July 2013

Elegance, from a little big Piedmont winery
July 23, 2013

Francesco Cordero of Vietti Wines in Bangalore

Francesco Cordero of Vietti Wines in Bangalore

Vietti, a 35 hectare family-run boutique winery in Piedmont, Italy, may be small, (a mere 250,000 bottles are produced totally), but it has made its name in the wine world for its range of superior wines – Barolo, Barbera D’Alba, Barbaresco, Arneis – and its delightfully whimsical artist-designed labels. With a family history in wine spanning five generations, Vietti wines have been consistently topping 90 points across vintages. Francesco Cordero is both a member of the family and the man tasked with making these special wines at Vietti. Cordero, who was on his first ever tour of India, likes to describe the Vietti wines as ‘elegant.’

And indeed they were. At a small, intimate four-course dinner at Caperberry, Chef Abhijit Saha’s award-winning restaurant , Cordero took the opportunity to explain a bit of the family history and philosophy to a small group of Bangalore wine lovers as they sipped these very elegant wines.

“If you hoped to see a pretty Italian girl introducing the wines, sorry,” he grinned. No one looked sorry, (more…)

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Interviews  / Taste of Food and Wine

An Italian in Karnataka
July 8, 2013

“India was a challenge,” says Andrea Valentinuzzi, Italian winemaker at the new SDU Winery, Karnataka. “No one could believe that India can produce great wines .” He wants to change that perception, and is ready to spend the time and effort on doing so. SDU, which calls itself a boutique winery, has started by making 5000 cases of wine across 3 varieties in 2013-14 with two labels in the market at present – the entry level Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with a Chardonnay on its way shortly, and Reserves to follow soon.

Andrea Valentinuzzi at SDU Winery, Karnataka

Andrea Valentinuzzi at SDU Winery, Karnataka

Valentinuzzi is not new to India, having already spent a few years in Nashik in Maharashtra with Vintage wines, maker of Reveilo, an established wine company. The question that interested me was why he chose India to make wines, after working across South America, California, Australia and Europe.

It was the challenge of India, he said.

“I’m not a winemaker who can take 400 consultancies and send instructions by email. I believe a winemaker must be there at critical times – crushing, bottling, for instance- during the winemaking cycle. It also helps that the harvest in India is around March, in Europe it’s in September. So I can manage both.” As for the difference between Nashik region in Maharashtra and SDU’s Nandi Valley region in Karnataka, it was more the soil than the climate. “The soil in Karnataka is red, while in Nashik it’s black, loamy. Both are totally different.” (more…)

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Interviews