Winsome Pair

“Earlier,we would roll out coffee and cake sessions but realised the success of wine and cheese events at a recent event,” admits Divya Kapoor Malhotra of the multi-designer store Samsaara,housed in Taj Chandigarh. Similarly,when Anuwant Pahwa launched the designer label Vedic Belle,the evening preview bash ran to a full house. It had much to do with the evening’s menu that brought in a bouquet of red and white wines coupled with a sampling of cheese.

“Wine and cheese soirees are definitely on the rise. People are becoming increasingly aware of wines and the food pairings,” points out Taj Chandigarh’s sales manager Sandeep Makroo,who mentions how wine and cheese evenings were an intrinsic part of the first Chandigarh Fashion Week. “The mostly whisky-drinking population is now accepting wine and looking forward to it at events,though it is a combination that the Indian palate has to get used to,” he adds.

The hoity-toity appeal of a wine and cheese event also attracts a certain section of society. As a well-known city fashionista says,”It is the perfect opportunity to air your latest buys,while sipping fine wine and having fun.”

For now,luxury labels and wine evenings seem to complement each other in Chandigarh. “For us,it’s a done thing given the well-heeled clientele we do business with,” says Anaheeta Mehra,city boutique manager of German luxury label Montblanc. From the launch of a new arrival to events like a Valentine’s Day bash,the city’s swish set have swirled their reds and raised a toast with their choice of white wines,courtesy the luxury label.

Last week saw the local Mercedes-Benz dealership host a wine and cheese do at the Mercedes-Benz AMG showcase event. The entry-by-invitation-only event saw cheese and sushi platters do the rounds along with an impressive wine list as customers checked out the new sporty model. “Given the exclusivity of the show,we decided to make it a special affair by serving wine and cheese. Also,it’s good to meet customers in a semi-informal setting,” explained Deepak Joshi,Managing Director,Joshi Autozone.

Local residents are also making the most of the new trend. “I don’t believe in making wine and cheese a fashion statement or something pretentious,” says art curator Seema Bhalla,who decides on what her spread on the table will be depending on the time of the evening and the people that she has over. “If it is not tea or dinner time,I choose from my exotic collection of wines,Australian wines being my personal favourite,whip up an interesting cheese platter with some crunchy greens and settle down for a no-fuss,fun evening,” adds Bhalla,who often hosts foreigners working here in the city.

At the Alliance Francaise,art exhibitions are often followed by parties where people fraternise and catch up with the art scene. Wine and cheese are the staple fare,as in the recent exhibition of drawings by Ram Pratap Verma. As artist,photographer and member of Alliance Francaise Diwan Manna says,it is an absorbing way to appreciate a new culture and has initiated a bond between Chandigarhians and those from outside the city and country. “Of course,what makes it all the more enticing is when you are invited by people who know their wine and cheese and are not just showing off,” Manna adds. Natasha,the cultural coordinator,is in fact planning a cafe concert here,where people can be a part of a cultural cocktail and make new connections.

The CII-Chandigarh chapter recently connected used a wine and cheese event to spread the word about an art exhibition that was promoting a social cause,with artists who had exhibited their paintings giving a part of the proceeds from their sales towards the welfare of the girl child. “People,especially those from abroad,prefer a light fare rather than a full dinner. So we provide wine and cheese as part of our regular menu,be it for delegates of trade missions,foreign dignitaries or members of the Young Indian Chapter,” says Aditya,an official here.

Planning a fun evening to release her book Adrift- a Junket Junkie In Europe,author and travel enthusiast Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu is keen to avoid routines that are formal or academic. “I have designed the menu,which goes with the flavour of my book,” Sidhu says.

Pairing up wine with art is Vandya Bagrodia,owner of Art Folio gallery in Sector 9,Chandigarh. “Art along with wine and cheese makes for a perfect combination. It lends class to an event and we often host wine sessions after an exhibition at Art Folio,” Bagrodia signs off.