Lascivious Velvet

"A meal without wine is like a day without sun," says Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a famous French lawyer and politician who gained fame as an epicurean and gastronome. Well, we couldn’t agree more. Wine indeed fills the gap between a good dish and a great one. Thus, after our chat with Loic Pasquet, we thought of curating a special spread on pairing food with wine and understand how the spirit harmonises with the Indian palate.

When it comes to wine, even though you will be able to smell a range of aromas, the parameters of taste will have to be limited between being bitter, sweet, sour, and salty. The same goes for food options. Pawan Bisht, Corporate and R&D Executive at Verandah Moonshine and Mango Kitchen & Bar is of the view that light dry white wines, for instance, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, and Albarino go well with green vegetables, roasted vegetables, and fish as the acidity cuts through sweet flavours allowing you to taste every ingredient.

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He further adds that light red wines like pinot noir and Pinotage go well with white meat, shellfish, and roasted vegetables. Moreover, red meats, poultry, and hard cheese taste well with medium red wines. For full body or big red wines, try cured meats or red meats. Dessert wines such as port and sherry go well with desserts, sweets, soft cheese, and carbs.

We would like to give a special mention to Merlot, which has fallen out of fashion over the last few years, but its sales numbers prove that although it might not be “trendy,” Indians still love to drink this earthy wine. Mahendar Mahhy, Corporate Bar Manager at The Drunken Botanist states, “we often forget about the soft berry flavours and beautiful eucalyptus note merlot wines have. But, the taste remains classic.” For this particular wine, he advises Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, in the cheese section and for desserts, you can pair it with dark chocolate or various types of berries.

The complete skill of pairing wine with the right kind of haute cuisine employs a combination of smelling and tasting of the wine. It is also essential to know the nature and fundamental characteristics of your wine as you begin pouring a glass of it for yourself. Knowledge of the cuisine it goes best with and the kind of taste to expect from your wine will make or break a meal experience for you.

Best places to drink wine in India

Chateau Indage, Estate Vineyard, Narayangaon, Maharashtra

Grover Vineyards, Nandi Hills, Karnataka

Chateau d'Ori, Dindori, Madhya Pradesh