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April 2012 - Posts
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Such is the popularity of Reza Mahammad that he is a sought-after commodity at South Africa’s Good Food & Wine Show every year.
His Food Network show, Reza, Spice Prince of India, is an extension of his success as one of the UK’s top Indian restaurateurs.
As much as viewers appreciate his cooking tips and culinary dishes, they also adore his flamboyant style and charismatic personality.
Now for the good news – his next series will be shot in SA, where he will explore the local gastronomic secrets of the Indian communities.
More: Tonight
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Nestled amidst paddy fields by the Cauvery, Alpine Wineries is Karnataka's latest vineyard with state-of-the-art winery, and its effort has also helped the region get Cauvery Valley, the appellation (a protected name under which a wine can be sold) by the Karnataka government.
Third valley
While the winery’s founder Raghavendra Gowda started the spadework for the the 247-acre vineyard at Holesalu village in T. Narasipura taluk, Mysore in 2005-2006, the work on getting the appellation also started simultaneously. Months before the first bottles hit the market, the government acknowledged Cauvery valley as an appellation region, the third in the State after Nandi Valley and Krishna Valley.
The winery currently has the capacity to process 8 lakh litres, which can be expanded to 15 lakh litres. The Bordeaux-based Stephane Derenoncourt, one of the famous winemakers, was roped in to make the best wine from Cauvery valley. Currently, Alpine Wineries offers shiraz, cabernet shiraz, sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc, while it is set to introduce seven more varieties in 2013-2014. “The new introduction will be very different,” says Mr. Gowda. He is already working on projects like wine tourism, restaurant, shop, sommelier school and so on.
More: The Hindu
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Abhay Kewadkar’s strategy for growth at Four Seasons Wines is based on the three pillars of “education, awareness and accessibility.” “Over the years, wine consumption has remained metro-centric in India and it has a very snobbish appeal in the consumer’s mind,” says Kewadkar. “We have taken it upon ourselves to educate the consumer to demystify wine as a category and (make them aware) that wine is like any other beverage meant for enjoyment.” As part of this, his team has been conducting vineyard tours, wine tastings and wine appreciation sessions for corporations and various other consumer groups.
Kewadkar notes that the large distribution network of the UB Group gives him an advantage in reaching out to tier-2 and tier-3 cities. “This has helped us in expanding the pie and (also) in paving the way for a higher market share in a bigger pie,” he says. In a bid to further expand his reach, Kewadkar has also partnered with outlets like casual dining restaurant chain Pizza Hut and coffee chains Cuppa Café and Café Oz to serve Four Seasons wines in their outlets.
“The current alcoholic beverage penetration in India is around 42.5%, while beer and whiskey penetration is at 26% and 23% respectively. Wine is only at 0.6%. However, four times as many people have expressed their willingness to taste wine, but haven’t done so for lack of the necessary casual fine-dining experience and opportunity.”
More: Little India
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The tasty wines ($5, $18), by the way, go with the food, and the pours are big.
The slow service is forgiven when the fish thali hits the table, and every dunk, scoop and spoonful of the aromatic food produces wonder at the infinite ingenuity of cooks.
Gajalee
Location: 525 Valencia St. (between 16th and 17th streets), San Francisco
Contact: (415) 552-9000
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays for lunch; 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays for dinner; closed Mondays
Price range: Appetizers $5 to $9; main courses $11 to $13; thali plates $11 to $15
Recommended dishes: Fish thali, meen pollichathu, chicken chettinad, lamb xacuti, veg kolhapuri
More: sfexaminer.com
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As more wine, mainly red wine from France, is being consumed by traditionally non-wine-drinking countries such as China, Japan, Singapore and India, we are gaining more knowledge and experience of what pairs well with non-European food.
Recently, I spoke with Nicolas Glumineau, technical director at Bordeaux's Château Montrose, who now visits Southeast Asia several times a year. Marvelling at the variety of recipes found in countries such as Thailand, he also explained that from his experience Asian consumers weren't as afraid of tannins as Europeans. Moreover he said that the tannins found in red Bordeaux match well with certain Asian dishes based around duck and veal. I was surprised, as I always found that spicy flavors matched with the bitter tannins of red wine can prove an unpalatable partnership. But I was falling into the trap of imagining the unknown from what I knew; most of my experience of Asian cuisine has come via Europe.
"In the Far East, people want to and expect to drink serious red wines with their food. In places such as Szechuan in China they like chilli and heat. The fact that a tannic red wine accentuates that character is a bonus rather than detraction."
"If you look at Indian food, you can eat in the north of India and the south of India, and you can almost feel that you are eating food from two different countries. It is not just about the dish being spicy, it is about how spicy it is and how it is cooked that also make it complicated."
It seems that, given the international flavor of today's wine-drinking landscape, we're learning all the time. If you would like to drink red wine with your Asian food, by all means give it a go. Just remember to ignore the quizzical look from your sommelier.
More: Wall Street Journal
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The Indian Wine List app is an exhaustive catalog of Indian wines from the various wine regions in India and lets you search, discover, and manage all the wines in our database. Research, Learn and Save your favorite Indian Wines using our easy to use interface, this app is the perfect companion for the wine novice and connoisseur alike and opens you up to an industry that is taking on the world with its quality of wines.
Features:
- Wine Listing filtered by Food Pairing, Grape, Occasion or Winery
- Wine details (style, varietal, vintage, price, serve & store temperatures, tasting & pairing notes)
- Bottle Image and High Resolution Wine Label photograph
- Exclusive Monthly updated Pairings from local Restaurants with pricing and contact details
- Virtual Cellar
- Completely OFFLINE browsing of Wine Catalogue and Food Pairings
- Share with friends via Twitter
More: Itunes
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Apart from wine dinners, tastings and events, Vinoteca goes a step ahead to address the growing educational impulse of wine consumers. Sula recently became an authorized provider of the credible WSET wine courses from the UK and soon plans to open Vinoteca doors to wine education by offering level 1 and 2 of this certification.
In today’s world of marketing, glitz, and publicity, Sula has decided to stay away from any type of advertising at all. “Our target market is middle-class consumers and higher, and we have made an effort and kept our menu moderately priced for the quality,” explains Cecilia. “We’re looking to attract both wine and food lovers for which we feel that word-of mouth publicity works the best.”
More: Sula Wines
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