Interviews

It’s a fine time for Australian wine
June 15, 2018

Australia makes a splash as Country of Honour at Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018. And this is just the beginning, as Asian consumers are sitting up and taking notice of the many facets of Australian winemaking. Yes, Australian wine is just dinky-di…..

The world’s 5th largest wine producer and exporter (by end-March 2018, Australian wine exports increased by 16 per cent in value to US$2 billion, the highest value in a decade), and the second largest exporter to China after France (unseating the US from this spot).

That is Australia. No more the gawky young cousin at the aristocratic family Christmas party, Australia has been steadily making its presence felt in the Asian market, especially in China.

The Australian First Families of Wine (AFFW) masterclass at Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018. Photo: Joanna Margan. Cover photo: Bream Creek Vineyard, Tasmania/Wine Australia

Nowhere did it show more than at Vinexpo Hongkong 2018. Named the Country of Honour for this, the 20th-anniversary edition of the Asian wine trade show, the large Australian delegation cornered significant floor space with 151 wine producers exhibiting 225 wine brands at the show. Twenty-six masterclasses were lined up over the three days to show off diversity in Australian winemaking, including several on Grenache in all its avatars, Australian wine regions Barossa, Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley. There was something on its many signature red wine grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, each a celebrated expression of its own unique terroir. There was more on fortified wines, cool climate wines and old vines – yes, as Stuart Barclay told me during his interview, Australia actually possesses vines older than those in the Old World. And then, the new stuff; tasted Australian Fiano yet? You soon might. Things are a-changing, and it’s all fair dinkum out there.

Australian Pinot Noir masterclass in session. Photo: Joanna Margan

It was impressive to see snaking queues of wine enthusiasts lining up in the hope of scoring a seat at the first ever Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) tasting and masterclass. And yes, Grenache was sold out too. As was pretty much all the rest.

With so much to offer, Australia is rapidly shedding its past image as a workhorse producer of large-scale bulk wines of indeterminate character. It is talking about its wines as being of quality and precision and is discussing diversity of terroir like never before. It is one of the countries with the largest amount of agricultural land certified organic worldwide, according to Wine Australia, the government body that promotes and regulates the Australian wine industry. Most importantly, the Australian government is doing its fair bit (the government’s Export and Regional Wine Support Package is a one-off allocation of $50 million over 4 years) to help along the cause of its wine industry, and with Wine Australia signing an MOU with Alibaba’s online platform Tmall.com, the world’s fastest growing online retailer of wine, things are coming up ace!

Watch Stuart Barclay, General Manager, Marketing, Wine Australia, explain their plans and achievements and tips on how a visitor can get around Australia’s 65 wine regions.

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Interviews  / News & Views

There’s more to New Zealand wine than Sauvignon Blanc
June 1, 2018

New Zealand’s wine production is a mere 1% of the wine in the world, but ever since this world discovered the Sauvignon Blanc grown in its Marlborough region in the late 1970s, the country has never looked back, quickly establishing itself as one of the top quality wine producing countries today.

As for its Sauvignon Blanc, just read of the tasting notes of this grape by experts and you might be tempted enough to rush for the nearest bottle.

(Note the use of superlatives)

Jancis Robinson: “(New Zealand’s) pungently herbaceous style of Sauvignon Blanc, heady with the tropical fruit smells of a cool, prolonged fermentation….”

Wine Folly: “… jaw-dropping herbaceous-yet-floral aroma that’s complemented by a juicy, yet zesty, citrus zing in your mouth.”

No wonder that the Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough – fruity, aromatic and luscious – is among the most popular varietal wines in the world. But is there more to New Zealand wine than its famous Sauvignon Blanc (or indeed, its Pinot Noir)?

Sir George Fistonich, founder of Villa Maria, long established among New Zealand’s best wine brands, is best positioned to comment. And he says yes, there is more, much more. Villa Maria, regarded as one of the world’s best wine brands, is currently Drinks International’s World’s Most Admired New Zealand Wine Brand, and #4 in the world list. It puts its name to no less than 15 varietal wines – from Arneis and Grenache to Syrah and Viognier.

And yes, their Sauvignon Blanc wines remain best sellers.

