Swirl and Sip

"Pardon me,if my phone rings every few minutes," Nicolas Van Aarde says the minute we meet him.

After touring the world,South African wine maker Nicolas Van Aarde comes to India

“Pardon me,if my phone rings every few minutes,” Nicolas Van Aarde says the minute we meet him. It’s late in the evening and the wine appreciation do hosted by his company is yet to warm up,but Aarde is clearly multi-tasking. “The last harvest of grapes for the season has just come in at our farms and I am co-ordinating with the team there,” he informs. Aarde,who hails from South Africa,is the chief wine maker of Vallee De Vin,a wine-making company nestled in the Sahyadri valley in the Nasik district in Maharashtra,known for their five varieties of Zampa still and their range of Zampa Soiree sparkling wines.

In Chandigarh at the picturesque Lake Club,to host a wine dinner in association with Wine Society of Chandigarh,Aarde talks about his first experience with Indian wine. “It was around nine years back when I was in London. The wine wasn’t at all up to the mark,” reminisces Aarde,who has spent considerable time since then,working with international vintages based in South Africa,New Zealand,Australia,California France and India. “My experiences with various wineries led me to start my own consulting firm and I have been in India with Vallee de Vin since September last year,” he says,encouraging guests to try out the meals specially paired up with the wines on offer.

Wines,in India,he says,now have a better prospect than before. “Some Indian wines have a lot of potential and given the perfect setting in Nashik for the harvest of good quality grapes,I see no reason why Indian wines can’t have a global appeal,” remarks Aarde,adding,how he has been working alongside a viticulturist from Australia at the Vallee de Vin farms to enhance the taste of the grapes. He has one grouse though. “I find people in India liking wines with a high sugar reserve more. Maybe,that’s because the food here is so spicy,” he shrugs.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram