Hotel Imperial is generally considered the top notch stand-alone 5-star hotel in Delhi that was a culinary representation of the high-class British Raj days, accentuated by excellent service and unique style. One already felt good vibrations after a preliminary meeting with Mr. Louis Sailer, the Austrian Senior Executive Vice President of the Hotel.  During our discussions, we learnt that the Executive Chef Philippe Agnese was French. As I rued that I did not find authentic French Soup in Delhi anymore, he instantly called the Chef and asked him to serve us his soup preparation. We suggested a non-Indian cuisine this year to showcase with Indian wines and he accepted the challenge and we agreed on French inspired cuisine with the high quality Indian wine. After tasting the soup, we decided to include it in the Menu for the evening.

We started the evening at the 1911 Bar where we were served Fratelli Gran Cuvee Brut – a zero dosage dry sparkling wine – a blend of Chenin Blanc with around 10% Gewürztraminer for perfume. A perfect match with the Nordic dish Salmon Gravlax on a Sago chip and Broccoli and Green Pea Vol-au-vent (for  Pescatarian like me). This bubbly is a perfect example of a high quality wine that does not sell as well as slightly sweet Fratelli NOI Extra Dry Brut which is excellent for the masses-also in terms of Price.

The Sit-down was arranged in the Restaurant 1911 which was packed with members and guests that included the Chilean Ambassador Juan Angulo. Moldovan Ambassador Ms. Ana Laban, Steven de Wilde, Chef de Mission of Belgian Embassy and their respective spouses. Also present were Anil Wadhwa IFS and his wife Deepa Wadhwa IFS, both retired Indian Ambassadors. It was one event where there were no cancellations and we could not accommodate all the members, ever-willing to join to promote the cause of Indian wines.

The President of Delhi Wine Club, Mukul Manku welcomed members and guests. Subhash Arora spoke briefly about how he had developed the concept and addressed members and guests about the genesis of the Indian Wine Day which has been supported by the members through their active participation every year. It was also the first time we paired French inspired cuisine, thanks to Chef Philippe Agnese. Stuffed Piquillo Salad was served with Fratelli Master Selection Rose, using Sangiovese grapes. Suffice it to say that I have tasted much more palatable wine than the 2023 served today.

The M/S White, a blend of about 70-80% Chardonnay and the balance being Sauvignon Blanc was an excellent blend. Served at the right temperature of around 12 °C it was delicious- buttery, fruity and Complex, though seemingly perfunctory with the Classic French Onion Soup, it was an impressive combo that could be enjoyed even separately.  Again, the high quality of the wine and soup showed in the pairing as well as the food and wine.

The Main Course was delicious-  my poached Salmon soaked in Herb Oil and leek ragout with black garlic and small pieces of cauliflower was not only pleasant to look at but the portion was really big- bigger than most other restaurants. The Gold winning Fratelli Sette in MundusVini 2023 paired well with the Salmon, though ostensibly a better match with the Cannelloni Florentine and Morel (perfect match) and Chicken Burgundy.

The best was yet to come. After a brief explanation of the cuisine by Chef Philippe Agnese, the desserts were very French and in a big serving- that was a Sampler consisting of Apple Tart, Mango Amandine, Macaroon, Cherry Mouse , Petit Sacher Cake (Austrian version?), Strawberry Cremieux Petit Choux made a grand Sampler that was a perfect match with what appeared to be the new version of their Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2024. This Master Selection was less sweet and more elegant than the earlier version and with the current trends of less sugar intake, it was a delicious end to a lovely evening that members would not mind repeating. Keeping in line with the cuisine, we had decided to go for Fratelli wines and we were glad we did.

The Indian Wine Day was also celebrated with gusto and Indian cuisine at many Lalit Hotels in India, including Baluchi Restaurant at their Delhi property. Mumbai celebrated it at Hyatt Centric. There are reports of a few cities like Chennai also joining in. At the end of the day, it is meant to promote Indian wines and it becomes more meaningful if the producers pitch in with ‘Josh’. One needs to find ways that the producers do not always end up sponsoring wines but rather collaborating so that they get to recover some of the costs. It is for them to come forward if they want it to become a powerful movement taking the industry in a different trajectories. But the DAY is there – 16 November and any ideas would be welcome. So far it has been no profit, some loss movement. Hopefully it is temporary.

A big thanks and appreciation of Mr. Sailer, his team including Karam Veer and the chefs and serving staff and of course gifts sponsored by the hotel and the President of Delhi Wine Club, Mukul Manku who put his best foot forward to make it a successful collaboration with the Indian Wine Academy.

Subhash Arora