sector and all we have to do is to create & enable an environment suitable for the grape farmers and the end consumers.

 Maharashtra does head the majority of total wine production in India, which is followed by the southern state of Karnataka, the major players in Karnataka being the UB group and Grovers vineyard. One of the interesting things I noticed about the four season house set up by UB in Rotti ,Baramati is its structure with the small water body in front which resembles the classic Bordeaux houses.
Lets talk about the consumption trend now. Indian men are stuck with their brandy and whisky and the Indian youth are so stuck with vodka and beer. They do not want to appreciate the brilliance of this amazing beverage or they are too lazy for a change. I and my friends did fall under the latter category for a long period of time. The major portion of wine consumers in Inida hail from cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore & Goa. Not to forget there are some adventurous people from Calcutta, Pune and Hyderabad too who are looking for some change and don’t want to follow drinking what their ancestors have been drinking .No offense meant. There are nearly 2 million people in India who actually consume wine and it’s an interesting fact that about 10% of this figure opts for wine as their preferred beverage.

The Indian market size at present stands at 1.2 million cases at present where the domestic wines alone take a share of 435000 cases and cheap entry level wines account for another 590000 cases. Sidhartha Mallya , heir to the UB group says that the current alcohol penetration in India is around 42.5%, while beer and whisky beverage penetration holds to 26 % and 23 % respectively. Wine can claim only a tiny 0.6% and there is a long way to go. People still have to understand the wine is not a drink which can only be enjoyed over dinner at a fine dining restaurant.

Many people are investing in the wineries off lately. They are under the impression that setting up a vineyard is equal to plowing profits in future. May be it is true but they don’t understand it’s not the near future. Like every other agricultural product there is a lot of risk that is involved and a lot of cost that is incurred. According to Sovna Puri, DGM Marketing &head of training and tasting, Sula vineyards, it takes 5-10 years for any vineyard to get its return on investment. Profit is a distant dream. Many vineyards open with all hey and ho but is shut down within 1-2 years of its operation. The shelves getting empty is not really a direct indicator of the wine doing well in the market. I remember Mr Ankur Chawla , Restaurant manager ,Taj Mahal Hotel , New Delhi shared with me a list of wines and tasting notes that he made on Indian wines . I was shocked to see there was over 65 different wineries and their wines featuring in the tasting session. I must admit that I only knew a few of them and that too only the key players in the market. The government policies in India are to blame for this as we have strict regulation on advertisement pertaining to alcoholic beverages. The wine lovers are not updated about the new entrants and these new entrants in the market lack the push it can get from advertisement and marketing.

India has made its presence felt in the international market as well lately, with Waitrose becoming the first UK supermarket to stock wines from the subcontinent. Ritu Viognier and Zampa Syrah are beautifully executing it at Waitrose. Sula vineyard’s Sauvignon Blanc 2010 winning the silver medal at the decanter world wine awards and the honours going to two Indian wines namely Frateli chardonnay 2011 which won the commendation and Zampa Reserve 2010 bagging the bronze medal at the 9th Annual Decanter wine Awards. That’s not all IGPT( Indian grape Processing Board) also helped in putting the Indian wine market at the centre stage where Indian wines were featured at ProWein in Dusseldorf – the worlds no1 wine trade show. All these factors are helping Indian wines to make an immense impact on the international market.

There are several wines in India that hold the making of a great statement, may it be in the domestic or international market, may it be in the Indo-Italian venture of Fratelli, Mr Samanth’s Sula vineyards, Grovers , Seagrams nine hills of Pernod Ricard , Four Seasons and Zinzi of the UB group or the latest fruit wines by LUCA , India is all set to be a wine destination and is in the process of proving Michel Rolland wrong when he said ‘India makes good wines but not great wines’.

Jai Hind.

THE WINEMAKER : THE WIZARD OF THE VINEYARD

 When you pick up a bottle of an old world wine and read out the label the first thing you probably notice on the bottle would be the large letters that specify the appellation or the area of production, next to it the  house or the chateau and then the vintage and then the other information.  It’s hard to see an old world wine carrying the varietal as the main component in the bottle label when compared to a new world wine bottle. What I am talking about here is not the label but the importance the old world wine regions give to such things -the regions and sub-regions, the communes, the clos and the chateaus and most important- the terroir.

