Summer’s sweet wine

“White wines are always preferred in the summer,” says Dharti Desai,founder and CEO of Finewinesnmore,a food and beverage management company. “Among the white wines,the Rieslings are generally the lightest. In India,to begin with,there wasn’t much knowledge about this particular kind of wine,but over the past few years,we’ve seen the demand for Rieslings increase,especially when it gets hot. Since they range from dry to semi-dry to sweet,they’re very versatile.”

It’s this versatility that makes the Riesling so suitable for first-time drinkers. “It has a sweetness which a lot of other wines lack and that makes it a favourite with novices,” says wine importer Karan Nevatia,“It’s easy to pair with different kinds of food because it’s got a freshness to it.”

Of course,there is no such thing as the best Riesling for starters because even within this relatively small range of white wines,there are huge variations in flavour. “It also depends on how much you’re willing to spend,” says Nevatia,“A Rs 1,000 bottle may be good within its price range,but compared to one that costs Rs 6,000,it may not be so.”

Refreshingly crisp,with a good balance of fruitiness and acidity,Rieslings are also suited for the Indian palate in other ways. Food and Beverages Director Andrew De Brito declares,“It goes well with the strongly flavoured Indian food. It’s a perfect marriage.” The acidic nature of the grape allows it to nicely balance the spices in Indian food. Restauranteur Pankil Shah says,“Indian food generally has the tendency to overwhelm the more delicately flavoured wines,but with Riesling that’s not a risk. It might have a fruity scent,but it’s in no sense delicate. The taste lingers on,which is the mark of a good wine.”

Have it plain-old missionary style or with a splash of soda,as Riesling devotee Almos Bartha does. “It’s one of the most refreshing alcoholic beverages,with its beautiful fragility and citrus tang. Even on its own,it’s delicious,but with a bit of soda,it just drives your exhaustion away.” The slightly more free-spending wine drinkers can also choose to splurge on a less run-of-the-mill Riesling. “The Icewine is a good dessert wine,also made from Riesling grapes,” says Nevatia,“September is usually the wine-picking season,but some wine growers leave a small batch till November-December. They then pluck the grapes on particularly chilly nights,when they’re frozen. This results in a more concentrated,very sweet wine. Of course,since these Rieslings are relatively rarer and very much in demand,they’re also proportionately more expensive. A good bottle will cost you anything upwards of Rs 10,000.”