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| Rajeev Samant |
‘Buenas Tardes…. I came to India with 3 objectives - to enjoy the Indian cuisine, taste the wine and travel by train and I managed to achieve all of them. Guess what, the 40 minute train ride to Church gate is an experience that I will never forget’ said Ramiro Barrios, the Regional Export Manager for Trapiche Argentina. He finds a lot of similarity between Argentina and India in terms of diversity, values, rich culture and India he believes is certainly a role model for all the developing nations.
Trapiche, founded over 125 years ago, is Argentina’s largest exported premium wine brand. They own over 1,000 hectares of their own vineyards and also source fruit from more than 200 other producers throughout Argentina. Trapiche is the leader in Malbec sales in Argentina.
With the same vision and passion for promoting good wine, Sula Selections-the import arm of Sula Vineyards has entered into a partnership with Trapiche for the distribution of Trapiche wines. ‘We could not have asked for a better partner - Sula is young, professional and very focused’ said Ramiro.
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| Cecilia Oldne, Ramiro Barrios, Maloo Natarajan |
Sula Selections, Trapiche and The Table hosted the "Degustation dinner"- a private dining table for VIPs in Mumbai on 18th July 2011. Besides the hosts Rajeev Samant (Founder & CEO Sula Vineyards ), Ramiro Barrios (Trapiche) and Gauri Devidayal (Owner of The Table), the event was graced by the Deputy Consul General of Argentina, Mr. Pompeyo Carlos Layus, the Consul General of Brazil, Bandana Tewari the Fashion Editor Vogue, Divya Thakur a creative director, Shamita Singha, wine connoisseurs from Mumbai & journalists from various food and wine magazines.
Rajeev Samant believes that it is the appropriate time to introduce new wines and having been interacting with Trapiche for over three years, he believes that wines from Argentina could be ideally paired with Indian cuisine too.
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| Ramiro Barrios , Bandana Tewar |
Tucked away in the heart of Colaba, The Table is housed in a heritage building and beautifully renovated by the owners Jay Yousuf and Gauri Devidayal in a very intimate way. With the San Francisco area's consultant Chef Joey Altman and Executive Chef Alex Sanchez, it has been conceptualized to be a casual fine diner to savor globally inspired cuisine.
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| Wines tasted during the event |
The pairing started with Trapiche Pinot Grigio 2010 with Asparagus in Lemon Vinaigrette, creamy egg yolk, crisp onions; Tuna Tataki, avocado, Icicle radish, sesame Vinaigrette With the perfect balance between sugar and acidity & the fresh, crisp & refreshing acidic flavor, it pairs well with poultry to ethnic dishes.
The above was followed by Trapiche Sauvignon Blanc 2010 paired with Pumpkin Ravioli, sage brown butter, toasted hazelnut, chicken liver mousse, apple & Vanilla Gelee frosting, Warm Chevre, Arugula & apple salad, walnut vinaigrette. The wine had the fresh aromas of grapefruit and asparagus with a dry taste and pleasant acidity.
The spiced grilled calamari, Chilli-lime vinaigrette, fresh herbs & peanuts with Astica Torrontes 2010 was a big hit with the invitees - fresh and young with flower and citrus aromas. This was followed by what everyone was eagerly waiting for – the Malbec!
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| Invitees |
For most novice wine drinkers, red wine refers to drinking a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti in an Italian restaurant. But the knowledge and awareness about wines has increased in the recent past and the demand for more choices is on the high. One red varietal that has become very popular with the oenophiles is Malbec which is considered the premier grape of Argentina especially in the Mendoza valley region.
Malbec referred to as a rustic Merlot due to its earthy & woody character is typically a medium-bodied to full-bodied red wine with red fruit flavors of plum and blackberry jam. It has become popular because of its versatility and ability to pair with many foods.
We had the opportunity to taste the Trapiche Malbec 2010 with Porcini ‘ Bolognese’ Tagliatelle; Herb gnocchi a la Parisienne, Mushroom Ragout, Fine herbs; Boneless Chicken ‘ wings’ with ginger glaze - A rich, red-colored wine with violet hues, had flavors of plum and cherry with a touch of truffle and vanilla. This was followed by Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2010 with Malbec Lamb Shoulder, Mashed Potatoes, Gremolata. As a mid-bodied wine, Malbec was a perfect choice with poultry, lamb and mushroom. Its intense red color, aromas of berries and a long after taste left us speechless.
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| Rajeev with a guest |
The great news for us Indians is that not many red wines pair well with spicy foods, but Malbec's versatility and natural acidity make it a good match to be paired with curry dishes such as lamb or beef.
The highlight of the evening was the final pairing of the Dessert Wine ‘Trapiche Late Harvest Chardonnay 2010’ with Vanilla Panna Cotta, Orange, Locally Harvested Pink Peppercorns; Lumberjack Cake, Cumquat, Toasted Almond Ice Cream.
As we walked away with a parting gift of a Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec 2010, we were all in awe with the culture that knows how to live well… muchas gracias Sula Selections y Trapiche tambien!
Maloo Natarajan |