 Excerpts from the interview:                                                   

Sir George Fistonich, Villa Maria wines, New Zealand

New Zealand is strongly identified with its Sauvignon Blanc, especially the Marlborough wines, and it is safe to say these are among the most popular Sauvignon Blancs worldwide with wine drinkers. How do you view this? 

Sauvignon Blanc is incredibly important to the New Zealand wine category, and of course to Villa Maria. No other country in the world can produce the unique and crowd-pleasing Sauvignon Blanc wines like Marlborough. The explosive flavours of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have dazzled wine critics and wine-lovers throughout the world, setting the international benchmark for the style. It is varietal that awoke the world to New Zealand wine.

(more…)

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Interviews

Here comes the Syrah!
May 22, 2018

KRSMA Estates is gearing up to release the first ever vintage of their much-awaited small-batch Syrah. Co-founder Uma Chigurupati explains its background and how it fits with their own winemaking ethos.

 

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that whatever India’s KRSMA Estates does with its small but focused portfolio, becomes news. This is not unusual for KRSMA, established as one of the top wine brands in India in a few short years.

Their flagship wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon, now with its fourth vintage in the market, has been winning awards ever since its high-profile launch. The Sauvignon Blanc has its steady fans, and its second label, the youthful, fresh K2 has also made its mark.

Over the last few years, insiders have been hearing whispers about a bright new star – a premium Syrah, quite unique to its terroir – being added to the portfolio. Founder Krishna Prasad Chigurupati himself had confirmed this, adding that the grape has been doing exceptionally well in the dry, schist-rich soils of Hampi Hills, where KRSMA’s vineyards occupy pioneering pride of place, not too far from the historical UNESCO World Heritage site.

KRSMA co-founder Uma Chigurupati at the vineyards in Hampi Hills

I was fortunate to have a first tasting of this wine with the Chigurupatis in Hyderabad. Over dinner, Krishna Chigurupati poured a red wine, bright ruby and deeply aromatic into my glass without a word of explanation. What is this? I asked. One whiff and the question proved redundant. The distinct aromas of black pepper, spice and bright red fruits identified it: this was KRSMA Estates Syrah 2016, of which only 800 bottles have been made for this vintage. Pairing effortlessly with my perfectly cooked prime cut of meat, the Syrah impressed with every sip. On release, it promises to take its place among the best Indian red wines.

So, on a visit to the vineyards shortly thereafter, I sat down with co-founder Uma Chigurupati (incidentally also a qualified soil microbiologist) and asked her about their Syrah, now three vintages produced and the 2016 vintage shortly set to launch. The conversation gave insights into the functioning of this family-owned wine producer, barely a decade in the business, who believes that quality is king. Also, the unique terroir of Hampi Hills and the singular winemaking practices of KRSMA Estates, reasons which make it one of the top wine brands in India.

Watch the video interview with Uma Chigurupati, below.

The KRSMA Estates Syrah 2016 will be released end-2018 or early 2019. Price and availability not yet finalised.

http://www.krsmaestates.com

Twitter: @KRSMAEstates

Instagram: @krsmaestates

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Interviews  / Wine in India

‘The wine industry is very glamorous from the outside…’
April 30, 2018

Wine is sexy, wine is fun, it’s all-glamorous…. right?
Wrong! says Sarah Heller MW, the international wine industry’s mint-new super-achiever and Asia’s newest, youngest Master of Wine. It’s also a lot of slog, so if you want to be part of the wine industry (in India or elsewhere), be willing to handle the rough with the smooth.
In India to hold a masterclass for Lucaris on how wine glasses can alter your wine drinking experience, she takes a few moments in the sidelines to give me her frank views on all that buzz about wine and shares a few tips on how a little attitude adjustment can be the key to success.

 

You are the world’s youngest MW at 29 years, that’s quite an achievement given the number of hours of study and commitment required to get to this stage. You are also a Yale graduate and a mum, with your own company. Give us a sense of what it took to get there, and any ups and downs you specifically recall.

It’s certainly had lots of ups, and some downs. The wine industry is very glamorous from the outside, but as those on the inside know it can be gruelling, hard on your body and let’s just say none of us is in it for the money. I’ve been lucky enough to have the full support of my family, notably a husband willing to take up the slack with our baby when I’m not home.
I also had the good fortune to be able to take a pause in my career to focus on studying; for about 10 months, I turned down most work to focus on my studies. At that point I wasn’t a mother yet, so I could make it work, but during the last couple of weeks of writing my research paper I was up all night feeding my newborn son and had just opened a pop-up wine bar, so I was getting by on 2 hours of sleep a night and fighting the extreme guilt of hearing him scream while I was writing up an index about conjoint experiments. On the other hand, having him with me in London when I graduated was so special.

