Delhi Wine Club presented a range of Vin~a Valdivieso Chilean wines at their monthly dinner at West View Restaurant in Hotel Maurya Sheraton on Monday night. The menu for the 5-course meal was designed by the Chef, Bill Marchetti to match the wines to be presented for tasting with the food. 30 club members attended the dinner.

The evening started with Sparkling Wine - extra Brut. The creamy, biscuity wine with fine small bubbles was quite reminiscent of the real thing - Champagne. Perhaps, the Methode Champenoise process used has something to do with it. Though in France, this process and mentioning it on the bottle is restricted to the Champagne region, it is still generously flaunted around in Chile. In fact, the producer's name is still Ch. (Champagne) Alberto Valdivieso. They have been primarily producing this fizz since 1879 and have been the first producer of sparkling wines in Chile and in fact, the whole of Latin America. This wine is a Dieter's Delight, with residual sugar level of 0-6 gms. The taste is bone dry compared to the popularly produced 'Bruts' with a higher content of 0-15 gms, usually over 10 gms. Some people, naturally, found it a shade too dry for their palate with 'sweet tooth'.

The members were universally floored with the next wine, Sauvignon Blanc, served with the Antipasti. Tasting of unripe peaches with a tinge of grassy flavour, this wine was not as dry and yet very crisp, fresh and with balanced acid. Though the after-taste was not long, it is powerfully perfumed. A perfect partner for the Kerala oysters, Norwegian salmon, char-grilled Bruschetta with mushrooms and the recently much talked about truffle oil. It also beckons the Sauvignon lovers who feel that the best SB is now from New Zealand and those who believe that Chile produces only red wines that are good value for money. Reason is the recent happenings in the Chilean wine industry, which as recently as 10 years had been using barrels made from local wood for storage and actually using a clone of Sauvignon Blanc, known as Sauvignonasse. With the replanting of the Sauvignon and generally using French Barriques, the quality has come up tremendously in recent years. Because of the price advantage, they offer a stiff challenge to the New Zealander and, of course, the Loire Valley wines.

Matching a red wine with soups is not the easiest job for a Chef. But Bill was able to   deliciously match the Cabernet Sauvignon, Barrel Selection 1999 with the Parmesan based chicken consommé and the Minestrone with basil pesto. Quite a heartening combo for the health conscious red wine lovers who like to stay away from red meats. Spicy notes in this shining dark ruby red wine made a good match for the soup. The tannins were a little too harsh though, and need to mellow down for a year or two.

The best wine for the evening was reserved for Risotto, the next course. Named as the Don, perhaps as a tribute to our Bollywood movie, it is the winemaker's special blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and perhaps Merlot. It is full-bodied, dark red with distinct taste of blackcurrants, black cherries and a touch of bitter almonds. It is an elegant and complex wine with a long after-taste that not only remains of the palate but also changes.

Journey through the red wines was extended with 3 reds with the Main Course of Australian Lamb Roast with baked Parmesan potatoes and also the mixed grill selection for the vegetarians (who can certainly enjoy wine with their meal). Carmenere 2000 was only a taster's shot that gave a glimpse of a Bordeaux variety which is now extinct in France but has been revived in Chile to give a very fruity, medium body wine for daily drinking. Cabernet Franc 2000 was a bit of disappointment. The intense aromas of dark chocolate, plum and cherry were quite noticeable but it was quite harsh on the palate. Perhaps, more breathing might have made it mellow. But the Malbec 2000 was a pleasant surprise. Brilliant and clear rub red colour with taste of coffee and black berries made this Argentine grape, balanced wine a pleasure to drink. It was a perfect match for the lamb because the meat proteins mellowed down the tannins .

It is almost sacrilegious to praise the dessert in a wine tasting dinner. But the baked crepes with Amaretto di Saronno and the specialty of the house, home made ice-cream were simply delectable.
The evening ended with the members wishing for more…more of the food, more of the wines and …more of the evening. Undoubtedly, these affordable Chilean wines are going to gain in popularity, provided the pricing by the importers, Sovereign Impex are kept affordable, under the current tyrannical tax regime.

Subhash Arora
President, Delhi Wine Club

More details about the Club at www.delhiwineclub.com and Chilean wines at
www.houseofchile.com .