Nov 1: The latest addition to the Indian super-premium wines, Zampa Chene from Grover Zampa was launched in Delhi on October 28, a day before the actual launch in Mumbai, giving the members of Delhi Wine Club an opportunity to be the first ones in the world to formally taste the wine at a private dinner organised exclusively for the members at Le Bistrot, writes Arun Batra.
A limited edition aged Tempranillo-shiraz blend with the price tag of Rs 1700 might be billed as the most expensive Indian produced wine today. This super premium wine, as the Indian industry would like to call it, was scheduled to be launched in Mumbai on 29th October. Indicative of the stature and respect that our Club President Subhash Arora commands with Indian wine producers, our Club in Delhi was specially chosen by Grover Zampa to have the bragging rights of being the first in the world to have drunk this wine – a day before its formal launch in Mumbai. What’s more, Grover Zampa decided to fly their CEO Mr Sumedh Singh Mandla especially to Delhi for a night to present the wine to us.
Our President, Subhash Arora, who is as much a well-wisher of the Indian wines as the imported ones, wanted to host a wine dinner with Grover Zampa wines for some time. He says, ‘ a few years ago, Adam Strum, the publisher of Wine Enthusiast and the second biggest wine media company in the world wrote to me that he was visiting India with his family. He requested me to have an evening with Indian wines with the Club. I decided to organise the Delhi Wine Club dinner at Olive Qutab with Grover wines, for which even Kapil Grover decided to come to Delhi. At this dinner, Adam had really appreciated the wines, especially the Grover La Reserve and told the members that this was the kind of a red wine that would define the future of wine industry in India.'
During the last couple of decades of the 20th century when wine culture started taking roots in India, the nascent Indian wine industry was producing its own interpretation of wine which was light years behind the quality standards being achieved in Europe and the New World. Wine drinkers had little option but to go to great lengths to procure and serve a foreign made wine. Wine education was limited – little did the average wine drinker realize that his prized offering was actually table wine plonk quality given a veneer of respectability on the price front by the high import duties or the hefty margins of the neighbourhood bootlegger. Things have changed rapidly in the last decade or so – the wine industry has not only grown in size, volume, number of producers, varietals grown but most importantly the quality bar is being raised with every passing year.
One of the pioneers and drivers of the changing climate of liquor, beer and wine in India has been the Bangalore - based Grover Vineyards. Kanwal Grover’s seminal work unfortunately had run into heavy weather due to production and marketing issues and was not really able to take full advantage of its first mover position when the then leading producer, Indage Vintners suddenly started collapsing like a pack of cards in 2008-9. But the company, now known as Grover Zampa Vineyards, after infusion of private equity and merger with the highly promising Vallee de Vin from Nashik, is all set to once again set its stamp on the Indian market with a slew of high quality premium wine launches.
Subhash adds, ‘At one of the two competitions I went to judge in Hong Kong last month, I was impressed to see a group of wine enthusiasts taking interest in Chene label from GZ during the evening event called ‘Test Your Palate’ where the people could walk in and taste the wines opened for the judges during the day earlier, at a nominal entry cost. I had tasted this wine from the barrel about 18 months ago when I led a group of DWC members on a tour of 5 Nashik wineries; I felt that the wine had aged well. When I came to know from Sumedh during a tasting in Pune over a month ago that it was going to be released soon, I requested that this wine be added to the portfolio for the DWC dinner as well. He agreed and when he said it was to be launched on 29th October in Mumbai, I chose to have the DWC dinner a day earlier.’
The wine dinner (#217) to commemorate this historic occasion was scheduled for 28th Oct at another restaurant. However, barely four days before the event, the management of the planned venue developed cold feet about logistics issues.
With the prospect of the first cancellation in 217 wine dinners staring him in the face, Subhash started working the phones for an alternative site. Luckily, Marie Claire, a member of the Club, came to the rescue. The wife of our restaurateur member Tarsillo Nataloni of Flavors, runs Le Bistrot at the French Cultural Centre – a charming eatery tucked away in Lutyens’ Delhi. Literally over the weekend, the menu was finalized, food trials conducted and the service staff briefed on the nuances of a sit down private dinner with a pre-plated 5-course meal, paired with 5 wines.
