When a customer walked into his wine and liquor store near London, looking for a Gosset (a popular champagne brand, pronounced as go-say), Tapan Ganguli regretted but invited him instead to try a Gonet (not as well known brand, pronounced as go-nay). And the gentleman became his permanent customer ever since. Our wine dinner at the Lodi Restaurant featured this non-vintage Grand Cru from Michel Gonet , a blanc de blanc made from 100% Chardonnay without using the other two allowable grapes in the Appellation, namely Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Michel Gonet is represented in the UK by Tapan who is here to promote this champagne as well as wines from the Chateau Lesparre in the Grave region of Bordeaux, bought over by Mr. Gonet in the nineties.

For a fair comparison, we started the evening with a world-famous Spanish Cava, Freixenet and the Starters that included beautifully decorated Mezze platters. It paired well with it, as expected from the bubbly using the indigenous Spanish grapes and produced by the ‘traditional champagne method'. But the real McCoy outshone and outclassed its neighbouring cousin with Starters, Salads and even the pan-fried sole served as the primo piatto. The bubbles, tiny and millions of them were long-living in the bottle and the mouth where the tingling sensation seemed ever-lasting. Distinctive apple-like nose, slightly biscuity flavoured beads danced in the mouth. It was not a good match for the lamb broth, though.

The white Graves de Vayres from Lesparre was unlucky to have proceeded the fuller, balanced and more elegant champagne made out of select grapes from a special vineyard. The Semillon- sauvignon blend could not bring out even its basic flavours and the usual perfumes with the sole or the chicken dish.

We tasted two reds instead of one with the second main course, both from Lesparre . Bordeaux Superior Cuvee Excellence 1999 was fuller-bodied, with typical Medo`c blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc than the second wine, Graves de Vayres, a Right Bank cousin using 60% Cabernet and 40% Merlot .

Though the lator was thinner and lighter with a forgettable aftertaste, it had excellent smoky flavour and reminded one of smoked cheese and ham. The single malt drinkers would notice a piety and earthy flavour. It would be excellent with smoked cheese but it did match the lamb dish well because of its soft tannins. It is a simple wine that can be wonderful daily drinking wine with food, or by itself, even on warmer days with a bit of cooling.

From our experience of 54 wine events, most being dinners, we have observed that most members do not relish dessert wine, Icewine excepted. But we pared the tiramisu and the chocolate mousse with a German Mosel Riesling- a 1997 Auslese we selected from the wine estate of Ulrich Langguth who had visited us last month. This wine is normally recommended for the spicy hot Indian food because of its acid- balanced higher sweetness. The chocolate mousse overpowered the wine- a sweeter Spaetlese would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, the delicately prepared tiramisu balanced well with the wine, which was applauded unanimously.

A word about the restaurant. The quality of food was very good to excellent (except Penne which was short of being Al Dante and a bit too salty). The service staff was very polite and efficient and the improper selection of glasses was adequately offset by the praiseworthy service of wine . And though proper glasses wouldn't have done much for the white wine, the reds (and Tapan Ganguli) would have smiled more. Here is the menu: