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November 2011 - Posts
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Nashik-based Valle de Vin, maker of Zampa wines, will merge with Bangalore-based Grover Vineyards within a month to create the country's second largest vintner after Sula Vineyards. The merged company will be called Grover Zampa Pvt Ltd, Valle de Vin owner Deepak Roy said.
Grover Vineyards, founded by Kanwar Grover in 1988, is India's oldest surviving winemaker following the closure of Indage Vintner, earlier known as Champagne Indage, last year. The merged entity will have vineries in the country's two main wine producing centres, Bangalore and Nashik, and have easy access to the two largest markets, Mumbai and Bangalore.
More: The Economic Times
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1 private dinner in an exclusive setting with a special menu and complimentary bottle of Indian wine is part of the offer at SwaSwara, overlooking Om beach, just outside the seaside village of Gokarna in Goa.
The resort also includes group yoga instruction embracing the rejuvenating power of meditation, chanting, and even laughter sessions, combines with Ayurvedic massages and therapies designed to restore your natural energy balance.
More: Wexas
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The ready availability of fine wines in India has seen the number of wine drinkers here multiply immensely.
Prego, the Italian restaurant at the Taj Coromandel in Chennai arranged a special Louis Roederer champagne meal. Until not long ago, champagne was served only as an aperitif or as part of a celebratory event. Damien Motte, Export Area Manager of Louis Roederer and Chef Giovanna of Prego demonstrated how the sparkling spirit could be teamed alongside a four-course Italian meal.
Louis Roederer is best known for its Cristal champagne, the drink of choice among the crème de la crème and until a recent public gaffe by their managing director, Jay-Z and the rest of the rapping community. The company has been producing champagne from their family-owned house in Reims, in the Champagne region of France for over two centuries.
Their vintages are produced from a singular varietal while their other champagnes are created from a combination of varietals using the blending techniques of their in-house experts. The product is a fine bottle of bubbly, light and elegant with distinct aromatic notes and small hints of woodiness. One of the few remaining family-owned champagne houses, Louis Roederer is very particular on the use of wood for maturation and the selective distribution of its wines.
Chef Giovanna tells us that pairing champagne with vegetables is tricky – finding vegetables to complement champagne is quite a task as certain vegetables like fennel negate the flavours of the champagne because of the strong anise taste. Asparagus on the other hand, can carry the flavour of champagne quite well.
More: The Hindu
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Wine of India Wholesale is an importer and distributor of Indian wines operating in the New York City. Yash Shah, President of Sales and Marketing, says popularizing Indian Wines in New York has been an uphill task and the primary reason is lack of awareness.
People do not know that India is making wines and great ones at that. In fact, there is a lot of skepticism about quality standards maintained and people do not equate high quality products like wines with India. Even seasoned indophiles don’t think of India when it comes to buying or ordering wines. On the Upper East Side, Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits does not stock Indian wines simply because nobody asks for them.
In spite of all the roadblocks, Indian wines are slowly and steadily getting known and popular. Wine of India Wholesale has managed to place Indian wines in about 75 restaurants and liquor stores throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York City and Long Island. Though Cristiano Andrade, general manager and wine director at Sea Grape Wine Shop in the West Village, wasn’t impressed by some Indian wines he tasted in the past, the recent batches of wines coming from India have made their mark on him. Andrade did a tasting and was happy enough with the response to order some.
More: Kitchen Talks
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“Alcohol aggravates the effect of the carcinogens in tobacco,” points out K. Ramdas, Professor of Radiotherapy, Regional Cancer Centre. The World Health Organisation (WHO) attributes about 30 per cent of all cancers to tobacco and four percent of all cancers to alcohol.
There is very little that is known about the ‘safe' limits of alcohol consumption and there are few studies where risk adjustment for alcohol alone has been done. Yet, most researchers seem to be in agreement when they observe that along with unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and tobacco use, the spiralling levels of alcohol consumption has contributed to the increasing number of cancers diagnosed every year across the globe.