You also got the highest aggregate mark across all units of the WSET Level 4, winning the Vinter’s Cup 2913. Do you need to be a super-wiz or wine virtuoso for this? For those struggling through their WSETs, do give some perspective and some tips.

To be honest, it was a surprise. I’ve always been pretty geeky, but because I was working full-time at that point (late nights, weekends, holidays), I had to jam studying into 2-week bursts each time an exam was approaching. One thing I did that I wouldn’t recommend is spending too long creating your notes – I went through the Oxford Companion and flagged every entry I needed to read, and then probably only ended up reading about 1/3 of them properly. Similarly, I advise against tasting too much without a structure; you’re not studying, you’re just drinking! However, the whole WSET program is designed so if you read the materials thoroughly and internalise their tasting system, you will pass – it isn’t meant to trip you up.

Sarah Heller MW at the Lucaris masterclass held in Delhi

Four years later, you are an MW. The Master of Wine is a very tough exam even for those who have spent a number of years working in wine. Many drop out or just give up. What helped you get through the process?

No doubt, it can be discouraging. The roughly 15% pass rate means that almost everyone fails at least something once (including me). However, I think knowing that even some of the super bright people around me (I had a cancer researcher and an MIT/Stanford-trained computer scientist in my graduating class) had a similar experience kept me from giving up.

You are also a designer. What drew you to this part of the wine industry? Do throw some light on what and how you design, especially packaging and stemware, and why this is important for the world of wine? (more…)

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Interviews

The passion of Jean-Charles Boisset: ‘Wine is who I am’
April 6, 2018

Part 2 – ‘We want  India as a great wine region, not just as a great food region’

Boisset expounds on his great affinity for all things Indian, how Indian wine can be very good indeed if made with passion and pride, and  his future plans for J’NOON.

It is easy to attribute adjectives like audacious, flamboyant and media-astute to Jean-Charles Boisset. He has proved he is all this and more. But underneath those glittering Alexander McQueen and YSL suits beats a heart filled with a singular passion for his all-consuming raison d’être – wine.  (Don’t miss how he personifies himself as a living, breathing vine plant, below).

Then, there is his avowed intent to make J’NOON the best wine in India. Yes, we can, he says.

In Part 2 of the interview, he explains how India is ready to take its place among the upcoming wine regions of the world and produce wines of ‘insane quality’ like J’NOON, to go with the food that India is already famous for.

Whom do you see as the typical consumer of J’NOON?

Someone who is passionate about India, passionate about the expression of India; someone who is proud of India, someone who wants to discover India, someone who is audacious and who wants to feel a different emotion than they have never felt in the traditional world of wine!

You are known as a consummate marketing maven – along with your winemaking skills. How important is it for you for both to co-exist? Also, what are the benefits your Napa/Burgundy crossover background give you, and how it has helped in general?

 

Prized: Jean-Charles Boisset, photo credit Jeremy Ball. Main photo credit: Alexander Rubin

The essence of a successful, high-quality venture is to be very authentic and to have the will and the resources to make a great wine. Luckily, we have all this as well as a wonderful team who is passionate to execute the long-term success of this incredible expression of India! Therefore, it is important that we maintain insane quality, and that the wonderful spices stay in the wine because we want to create a territory for India. We want to promote India as a great wine region, not just as a great food region. We want to make sure people see it as such — wines with their own identity, own personality, own style and their own world; creating their own circle. This is very exciting because this is the first time it has been done.

I was very fortunate to have been born making wine; wine is who I am. Imagine me as instead of my legs, having roots going down in the soil; imagine me as instead of my blood, having red wine flowing through my veins… We represent the history of wine, the heritage of wine, the finest regions of wine, the development of wine, which is Napa Valley, and then a new way of looking at great wine in a wonderful new country like India. We combine French tradition with the American ideal! We are expressing it in our latest book, Passion for Wine: The French Ideal and the American Dream.

