Wine

  • Vallonne Vineyards – Nashik

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    Vallonne Vineyards – Nashik

    The last stop on wine tour was Vallonne Vineyards. The boutique winery lies on the gentle slopes of the Sahyadri mountain ranges and the Mukhne Lake overlooking the Kavnai Peak, making it an ideal place for vineyards.

    Vineyards on Slope

    With their wine making techniques and state-of-the-art technology their wines include Malbec, Rose, Vin De Passerillage and Anokhee Cabernet Sauvignon which are unique offerings in the Indian wine market.

    Wine Educator Chetan

    Enthusiastic Chetan, their wine executive, with his wonderful  knowledge was the tour guide & expert who then took us through their wine processing production line to their  fascinating barrel ageing cellar where the  temperature is regulated. The filling of nitrogen in bottle to using nitrogen dry ice in the case of white wine at the beginning. Well every bit was useful input during the tour

    Barrel Cellar

    The tasting of the wine was uniquely held & included:
    Vallonne Riesling
    Vallonne Viognier Reserve Collection
    Vallonne Rose Cab Sauvignon
    Vallonne Merlot Reserve
    Vallonne Vin de Passerillage ( Dessert wine)

    The Tasting Line up

    Must say thier limited release Vin de Passerillage ( Dessert wine) which reminded me of the ice wine was a luscious treat. This one is produced in small quantities from the good handpicked grapes, sun-dried to ensure the highest concentration of aromas and sugars. The rich, deep golden wine has a wonderful complex nose nostalgic with hints of honey, vanilla, melons, citrus and apricot which said to pair perfect
    with rich chocolate, fruit tarts, dried fruits, ice creams and cheeses.

    Cheers Chetan

  • Grover Zampa Vineyards – Nashik

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    Grover Zampa Vineyards – Nashik

    Was excited & looking forward to  visit this winery which is know for some of its’ finest wines. However, was a bit disappointed as their winery was under revamping.

    With Wine Educator Shushant

    Nonetheless Wine Coñnoisseur & Educator Shushant was gracious to invite us for the tour and tasting.  He was so welcoming and gave us the insight to their wine making process.

    Vineyards

    The Vineyards of Tempranillo, Granache, Viognier  and Syrah were so enticing.

    Wine Storage in Concrete Tanks and Maturation in French Oak Barrels

    He talked about the terroir and how it is so conducive to the grape varietals, to pruning process, harvesting, grape selection, pressing technique to preserve the freshness and maintain the softness of the wine, fermentation, filtering, storing in stainless steel & cement tanks imported from Italy, New Oak Barrels aging, bottling & packaging. He talked about Michel Rolland the French Oenologist & Mathias Pellissard Viticultureist who are instrmental in bringing their expertise to their vineyards.

    Barrel Cellar

    The Barrel Cellar to Packaging was perfectly explained.

    Packaging Wine Bottles

    Their collection includes Insignia, Chene, Auriga, Vijay Amritraj, Soiree, La reserve, Art collection depicting paintings by renowned artists on the label, Zampa & more.
    The wine varieties tasted & analysed were:
    Grover Sauvignon Blanc
    Grover Rose
    Grover Cabernet Shiraz
    Grover La Reserve 
    Grover Chenin Blanc

    Tasting Table

    Their La reserve was power packed with delicious black fruits, hint of spice. In the palate dark creamy intense  chocolate, roasted beans, vanilla& soft tannins with a good long finish.

    Had lots of fun & knowledge!

  • Sula Vineyards – Nashik

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    Sula Vineyards – Nashik

    During my working years with the Indian Customs in Mumbai, I had set my mind to visit Wineries of Nashik. However, due to time constraint and work commitments I could not make it. Post my voluntary retirement, the first thing I decided was to fulfill this dream. So before I could set myself to a WSET Level 2 course in Wines, I decided to tour Nashik Wineries during the month of February 2020.

    At the Entrance

    Sula Vineyards -Nashik

    I started with Sula Vineyards located in the region of Nashik also called “India’s Napa Valley which was founded in the year 1998 by Rajeev Samant. Sula was named after his mother – Sulabha. Initially, the vineyards introduced grape varietals such as Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling and Zinfandel. Thereafter, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache, Viognier were in!

    The Vineyards

    Sula conducts their wine tour on a regular basis and we could get the slot of 11.30 am to 12.30 pm. Since we were early and had a good 90 minutes, I decided to take the Vineyard tour. The entrance to the Sula Vineyard is magnificent which leads to some well manicured garden and par excellence architecture on the right and beautiful vineyards to the left. Apart from the amphitheater, they have stay facilities – The Source at Sula and Beyond by Sula. You come across the directions signpost with distance to many countries. A tour of their Wine shop which had an array of their products displayed with prices is a must visit to get a knowledge about their wines.