An estimated 35,000 new cases of cancers are reported every year in Kerala and among males, cancer of the oral cavity stands at second place with an incidence rate of 11 per 1,00,000. And 50 percent of these oral cancers are due to the lethal combination of tobacco and alcohol.
For South Asians, especially, Indians, even light or moderate drinking seem to do more harm than good. In a multi-site study conducted across India among 12,000 men in the 20-69 age group, it was observed that alcohol did not have any protective effect. The study (Roy A, et.al, Impact of alcohol on coronary heart disease (CHD) in Indian Men, Atherosclerois 2010), defined regular alcohol consumption as once or more in a week. Binge drinking was defined for the study as four or more standard drinks at a time.
One standard drink was 30 ml spirits, 285 ml regular beer or 120 ml wine. The prevalence of CHD among alcohol users was 3.3% and among non-users 2.4%. The researchers said alcohol consumption in Indian men did not give any protective benefits against CHD and this trend was observed in alcohol users classified as occasional and regular, and light/moderate/heavy drinkers.
More: The Hindu
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Aromas, the leading Australian Café chain has introduced their all new in-house aromas classic wine to add to its extensive collection of international and National wines. This classic version of wines is available at all Aromas Café outlets in Mumbai and Pune.
Aromas Café is also offering a lucky draw on purchase of an Aromas classic wine bottle, whereby the winner stands a chance to visit Fratelli vineyards. The trip is valued at over Rs. 40,000 and includes a guided tour to the winery, wine tasting, accommodation and meals.
Kapil Sekhri, spokesperson, Fratelli Wines, says, ‘It would be our pleasure to host the winners of the lucky draw at the Fratelli vineyards and provide them a wholesome experience with our hospitality, along with showcasing the passion and commitment that Fratelli has for producing world class Indian wines.’
More: Indiainfoline
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Vintners in the state of Maharashtra have planned a whole new travel experience to get you deep into the heart of Nashik's ruddy vineyards. With a view to promote wine tourism in the state and woo domestic drinkers, the All India Wine Producers Association (AIWPA) is planning to start a toy train in the heart of the wine village in Nashik.
Pradeep Sheth, a wine lover, welcomed the move. "There are very few places that offer visits to vineyards and also they are not handled efficiently. If such a toy train is started in the wine valley of Nashik, I am sure that many people like me will be interested in knowing how the industry works."
More: Mid-day
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Resveratrol causes damage to the DNA in cancer cells, says Robert Sclafani, a professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine.
Sclafani and, Rajesh Agarwal, a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Studies at the School of Medicine, also found recently that resveratrol is successful in preventing a specific type of cancer in mice.
“As recently as last month, we are in the position that we can have more convincing data in the mice showing that ... resveratrol is extremely effective in preventing the appearance of oral cancer,” he said.
In a couple of years, they hope to test the effects of resveratrol in humans with oral cancer, which is a common affliction among people in countries like India. Agarwal said high quantities of concentrated resveratrol could be given to patients with oral cancer in the form of a mouth wash or a gel.
But just because the compound is found in red wine doesn’t mean that Agarwal encourages people to drink as much as they want, as often as they want, in hopes of living a cancer-free life.
“Anything in excess is not good,” he said. “People will say, ‘OK, so resveratrol is good, and it’s in the red wine’ so they’ll start drinking more red wine. But before they die of cancer, they’ll die of liver failure. It’s kind of a fine balance, and that needs to be taken into account.”
More: Aurorasentinel
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We have to learn how to deal with these rains and assure a steady supply of grapes. We will also focus on setting rules for wine. I am on the Indian Grape Processing Board. Wine is still consumed by less than 1 per cent of the total population. All we need to do is bring it up to 5 per cent and that is only 60 million Indians!
I must say that the decision of planting the first Sauvignon Blanc in India and more recently to plant the first Riesling have to be my favourite. Also, we are proud to be the first cold fermentation plant. The key to good wine in the tropics is to keep it cold — right from the time the grapes come to the winery to the time the bottles leave — that’s the best way to retain the flavour and the aroma. So really, the heart of our winery is our chilling plant!