India will benefit from our core historical tradition of centuries of winemaking tradition in France, where luxury, fashion, and senses are the utmost expressions, combined with the American way of life and the fascinating new regions of Napa, Sonoma, and California at large. The combination of the two is vibrational and synergistic and contributes to the vision of the new India!

  You have visited India several times now, first for your wines from the Boisset Collection, now with J’NOON. Your observations on the Indian market, any growth you may have observed?

I fell in love with the people, with their genuine interest in food, wine and the local culture. And I fell in love with the genuine, authentic willingness of the people to see India shine around the world. We need to see Indian people becoming very proud of what they do, what they make and what they create besides the traditional knowledge of what India is all about – engineering and many other great brain exercises. India needs to be ‘lifestyle’ and has proved it with Bollywood and many other avenues; ventures like hotels and restaurants. India has an incredible history that will take food and wine to the next level. Food has started in a big way, now we need to see wine coming together with food.

Luckily the Indian people are very interested in it, very proud of India and to see India becoming this great new place for food and wine pairing and discovering how to associate wine and spices and becoming a real region for wine. When you look at the territory of India which is a continent on its own, how could we not produce great wine in such a large territory when the wine belt is so close?

What next for JCB and J’NOON+Fratelli? Or is there something new in store from you both? 

We need to make sure we are contagious about our passion for wine to everyone… and that our friends in India are genuinely in love with J’NOON and obsessed by the willingness to see wine become a success and are passionate about what we are doing! We feel the 2017 and 2018 vintages will be even better than 2016, even though it is a great start, and want to make sure we continue to transcend what we started. We need to make sure we are disciplined and focused and we get many Indian people becoming ambassadors of the great future of this great country!

It is very important to be audacious, to be pushing new territories and going beyond the limits we know to produce the best wine in India; it is important to break preconceived ideas and be adventurous and be pioneers. We are bringing three cultures together to create something that is greater than the sum of their parts. People need to have trust, confidence and belief in the long-term of what we have started with J’NOON. We need their support, endorsement and passion – and we need their lips to drink this wine, serve this wine and make it discovered. We want everyone to become a great and spontaneous ambassador of our vision!

To buy J’NOON wines in India, see here.

Jean-Charles Boisset’s book ‘Passion for Wine’ written in collaboration with wine educator Marnie Old deconstructs wine tasting and different styles of wine.

It is available at his wineries and online here and on Amazon.

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Interviews  / Wine in India

Jean-Charles Boisset’s Indian J’NOON
April 2, 2018

Part 1: “India needs to be known for luxury and style”

Boisset answers questions on his newest, most shiny expensive wine venture with India’s Fratelli, with passion and a dash of his inimitable flamboyance and finesse.

 

Jean-Charles Boisset or JCB to the wine world, is the scion of  Burgundy’s biggest producer with some of the most out-there early wine innovations (the French Rabbit tetrapak, the ‘Cooldot’, and aluminium and PET-bottled wines) and a wine empire of 24 wineries that currently sweeps from Burgundy to Canada and Napa Valley, USA. What’s particularly riveting about him is his unbounded energy, laser-beam biz focus, and consummate market savviness. It doesn’t hurt that he is always dressed to kill à la James Bond, and makes for great copy – a journalist’s dream. Not from him will you get the ho-hum or the pedestrian quote. His passion for his world of wine and excitement at playing a starring role in a new wine venture in India are very contagious. I quizzed him on his latest J’NOON or ‘obsession’ (never a more apt name!) with Fratelli Wines, one of the top wine brands in India and his role in launching a trio of high-profile, expensive wines in India.

Read on…

Jean-Charles, it was a pleasure meeting you in Delhi and hearing about your collaboration on the launch of J’NOON. During the Delhi launch, you touched briefly upon the way in which this spontaneous winemaking collaboration with Fratelli happened. Would you explain a little more once again for the readers?

During my first trip to India last year, I toured Fratelli’s vineyards, fell in love with them and then all night we blended in the winery, in between eating Indian food… we played, had a lot of fun and fell in love with our creations… We then presented them to a few friends and they loved it and so we said, ‘Let’s do it!’”

Interview with Boisset on the launch of J’NOON - India's Most Expensive Wine

Jean-Charles Boisset lounges in the Raymond Red Room. Pic: Moanalani Jeffrey. Main pic: Lowell Downey

The J’NOON red has become India’s most expensive wine, and the sparkling wine JCB No. 47 and the white aren’t far behind. In a nascent wine market like India, is this a particular strategy to go top-end? Would you explain?