The terroir which is the combination of the climate, water, soil and temperature or sunshine has a substantial effect on the wine produced in the old world regions.  The minerality in the soil gives you that very profound taste in the wine, the chalkiness which gives the wine its acidic essence etc. is completely due to the soil condition.  The cold breeze that caresses the grape during its growing stages is also due to the effect of the climate.  The concept of terroir came into being due to the centuries of trial and error methods that defined wine making in old school areas and over time certain areas have come to be associated with certain grape varietal, wine style, and even bottle shape.  The terroir in such regions create an immense variation in the final product.  The old world wines over time claimed the intellectual right over the concept of terroir and its decisive influence on winemaking.  But today as you can see more and more new world wine has also become terroir driven. What the worlds wine regions is losing out here is the addition of one more powerful component which contributes in creating exclusive wines even if they fall in the same terroir and they follow the same production technique - the Wine Maker himself.

The roots of this post carry the reference to my earlier work where I spoke about the complex world of wines   where I mentioned that the terroir also includes the wine maker himself.  I was criticized by saying the winemaker can never be a part of the terroir.  My beloved readers, technically you are right.  He cannot be, but my perception is that the wine maker is he/she who does justice to what nature blesses him or her.  The wine maker is skilled in creating the perfect blend over and over again with the same distinctive taste, aromas and flavors in every bottle year after year after year. The wine maker is like the Dumbledore of the vineyard, the most powerful wizard who can do magic with varietal growing in a vineyard.  Jokes apart, he is the one skilled technician who knows the science, who knows the technology and who knows the minutest aspect of growing the grapes, harvesting the grapes and finally fermenting and blending it to create that same magic in a million bottles.  I believe a wine maker’s status is equivalent to any brilliant scientist.  They even have a special name unto themselves in big wineries- oenologists.  The winemaker has to be there throughout coordinating people working in that vineyard or the very many vineyards the house has, supervise every step in production.  He also has a major say in the marketing of the bottles, future planting programs, and what new steps or changes has to be done for the next harvest or the next season.  And not to forget difficult vintages would mean extra skills from the wine maker’s part to harness the best possible wine from a poor harvest. And hence it’s rightly put that a great terroir minus the skills of a wine maker is like an orchestra minus the conductor.

I must say I was a little unlucky that I missed the opportunity to meet Paul Pontallier, the winemaker, Chateau Margaux as I was on leave and I was munching on my mom’s special delicacies (for which I was indeed lucky).  But my colleagues who got to meet him shared with me that he had to spend a decent amount of time in laboratories tasting and re-tasting the blends created so that he can figure out which will make that perfect blend and unique taste of Chateau Marguaux wine bottle.  So my statement that the wine maker is also a scientist holds  major value here, I believe. Don’t forget the wine maker’s role does not end after the wine is bottled and is ready for sale, that’s just the beginning.  His skill in making the wine ends in the vineyard but the major skill required for a wine maker is the interpersonal and communication skills which should be as good as any marketer.  He should be able to speak about his wine and tell how distinct it is from others.  Most of the winemaker today  in the old world regions are busy learning languages like Mandarin ,Japanese and Korean as these places have become massive markets for the old world wines especially Bordeaux and Burgundian wines.  Above all this the most important requirement a wine maker should possess is experience.

You cannot make a good finished product if you don’t have the decent raw materials to produce it.  That is a universal fact.  The same rule applies for the world of wines.  If you don’t have the good raw material because of unfavorable terroir or some other reason, don’t forget that the wine maker has the skill , the science,  the technology and experience to yet create the best blend of the season.  “A great wine is crafted in the vineyard, not in the cellar” says Henry Jayer who is credited with introducing incredible innovations with Burgundian wine making.  He believed low yields are the foundation of truly great wines.  He pioneered the now universal idea that wine making begins in the vineyard.  He has experienced the process of extreme wine making. The terroir and the harvest cannot always be in your favour but the winemakers know what exactly has to be done. Bruno De Lambert, winemaker and owner, Chateau de Sales in Pomerol which is the largest estate of Pomerol explains the role of a wine maker in a very catchy way. He says,” The Vine is the medium that joins the sky and the earth - the two greatest elements of terroir - in holy matrimony.  The wine maker is the priest who solemnizes the marriage!