More: Telegraphindia
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Strong ecological credentials were helping Distell’s Two Oceans wine brand to achieve success in the North American and other export markets, international brand manager Jackie Olivier said yesterday.
Olivier said that Two Oceans had achieved year-on-year growth of 29 percent in sales volume for the 13 weeks to September 17, compared with a 1.4 percent decline of the imported dry table wine sector as a whole for the same period.
The brand was the top-selling South African wine range in Canada and “a major player in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries”, she noted.
In India it was “listed by some of the highest profile hotels, restaurants and clubs and a range of prominent retail chains and is available in most of the main and second-tier cities across the country”.
Olivier said Two Oceans was helped by its strong green credentials. All the grapes sourced for the wine were accredited by South Africa’s Integrated Production of Wine label for sustainable growing and wine-making practices.
More: iol.co.za
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Nirvana Biosys, an Indian wine company, based in Haryana, North India (better known for its Lichi and mango wine), announces the launch of LUCA Cabernet Sauvignon in Delhi this month.
A well structured oak matured wine that has a taste of a true classics. Displays distinctive aromas of berries and oak, with a medium body and well-integrated tannins.
Alcohol Content-12.5% v/v
Serving Temperature-17-18 degree c
Being produced in the first ever state-of-the-art Winery in the North India region, Nirvana is extensively producing quality wines.
On the launch of LUCA Cabernet Sauvignon, Mr. M.K. Rustagi, Joint Managing Director, Nirvana Biosys said “For the lovers of red wines, aroma of berries and oak jumps from the glass poured with Luca Cabernet Sauvignon which delivers the more subtle mineral notes.”
Price: 750ml-Rs. 520
375ml-Rs. 260
Availability:Leading Retail Shops
About Nirvana Biosys:
Nirvana Biosys has set up a winery the first in North India in Haryana on NH-8 to Jaipur ,80 kms from Delhi ( two hours drive). The most modern winery has been set up on two acres of land with state of the art plant and equipments, having a capacity of 10 million litres per annum. Nirvanahas successfully marked its footprints in India and abroad including the highly potential Indian markets such as - Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Goa , Karnataka Andhra Pradesh and International countries including Dubai, Germany, China, Japan. It has all plans in place to enter the Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and markets shortly.
Nirvana has the collaboration with M/s. E.C.Oxenham & Co.Ltd. a company with French lineage, who are into wine making for last over 75 years.
Winemaker: Mr.Patrick Oxenham, an Oenologist from Dijon University of France who has been crafting wines for over 35 years is our wine maker. At Nirvana, apart from premium quality Grape Wines we have in our portfolio the unique Exotic Lychee and MangoWines. Mango wine will be launched soon for the first time in India.
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According to Indian Wine Market Outlook to 2015 – Surging Demand by Women published by a private marketing company AM Mindpower Solutions in New Delhi, Indians consumed some 620,000 cases in 2005 but the figure has risen to 2.33m cases so far in 2011. Wine consumption is expected to reach 6.88m cases by 2015, according to the report.
Women are driving that increase, said Ankur Gupta, head of marketing for the company.
Wine consumption among women throughout India has increased by 28.7% in the last 5 years as compared to a 17.3% surge in demand from males, especially in metropolitan areas.
Increased financial independence of middle class women are also driving demand, as they can more easily ‘indulge in social events at bars and at restaurants,’ Gupta said.
More than two out of three women prefer red over other wines because they see red wine as an antioxidant that has several health benefits, Gupta added.