We feel it is critical to create an example of a very unique, high-profile, exquisite, high-end wine from India. We feel India needs to be known for luxury and for great style. It is already known for a great flavour profile, but it needs to be known for a great flavour profile for the noblest agricultural product, which is grapes! We feel we were able to make a stunning wine and that the price reflects the quality we were able to put out.

A little bit about the selection of grapes for the wines, please. I’m particularly intrigued by the white blend – Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Why did you pick this blend in Chenin Blanc-driven India? Would you also compare the Chardonnay grapes grown in Akluj with Burgundian Chardonnay or what’s grown in Napa?

The two areas I love the most in France for white wine are Burgundy and the Loire Valley, known for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I never had the opportunity to blend both, but always enjoyed the two separately. We had (in Akluj) beautiful Chardonnay and gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc with great herbaceousness and elegance and style so we thought about blending the richness and depth of where I come from, which is Chardonnay, with the beautiful herbaceousness, crispness and floral characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc that really cuts beautifully through the spice of Indian food. The two together is a magical blend, and magic for the world because it has never been done much around the world except for now in India! I think it could become a signature blend for India for the future I’m very bullish about it and think the two varieties work beautifully together and are quite magical.

We have an incredible soil profile in Akluj that is limestone and has some calcareous character like in Burgundy. The rootstock and the clones actually come from Burgundy… When you barrel ferment a Chardonnay it becomes magical over there. I was very excited because all the Indian white wines are Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc and nobody does Chardonnay. In Akluj it does very well because of the terroir – the climate is very appropriate, the plant is great and the soil is the one we need. From there it is quite easy to vinify it; I’m very bullish about it and feel it could be a point of differentiation.

The best wine in the world for me has always been Chardonnay – I’m in love with it, passionate about it, feel it is the king and the queen combined! By using it as the base I feel it is a magnificent and cosmic foundation to the coronation of the crown chakra; I think it is the third eye, the vision of India. It is very aristocratic and extremely status oriented. I’m very glad the foundation is rich, round and powerful and then the notes of the Sauvignon Blanc bring everything we need for magnificent food pairings.

The oak was quite distinct in all three – a very definite style statement. Why did you choose oak rather than the popular fruit-driven style which seems popular currently?

We’re trying to make a vin de garbe, a wine you want to keep. We’re trying to achieve a wine that becomes a statement for the country, a national anthem in your glass, the absolute alchemy of the senses, a statement wine. For that, you need a very powerful tannic structure to last. We believe it is very important that these wines become the identity of what India is about. It is a triptych – the bubbles have biscuit, brioche, and toastiness; the Chardonnay has a foundation that is very rich, intense and very Côte de Beaune-like with a fabulous sense of Sauvignon Blanc; then finally the red has a Cabernet Sauvignon base has lovely tannins that are fruit forward now and very prominent, but soon will become deeper, richer and very balanced.

What about the quantities made – 2400 of each, and 7200 in all. Will this be just for starters, or will the number of bottles vary according to vintage, or maybe marketing decisions?

We want more people to be able to enjoy the wines over time, not just a happy few and know we are going to generate a significant interest so want to make sure that people get to try it. So we’ve planned for growth but want to have a very controlled growth, meticulous growth and want quality and quality proportionate to growth.

 

Look out for Part 2 of the interview with Jean-Charles Boisset and his J’NOON, where he speaks on winemaking, marketing, his Fratelli relationship and his love for India.

Soon to be posted.

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Interviews  / Wine in India

‘Being a winery chef is a very unique job’
March 25, 2018

Six courses. Forty-four diners. One chef. Cakebread Cellars’ culinary director Brian Streeter puts his 20-hour flight behind him to cook for India

 

It is fascinating watching Brian Streeter at work. He is laser-focused on the task at hand: elbow-deep in flour, wielding a giant rolling pin. The culinary director of Napa Valley’s much-awarded wine producer, Cakebread Cellars has made a rare foray out of the sunny, green climes of the winery he works at to fly down to India for two special wine dinners he is headlining at. The first is just a few hours away, and Streeter is demonstrating his mettle.  There are no signs of jet-lag as he deftly rolls the dough for the pierogies which will be the amuse bouche to start the 6-course dinner tonight. He’s in and out of the kitchen at The Lodhi’s all-new Perbacco restaurant, giving instructions, chopping, tasting, talking to the kitchen team assigned to help him cook for the day.