So I believe I have answered your question on how the wine maker becomes evidently the most important part of the terroir.  And I am sure the next time you pick up a bottle of wine you will definitely remember that a lot of effort from the wine maker has gone into making the 5 glasses of wine that you enjoy over dinner.

Cheers 

FROM MASS TO CLASS:EVOLUTION OF LUXURY SPIRITS & THE CONSUMER

It’s crazy how the world moves these days.  Everything is always moving into a new dimension.  And there should always be a superior product to every normal product or even every premium product.  It’s hard to believe that premium products in the market these days have a superior brand over it.  And these products or services get broadly termed as “Luxury goods.”  What are luxury goods all about?  They are those Products and services that are not considered essential and are associated with affluence.  The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization.  Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies.  With the clear differences between social classes in earlier civilizations, the consumption of luxury was limited to the elite classes.

Every industry has seen this transition, an evolution of luxury goods in to their portfolio.  I was kind of shocked to understand a luxury item is an item for which demand increases proportionally as income rises, and is a contrast to a "necessity item", for which demand is not related to income. Here today right now I do not want to play around with such huge topic as I will be talking to you about this small segment that interested me and that’s nothing other than “Luxury Spirits.”

As I told you earlier normal has become an understatement for most who are living in this world and luxury has kind of become the in-thing.  People demand for more classic more finer and more glorious products .Consumers are continually looking at something which delivers more quality setting them apart from the rest of the world.  The word “Luxury” has transformed from not just being the price element but to quality, unique experience, satisfaction achieved and much more.

It’s a simple game.  When people have more disposable income and their lifestyle itself has changed from wanting luxury brands, the beverage market which was not a key market 15 years back, has to live up to the expectations of the luxury segment like every other market.  And mind you, this market where the consumers may be drinking less but better is going to be the reality for the beverage industry in some years to come.  The price part of this segment is rarely looked into as each luxury spirit brand has a story to tell, a perception and an experience to be lived and cherished.  As I told you there is a unique story attached to every Luxury spirit.  This story itself makes it special and worth all the money and sets it apart from everything else and that story itself forms a means to market it.

According to Rohan Jelkie, Training Manager at Tulleeho Beverage Innovations, Every luxury spirit becomes important or special because they use superior raw materials for its production, may have an extra distillation process, usually have a unique production process, a unique finish, high end packaging and the entire marketing spend for the final product would be around 25% of the total revenue.

Let’s take the example of one of the luxury spirit which has a story to tell.  Cognac has always been special to the world.  It was and still is a Gentle Man’s drink.  But if you happen to hear about the story of LOUIS XIII de Remy Martin which comes under the portfolio of Remy Cointreau you will be amazed.  I was amazed when Vincent Cleme, Brand Ambassador of Louis XIII, India shared it with me.  Well the bottle of Louis XIII is a Pine Crystal bottle whose neck is 24 carat gold plating and he says that it takes 4 days and 7 people to make just the bottle.  The spirit inside has a bigger story to tell.  Being a blend of over 1200 euax de vie , of which the least aged is at least 40 years old.  After the master blender blends this its aged for over a century that is the person who blends the wine will never get to see the spirit hitting the market and may be even their children won’t.  And this unique process gives it its tagline –“A Century in a Bottle.”  Going a step further the Louis XIII launched a new limited edition collection called the BLACK PEARL, which were 786 individually numbered Barracat crystal bottles which got sold out in 2 months within its launch.

There are more examples, the Tequila Ley .925, which hold the Guinness Record for the world’s most expensive tequila is yet another luxury spirit which is a 2kg show of gold and platinum.  Also the very famous gin, Martin Muller, makes a journey of 3000 km before its bottled.  It travels from England to Iceland where it  gets blended with the water from Iceland and back to England where it is finally bottled. The impressive story of Ron Zacapa, which is a rum produced in Guatemala, a place which borders Mexico is the only rum which is produced using the Solera system of fractional blending which is used in the production of Sherry.  Coming to vodka, my personal favourite -Grey Goose of Bacardi Martini carries the tag line “The world’s best tasting Vodka.”  Dimitri Lenzinska ,Global brand ambassador on up-selling grey goose vodka proudly tell us about the Grey Goose being the only vodka having a respected maitre de chai from cognac. Made with 100% winter wheat and respecting the quality of wheat and the distillation process creates all the flavours specific to Grey Goose Vodka, he says.