As guests walked through the lush lawns colonnaded by verdant greenery, they were welcomed with chilled flutes of Zampa Soiree Brut – a pale straw coloured sparkling wine made with citrus on the palate, acceptable acidity and mineral undertones and a nice crisp finish. The Brut was well complimented by an array of quiches, croquettes and bruschetta catering to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians in particular. I thought the smoked chicken quiche and the mozzarella croquettes were outstanding. At its price range of Rs 700-800, depending where you are in the country, I foresee that this Methode Traditionelle sparkling wine has a very bright future.
Before we sat down for dinner, Subhash Arora introduced and welcomed our chief guest, Mr. Sumedh Singh Mandla, the CEO of Grover Zampa who then proceeded to give us an overview of what was happening at Grover Zampa and then some details of the wines that were to be presented to us.
The weather in Delhi has changed, thankfully for the better, to the lower twenties, so we were able to dine al fresco on the patio adjoining the main lawn – a great setting for a wine dinner. We sampled the Grover Art Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2009 whilst waiting for the French Onion Soup. It would not be out of place to mention here that the quality of this wine has improved recently- still very much a warm weather Sauvignon Blanc, this wine was fruity, light and refreshing with a nose of peach and mango and very citrusy acid on the palate.
To give the entrée of Ravioli company, we were served the new Grover La Reserve Blanc 2010 – the white equivalent of their signature La Reserve red. There was an explosion of citrusy notes initially but this oaked Viognier wine then somehow didn’t continue its promise –ending with a rather meek and undistinguished finish. Given a choice I would have preferred the Sauvignon Blanc over the La Reserve Blanc –which means there is still some work in progress for the winemaker to bring it up to a quality level of the La Reserve red.
Making amends immediately was the La Reserve 2007, which had been given sufficient time to air and was very amenable to drink – crisp acids with light tannins giving off the best that Michel Rolland had managed to extract from the Nandi Hills Cabernet Sauvignon(70%) and Shiraz(30%) grapes. Do keep in mind though that around 2007 was the time when its chief winemaker left and Grover got up to its neck in sedimentation issues in their production process. The red Reserve went far better with the Ravioli than the Blanc did though I must compliment the Chef for his rich Napolitano sauce.
And then to the moment we had been waiting for –THE Zampa Chene 2010. Chene means oak in French and according to their CEO, this wine produced at their Sanjegaon vineyard winery, was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Priced at 1700 a bottle and only 3-4000 bottles being produced in a year, this Tempranillo-based wine is poised to raise the price and quality levels of Indian made red wines. Price yes, but of the quality I am not so sure. The wine had typical hot weather Tempranillo notes of chocolate and tobacco which married well with the vanilla flavour imparted by the oak barrels. A splendid effort for the first Tempranillo based Indian wine, though I do feel this is the first Indian made wine which will really lend itself to ageing and will probably be superb in a couple of years’ time.
With all the attention focused on the wines, few noticed the apron clad Marie Claire flitting about making sure that the chicken and the fish main courses came piping hot – both dishes 
were well appreciated by our members as was the hot chocolate pudding with a light and airy sauce made form from egg whites, sugar and white wine a la the Italian zabaglione.
Always the one to innovate to bring some guest interest into the proceedings, Subhash held a lucky draw at the end whilst we were enjoying our pre drive-home espressos and listening to one of the guests croon some songs on Marie Claire’s guitar.
A great evening enjoyed by all who were indeed mindful of the honour bestowed on the Club by Grover Zampa who we wish well and hope this new product led marketing thrust will catapult them to the top of the Indian Wine League soon.
Arun Batra
Arun Batra is a Delhi based food and wine enthusiast and a longtime member of the Delhi Wine Club
Tags: Zampa Chene, Grover Zampa, Le Bistrot, Grover Vineyards, Sumedh Singh Mandla, Michel Rolland, Sanjegaon