Dusting his hands on his apron, he’s ready for a break and a chat.

Landing in India for the first time is often overwhelming and Streeter admits to it being an ‘eye-opener,’ as he describes it. We sip our coffee and start. He’s not fazed one tiny bit at the idea of cooking for 44 strangers, many of them wine writers and critics who will dine tonight on his food… he does it all the time in his own kitchen in the Napa Valley. Nor do the new set-up, unfamiliar ingredients and working with a brand-new kitchen team ruffle him.

Blue cheese soufflé with wildflower honey, garden beets, dried persimmons and toasted pecans with Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Streeter has spent 29 years with Cakebread Cellars, which is family-run and known for their extraordinary retention of their top staff. Cakebread is also deeply committed to showcasing Napa Valley, where they are based, with local produce and great food.

The next day, he’s flying to Mumbai where he will join Bruce Cakebread, the producer-owner and a long time India hand (who has persisted with the Indian market over the years, keeping Cakebread on track as one of the best wine brands in India from the Napa Valley) Here, more wine lovers will come to taste and test his cooking and wine pairing skills. Then he will fly back to Napa and back to his day job.

Watch the interview in the videos below. We talk about food, and wine in India, and the possibility of Indian cuisine pairing with wine. I’ll let Brian Streeter speak for himself, just the way the Cakebread wines and Streeter’s food spoke in the pairings at the dinner later that evening.

Notable among the courses were the following wine and food pairings:

Kimchi & potato pierogi the amuse bouche, was paired with the delicate, fresh Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (Streeter’s own favourite)

Seared scallops with carrot-brown butter emulsion, spinach, English peas and pumpkin see dukkah with the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay 2016

Spice-rubbed duck breast with fig mostarda braised radishes, kohlrabi and sugar snap peas with the Dancing Bear Ranch 2009 (Cabernet-dominated blend, the most exclusive, expensive wine of the portfolio showcased).

Blue cheese soufflé with wild flower honey, garden beets, dried persimmons and toasted pecans with Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

 

Watch my YouTube interview with Brian Streeter on Cakebread wines and the annual American Harvest Workshop concept at the winery – Part 1:

Interview – Streeter on pairing wines with the cuisines of Asia -Part 2

Visit Cakebread Cellars by prior appointment

www.cakebread.com

Address: PO Box 216
8300 Saint Helena Highway
Rutherford, CA 94573

 

Cakebread wines are available in India at select retail outlets, starting from Rs 4700 ($70).

 

For more images of the sit-down wine dinner with Cakebread Cellars and La Cave, New Delhi, go to the Wine Society page on this website.

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Interviews  / Taste of Food and Wine

Fratelli’s new passion has a name: J’NOON
March 20, 2018

Fratelli launches India’s most expensive, limited edition wines with a splashy three-city launch in India.
Up next: launches in the United States and the UK. The J’NOON red is India’s first €50 wine

Kapil Sekhri of Fratelli with Jean-Charles Boisset, Boisset Collection at the Mumbai launch of J’NOON

Launched in grand style, the latest entry into India’s limited edition wine category is J’NOON by Fratelli, India’s second largest wine brand in India. If J’NOON (meaning passion or obsession), in all caps with apostrophes et al sounds très French, it is because it has a  high-profile French connection. Fratelli has collaborated with international wine producer and Indophile Jean-Charles Boisset (whose is already importing part of his extensive portfolio of French and American wines into India through Fratelli) to produce three J’NOON wines, made from grapes grown by Fratelli in its vineyards.

The bottles are stark black and gold, their design minimalistic. There is a white wine (a 60/40 barrel-fermented Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc), a red (24-month oak barrel and tank-fermented Cabernet Sauvignon with Marselan/Petit Verdot and some Sangiovese, in a style reminiscent of a Bordeaux red wine) and a sparkling wine called JCB No.47 in honour of the year of India’s independence. The trio are India’s most expensive wines in their categories.