Every big producer, may it be Diageo , Pernod Ricard, LVMH, Remy Cointreau etc have extended a new portfolio as Luxury Brand which is superior to the premium brands in the portfolio and that’s how the wind of luxury has struck the beverage industry.  The luxury beverage market in India is booming at a very fast rate.  Indians are trying new and more expensive spirits to experiment or even demonstrate status and the latter is a good deal for us who are in the industry :P.  The ban on luxury advertising in India is a huge set back though .It takes away a major marketing tool I must say.  But I am sure the marketers and brand managers always come up with better practices and better ways to let the world know about their brands and its uniqueness through launch parties, tasting sessions and lot other means.

 I believe this trend in luxury spirit will live and enjoy the status in the economy for a real good time and until then don’t forget that "beer has become a bit boring now, there is more of a statement created when you walk into a bar and order for a Grey Goose Martini."

It’s a complex world of wines

I remember the first I time I walked into a wine cellar of a hotel. Yes, that dimly lit cold room, cozy And comfortable that no one really pays attention to, not really. It was during the initial days of my Industrial training at Jumeirah beach hotel Dubai, where I found out that this dim lit room (which is Colder than the ambient temperature) is my friend and my only friend in the hotel because no one Could see me inside and I was indeed happy spending time inside, clearing my head and busting

levels of stress by myself. Oh my! Don’t think I was miserable in life; it was just a getaway spot.

But slowly the bottles stacked on the unique shelves of the room kind of caught my attention and I always wondered why these bottles were kept tilted and some were horizontal and some were inside a Chiller inside the already cold room . Being a teenager there are no boundaries to questions that can just pop up in your mind. Why this, why that, why is it this way, why is it that way and so on and things like that. And the only person I could go to at that moment who had all the answers to my question was Miss Elena, who was the then asst outlet manager of Latitude, the multi cuisine restaurant cum coffee shop of JBH. People in the hotel used to call her a junior wine sommelier. For some odd reason my concept of a wine sommelier is a guy who walks around with a tasting glass hanging down his collar who wears a red tie and who has the authority to taste any wine before even the guest tastes it. She neither wore a red tie nor had the hanging cup nor did she taste any wines. Then it struck me, she was called a junior sommelier because she knew the complex world of wines.

So let me tell you my dear friends it is all part of the same old game. Starting from the plantation ,nourishing and harvesting and crushing, de-stemming, pressing and fermentation followed by filtration, clarification and bottling and aging was all what I thought is to a bottle of wine that anyone can grab from a decent wine shop. But fortunately the story of every single bottle is more intense

and sentimental like a life of a human being itself with lot of feelings and emotions planted in by the wine maker himself. Each bottle is crafted and nourished with that same sentiments and love and care like we give the whole world to our children. And to know about these sentiments and these intense feelings you should be able to travel deep down to the complexities involved in the process of wine making. Not just to the countries, the regions nor to the villages or the communes not even the chateaus but to the soil, the climate, the water, the sunshine and not to forget the wine maker himself which the French collectively call “the Terroir”. And so going back to Jumeirah beach hotel working with my manager, the “junior sommelier “ and spending my time in the stress busting room called the “ wine room” that’s all I did- break the complexities of wines, learn the terroir and try and figure out why in the world is it so difficult to understand the language of wines.

 

Each wine gets its distinctive character from the grape varieties that are used and when you blend the varietal with a different grape it’s give an entirely different flavour and guess what’s even more challenging, a sauvignon blanc grown in the cold terroir of France will differ significantly from a sauvignon blanc grown in south Africa and its exceedingly different from what is grown in new Zealand. Nobody ever said that it is easy to know or learn the language of wines. And it was indeed not easy for me too. I blabber a lot about wines about their characteristics, about how beautiful they are on the palate, how unique it is and how the terroir affects the production and so on and things like that but evidently I am just aware of 5 % knowledge of the complex world of wines and the rest 95% is still looking at me and smiling.

So basically the next time when someone tells you that I can get floral and black fruits in the wine or some dried nuts and tropical fruits, go ahead and give them another 100 things that you can taste in the wine. Because you are never wrong as it is your taste buds and they can’t disagree but when you know what exactly you are talking about and you know why and how such flavours develop in a wine and why such flavours become prominent. Then you can proudly say ,”yes I cracked the complexities of the world of wines”!!!

Cheers.