Wine for All

An elegant hall,a neat arrangement of round tables – with platters of cheese,crackers and grapes,breadsticks and dips,and an attentive audience. These were only the peripherals. The focus of Saturday evening at the Hyatt Regency Pune,Nagar Road,was on 10 different wines from Sicily,each with a distinct taste,quality and complexity. Delhi-based Indian Wine Academy presented a Master Class on Sicily Wines in association with the Istituto Regionale Della Vite E Del Vino in Sicily and Michele Shah,wine critic and consultant to the Italian wine trade.

As the guided tasting session proceeded,the select invitees appreciated the crisp and fruity Fonda Filara Etna Bianco,the cherry-like Frappato Sicilia,the delicious sparkling wine,and the sweet dessert wine, Moscato Della Torre Bianco,to name a few. Shah,Subhash Arora,president of Indian Wine Academy,Fabio Piccoli,an expert and consultant of Italian and Sicilian wines,and Dario Cartabellotta,director of IRVV, explained the subtle nuances of each wine. A pre-plated dinner at La Terrazza followed – more wines and conversation flowed over Prawns and dill rolls,Tenderloin carpaccio with smoked eggplant,Quail tortelli, roast lamb,and chocolate cannoli with orange zest. The topic veered towards Indian cuisine and wines. “The Indian soil and climate are not capable of producing fine wines but some of the key players have done an excellent job,” remarked Shah. The ‘critic’ in her was prodded and she added,“But the wines don’t have that quality or complexity to compete internationally.” Recently in London,she dined at an Indian restaurant and ordered an Indian wine. “The wines are made for the Indian palate – they are softer,sweeter and less complex,” she described.

It was Shah’s first visit to Pune but possibly her 20th to India. She’s been visiting India since 1990 – she talks of her trek to the Himalayas,her journey on a boat from Allahabad to Varanasi,her camel back ride in Rajasthan and her visit to Leh-Ladakh. She has conducted seminars in the Capital for Italian wine Brunello Do Montalcino DOCG. Has it upped the popularity of the wines? “It’s a question of marketing and persistence,” she answers. “It’s like sowing the seeds of what will grow later. We make consumers from wine clubs,members of the press and restaurateurs aware of the potential of Sicilian wines,” she says.

Shah has been in the wine business for 15 years. From the varieties of grapes to the soil,climate and produce in different parts of Sicily,this keen wine drinker knows it like the back of her hand. “Everywhere,wine has a very snobbish,pretentious image. People use wine,wine knowledge and the hype surrounding it to make a statement. But in the countries producing wine for centuries,like Italy and France,it has been part of the daily diet. Workers in the fields would carry flasks of wine with them. Today,it’s different because lifestyles have changed –we don’t move around,we eat too much,” she says.

Wine-drinking has guidelines,quite like food. “You wouldn’t add vinegar to a steak. But there are some who would. Similarly,it would be unpleasant to pair grilled fish with a heavy red wine. But,I’m not a wine snob,so,I’d say – drink whatever gives you pleasure.”