    The Wine Shop

    Some of the famous wines produced by them are:

    Red Wines: Rasa Shiraz, Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon, Dindori Reserve Shiraz, Sula Cabernet Shiraz, Sula Zinfandel, Satori Merlot Malbec, Mosaic Grenache Syrah, Dia Red,
    White Wines: Dindori Reserve Viognier, Sula Sauvignon blanc, Sula Chenin blanc, Sula Riesling, Sula Chenin blanc Reserve, Mosaic Chenin Sauvignon,
    Dia White, Rosé Wine, Sula Zinfandel Rosé, Mosaic Grenache Syrah Rosé
    Sparkling Wines: Sula Brut, Sula Brut Rosé, Sula Seco, Sula Seco Rosé ,

    The Wine Educator

    Finally around 11.30 am met Nidad the Wine Educator who then took us around explaining their journey from grape to  glass. The insight to their wine making process was well explained.

    The Oak Cellar

    Thoroughly enjoyed a personalized wine tasting at The Tasting Cellar where we tasted & analysed
    -Sparkling Wine – Brut Chardonnay
    -Sauvignon Blanc
    -Dindori Reserve Chardonnay
    -Rassa Syrah
    -Rassa Cabernet Sauvignon
    -Late Harvest Chenin Blanc

    Tasting Session

    It was a perfect wine tasting session starting from bubbly brut to the whites then the Reds & finally culminating to the dessert wine. 

    Cheers Sula!





  • Wine Seduction

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    Wine Seduction

    Ingredients

    Le Grand Pinot Noir – 60 ml
    Glenlivet Single Malt – 20 ml
    Bols Dry Orange Curacao – 10 ml
    Angostura Bitters – 5 drops
    Tangerine Juice – 10 ml
    Strawberry as garnish
    .

    Preparation Method

    In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine Wine, Whiskey, Curacao & Lemon Juice. Shake well and strain into a Wine glass. Add the bitters. Squeeze the Tangerine peel lightly to release its oils and run around the rim of the glass & garnish it red strawberry. Enjoy
    .
    Cheers!

  • Robert Mondavi Winery Tour – Napa Valley – Oakville – California

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    Robert Mondavi Winery Tour – Napa Valley

    The North Coast is home to the grape region and has put California wine on the world map. So when I visited the west coast of US, I made it a point to tour one of the winery and my brother Umesh Jadhav, residing in Sacramento, introduced me to the world-renowned Robert Mondavi Winery visitor center located in the heart of the Napa Valley.  We took their 90 minutes signature tour and tasting. This in-depth winery tour follows the path of the grape from the vineyard to the cellar to the finished wine.

    Robert Mondavi Winery – Napa Valley

    The stylish architecture with the bell tower and amazing archway gives the entrance a stunning look. As you look around, you come across several statues, paintings and other works of art giving the entire area a classic touch of elegance.

    The entrance

    Once you are in you have this wonderful looking garden with the Welcoming Muse sculptured by John Waddell. An ideal place to relax and taste wine is on the benches and stone walls near this main lawn.  

    Welcoming Muse by John Henry Waddell the famous Sculptor and Painter

    Here is where we meet our wine educator who then takes us through the signature tour and tasting. He shared an informative overview of the winery, it’s rich history and general information about the region.

    Vineyard

    The vineyard looks breathtaking. We toured for a quick vineyard overview which was followed by a visit to the impressive fermentation room.

    Tour Educator

    The barrel aging room located below the tank room is a spell bounding sight. Mist released from ceiling and the lovely light creates a distinctive atmosphere in this massive barrel aging room. Two private tasting rooms anchor each side of this barrel room.

    Cellar

    Finally, we head to the tasting room which we were all looking forward to so eagerly. Here we tasted the Rose, Reds, Whites and the Sparkling Wine. We go through the much needed nuances of the wine tasting and different ways to appreciate the wine – Clarity, Color, Nose, Palate and Finish. So also well needed knowledge on pairing the wines with food was part of this tasting.

    Tasting Room

    The tour educator was such a gem of a guy full of knowledge and lively humour. A big thanks to him for such an educational tour.

    With the Sommelier

    The retail shop in the premises is filled with memorabilia and we did shop a couple of reds and whites and also picked up their dessert wine – Moscato D’oro.

    The Shop

    Overall it was a dream come true of having visited one of the famous Winery in Napa Valley.

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