The glittering week-long multi-city launch celebrations done, Fratelli is back to business as usual. I took the opportunity to catch up with co-founder andowner of Fratelli, Kapil Sekhri for a quick Q & A and ask him more about J’NOON.

Tell me about J’NOON’s raison d’être. Why did you make only 2400 bottles only per label? Where does J’NOON fit in the Fratelli portfolio and is this be a one-off production or will it be vintage specific?

J’NOON white, a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc fermented in French oak barrels

It was a name which came naturally to both Jean-Charles and me. We both have set an audacious goal to make people globally take notice of Indian wine, and the name fits in perfectly with the emotions we feel. We want to start small, as it is important for us to attract the right audience and not come under sales pressure. However, we do plan to increase the quantity gradually with each passing vintage.

At the launch, Jean-Charles Boisset described how the concept all came together one evening at the winery – fairly spontaneous by the look of things. May I ask you how it all developed? And were you confident that your grapes in Akluj, Maharashtra would deliver this French-style wine in such a  vastly different terroir?

We were not confident at all. The idea was just to show JC what Fratelli has done so far and the potential it holds going forward. The diversity and complexity of the soil topped up with the hot climate were, I think, the factors that got him excited.

 I would like to hear your personal views on the three wines. If you had to open one on an evening to offer a special guest, which one would you pick?

I will pick more than one guest and open all three, preferably.

Each wine is very different and I love my sparkling, white and red wines. The one I would pick for a particular evening would depend upon more on the climate, occasion and food.

In India, I am more frequently into white wines so maybe that’s what I would open more often.

J’NOON red: Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Marselan and Sangiovese, oak fermented in French barrels

Piero Masi and JCB. Both very different individual winemakers with their own styles of making wines for Fratelli. At Fratelli, how do you pick your collaborations for making wines?

Piero is the creator of Fratelli – his handwriting, his stamp, is in each and every corner of the vineyards. All of us, including  Piero, are ecstatic at the collaboration with JCB.

Let’s talk about the international perception of Indian wines. Fratelli has been increasingly present in events and shows abroad. Have you seen changes in viewpoints? Some recognition of growing quality, perhaps?

The perception about Indian wine needs to change first in India. We still have many wine drinkers who don’t buy, drink, serve or gift Indian wines. We need to give them the confidence to do so.

Internationally, it is changing and we hope J’NOON will become a catalyst to that.

JCB No.47, the 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine

Tell me in your own words where Fratelli stands today, 11 years on. Are you happy with its growth or would you, in hindsight, have done things differently?

Am very happy with the way things stand at Fratelli today. If I start looking into the past then all I am doing is missing on planning the future. Let’s live in present and look into the future.

 

J’NOON wines are available on request. Contact Abhishek Haryson at aharyson@fratelliwines.in or contact your local Fratelli agent.

J’NOON JCB No.47 Indian sparkling wine Rs 3500 or €44 (750ml)

J’NOON white wine: Rs 2500 or €30 (750ml)

J’NOON red wine: Rs 4000 or €50 (750ml)

For images from the launch parties in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, see the Wine Society page on this website.

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Interviews  / News & Views

Traditional yet modern: Barolo’s complete wine experience
February 12, 2018

Barolo, once tradition-bound and closed to the outside world, is changing and welcoming visitors to wander their wineries, visit their cellars and taste their famous red wine. Marchesi di Barolo’s Anna Abbona is taking Langhe hospitality a step further, offering wine and food and vertical tastings at their winery. I speak to her about her vision for her ‘complete wine experience’ in their historic cellars in Barolo town.

A view with wine: Dining at Marchesi di Barolo overlooking the Barolo vineyards

I have special memories of my own visit to the Marchesi di Barolo winery in October 2016 . A day trip from our hotel in Benevello saw us driving into the charming village of Barolo (one of 11 communes which make up the larger DOCG region making  Barolo wines) on a bright sunny day. First on my list of visits was to the winery of Marchesi di Barolo, owned by the Abbona family.

The cantine is located in the mansion opposite the castle of Marchese Falletti and also houses the noted cellars of Marchesa Juliette (Giulia), the Frenchwoman who refashioned Barolo into the rich, powerful and famous red wine it is today. Here, there is also a shop, tasting room and the winery itself.

A good start: Tasting Gavi and cheese

We were warmly welcomed. Anna was on her way, we were told. Harvest was underway and the buzz was perceptible.

