Drink of the Gods or not, wine certainly helps in upping the social game. White, red, rosè and now blue, too {thanks to a Spanish start-up called GIK}, our love for wines goes beyond just the occasional tasting {part time pseudo-sommeliers; full time addicts}.
We know how often you run into a wine-snoot bragging about oenology, so we want you to be ready with the basics so you can hold on to the conversation as well as your wine.
Wine was mentioned in biblical scriptures and ancient architectures as a symbol of divinity. Referred to for its magical properties, wine played a distinctive role in the cultural evolution of humanity. Dating back to 6,000 BC, wine first originated in the region of Greece, Georgia and Iran.
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice. While it can be made from any fruit, generally, it’s made from grape vine {Vitis Vinifera} native to the Mediterranean region.
Red: Red wine gets its colour from the skin of black grapes. It has a deep taste, is generally heavy on tannins {bitter-tasting seed-like substances that makes the top of your tongue dry} with a definite hit to the taste buds at the back of your mouth, and goes well with foods like red meats; sausage, veal, duck, lamb and beef.
The most famous red wines {depends on the kind of grape used in making it} are Shiraz {or syrah}, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese.
White: White wines are produced by fermenting non-coloured pulp of the grapes. Crisp, clean and best enjoyed chilled, white wine goes well with seafood, salads, white meats, chicken and pork. The most famous white wine varieties are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Moscato, Pinot Grigio and Riesling.
Rosè: Also called blush wine, rose is a fruity refresher. The most famous rose variety is Zinfandel.
Fortified Wines: It’s produced by adding a distilled spirit {like brandy} and are very sweet. The most famous kind of fortified wines are Port wine, Madeira and Sherry.
Wines are often classified into four categories based on the taste. They are dry, off dry, medium and sweet. Dry wines aren’t that sweet, medium wine consists of some sweet taste and aroma, and sweet wines are, as the name suggests, sweet.
Fruity: If the taste is fruit-heavy.
Earthy: All the wines that taste like spice, rocks, clove; anything that is not a fruit.
Body: The heavier the wines taste in your mouth, the fuller they are on the body.
Finish: The residual taste lingering in your mouth after the wine refers to the wine’s finish.
Typicality: As the word suggests, typicality refers to how typical the taste of the wine is to the region in which it was grown.
Complexity: A wine that has a lot of flavours is complex.
It’s been debated whether a glass of wine every night is healthy for a long time. Here’s some good news, wine is good for you, but only when consumed in moderation. It reduces the risk of depression and heart diseases, has anti-aging properties, prevents dementia, improves blood flow and reduces clotting.
Talk about wines in India and Sula pops up in mind, which was started by Rajeev Samant in the year 1993 with the help of California-based wine-maker Kerry Damskey. Given that the weather of Nasik is perfect for producing high quality grapes and, in turn, wines, Sula vineyard is producing high quality yields of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel and Riesling variety of grapes in an area spread over 3,000 acres.
Perhaps the best place to enjoy wine in Delhi is Pling at Pullman hotel in Aerocity. A machine called Vinoteca {a preservation system to store and serve wines} is a one-of-a-kind experience you should be looking forward to.
Other places where you can enjoy great wines are The Wine Company in DLF Cyber hub, Perch Wine and Coffee Bar in Kan Market, Le Cirque in Leela Palace in Chanakyapuri and Enoteca in Jaypee Golf Palace. Want to buy it from a retail store? Nature’s Basket and La Marche have great collections of wines.
If you’re already feeling like a know-it-all, you’re welcome. Follow Sula on Twitter here, Instagram here and YouTube here.
This story is in partnership with Sula Vineyards.