[NB: As wine consumption is on the rise in India, the need for wine education is also on the rise. The dangers of getting addicted and dangers to health remain if the beverage is not respected and its potency sidelined. Food pairing, quantity, wine etiquette, etc. need to be clubbed with medical research on wine-drinking. For eg. Ayurveda has over 5000 years of experience with wine, and it would be wise to harness this wisdom through Ayurvedic doctors and Pulse Diagnosis in order to ascertain as per one’s body constitution, the benefits of wine for every individual. Wine tasting events will do well if graced by such experts who can conduct Ayurvedic Pulse diagnosis and educate individuals on how much wine is good for them individually, and how and when to best have it.]
More: Decanter
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After the Shahs (Malay and Yash) heard the same story from several Indian eateries–that availability of imported Indian wine product was highly erratic–they saw a business opportunity. By the beginning of 2009, the duo was in India, spending more than a month visiting wineries to test the waters.
“Not only did we find that some wineries were willing to export, but they were also willing to do what it took to help build our importing business,” says Malay Shah, 32, who co-founded, with 28-year-old Yash, Wine of India Wholesale, based in Queens, New York.
The Shahs launched their business, using personal savings, in July 2010. “Startup costs were about $50,000, with about two-thirds of that going to buying inventory,” says Yash Shah. Later that year they added a third partner, Prashant Jain. Their company, says Shah, is the only Indian-wine importer in the United States that brings in a steady and dependable supply of the stuff from several wineries.
Wine of India now imports about a dozen wines from the York, Vinsura and Aryaa wineries in Nashik. Prices range from about $10 to $20 a bottle. “Considering that these are new-world wines, it may be a high price,” says Yash Shah. “But India doesn’t produce the quantity of wine that other countries produce. So there’s not much of it to go around and, therefore, exclusive.” The partners sell mainly to liquor stores where they hold frequent tastings. They sell to Indian and other restaurants mainly in New York City and Long Island. The partners also provide a portfolio of lighter and curry-friendly wines, imported from France and Italy, under their company’s Urban Taj brand.
More: Portfolio
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Indian wines, of course, have been sold in the UK for many years (now collapsed Indage being the biggest among them) but, somehow, they never seemed to permeate the British consciousness, or when they did it didn't bode well. A British friend grimaced when I once suggested a bottle of Indian wine to accompany our meal: she recalled a sickly sweet headache-giving red she'd had years ago. Why take the risk when there was a safe bottle of quaffable Argentine Malbec for a couple of pounds more?
Indeed, the danger of memories is one reason why London's top Indian restaurants have been relatively cautious when approaching wines from India.
Many made big play of the fact that Waitrose, a posh supermarket chain, began stocking two Indian wines belonging to United Breweries — Zampa syrah 2008 and Ritu viognier 2010 — as part of its ‘unusual wines' segment. They sold out swiftly, and Waitrose says it is considering selling them online in the near future.
“We are keeping an eye on Indian wine producers as the industry develops,” Waitrose wine buyer Matt Smith said on email. He discovered the wines at the annual London Trade Fair. “The wines do match well with Indian food, but this isn't the main reason we stocked them, as I believe they do stand up on their own,” he said.
More: The Hindu Businessline
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Four Seasons has a good distribution network. Has this translated to good sales?
Abhay Kewadkar: Four Seasons started distribution from October 2008 to be precise, and we now have a pan-India presence from this financial year which is an achievement by itself. Yes, we started with the Metros and are now present in Tier II and III cities as well. This result is a combination of the response to the quality and distribution width and depth of USL.
USL had a plan to open its winery in Baramati for tourists.
Abhay Kewadkar: The winery will open for tourists from coming harvest months of February.
Like the rest of the world, does red wine sell more in India than white or rose? Also in red, which grape is popular here?
Abhay Kewadkar: Red wines globally sell 55 per cent, whites 35 per cent and rose 10 per cent. In India, sale of red wines is 60 per cent, whites 35 per cent, rose five per cent. In India, red wines have more potential of sale than whites owing to the spicy cuisine here. The tannins in red wine can take up spicy cuisine much better than what white wines can.
Shiraz grape wines are associated with spicy cuisine, tandoori dishes and barbeques. Naturally, it is the highest selling grape varietal here.
More: thehindu.com
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