The shop was a food and wine lover’s delight, and I browsed to my heart’s content (held back in part by a reminder of the airline’s baggage allowance). Shortly, we were directed to the tasting tables to commence our tasting session with the Marchesi di Barolo Gavi di Gavi 2015 – a fresh, straw-coloured crisp, white wine made of the signature Cortese grapes, when I could tear myself away from the pretty Barolo themed merchandise – marmalades of the region, truffle oils and indeed little jars of white and black truffles: it was the start of Alba’s glorious truffle season.

Soon, Anna Abbona breezed in, and from then the morning was a whirlwind of activity – more tastings, the cellar tour where the historic Slavonian botti of Marchesa Juliette sat along with the smaller barriques – before we were guided to the restaurant for lunch.

Goodies galore: A view of the winery store

A lover of fine Barolo will know that this Italian red wine is a true food wine – when decanted and served with the right food it can transport you to many levels of food-induced ecstasy. So here we were – eating an unhurried lunch in the large private restaurant Foresteria, overlooking a bank of beautiful vineyards, laden with plump grapes – did I mention it was harvest time? There can be no better way to spend a day in Barolo than doing such a deep dive into its famous red wine and its creators.

To discover more about Anna’s dream of “the complete wine experience” and how she created it in Barolo, take a look at the three videos from my YouTube channel, Talking Wine with Ruma Singh (below). These interviews were done on Anna’s recent visit to India, in January 2018. It was great catching up!

 

NB: In future, I look forward to exploring the vertical tastings of Marchesi di Barolo wines from their historic enoteca – an experience which traces the evolution of the famous ‘Wine of Kings’ since its birth, and part of the Marchesi di Barolo’s hospitality offering.

http://www.marchesibarolo.com/en/hospitality

Anna Abbona, Part 1: The history of a historic winery, Marchesi di Barolo

Anna Abbona Part 2: Why both traditional and modern winemaking are  important for Barolo

Anna Abbona Part 3: Anna’s dream – ‘the complete wine experience’ at Marchesi di Barolo, from dining to a historic vertical tasting of Barolos

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Interviews  / Winery Visits

Gaia Gaja on climate change and wine: ‘Wine is an interpretation of nature…’
January 19, 2018

Gaia Gaja takes a moment in her vineyards

‘Fire & Rain’, the very thought-provoking session on climate change and wine during Vinexpo 2017 in which Gaia Gaja participated along with Miguel A Torres and several other experts, has stayed on my mind long after the event. These leaders of the wine community sounded a clarion call about the dangers of climate change and the urgency with which it needs to be tackled.

Climate change as we know now is no fairy-tale bogeyman. It is very real and it is already affecting us in many ways. For the wine lovers among us, it will without a doubt change the wine in your glass. Not for the better. Ergo, climate change and wine and closely linked, now and in the future.

 The Vinexpo session, troubling and riveting as it was, left me with a keenness to understand more. No better person to start with than Gaia Gaja, known for her passion and commitment to the cause of the world of wine. 

On the heels of a visit by Gaja’s Sara Cabrele to India to promote their wines, I made contact with Gaia Gaja and broached the subject with her.

 

Hello, Gaia.

That was a very stimulating session on climate change and the wine industry at Vinexpo 2017 in Bordeaux.

Tell me about the biggest challenges from climate change that you, as wine producers, are facing today, and what these problems can lead to if not tackled soon.

Gaia Gaja speaks on climate change and wine at Vinexpo 2017. Photo: Vinexpo/Philippe Labeguerie

Climate change changes the behaviour of insects, the availability of water in the soil, the dynamics of photosynthesis, the physiological processes of the vines – therefore the timing of the ripening of the grapes.  All the changes require a reconsideration of all aspects (of winemaking) and a need to refocus attention on different parameters with respect to the past.

The changes we have to apply involve, among others, the way and the timing of the pruning, the height of the canopy, the timing of the harvest, the management of the grassing (grass can be managed in order to protect the soil from the sun or expose it, to attract the good insects or keep away the bad ones, to keep moist or to take away water accordingly to the different needs) and so on.

How is climate change affecting the specific grapes you are growing and most famous for – such as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese?

There are good and bad effects.

Climate change is making elegance, drinkability and mid-structured wines rarer.

(more…)

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Interviews