Nov 23: The second edition of Indian Wine Day organized by the Lalit Group of Hotels at 8 of their properties Pan India and in London on November 16, in collaboration with the Indian Wine Academy was so successful and anticipated by consumers that the same date was announced for next year as well, with the objective of making Indian wines touch more Indians, writes Subhash Arora who attended the Delhi event and was involved in the overall planning
The response from the hotel was extremely enviable with the management giving total support for the event to succeed in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata (read a separate report in this edition), Goa, Jaipur, Udaipur, Chandigarh and London with over 400 people attending, 100 in Delhi along.
Besides the wine dinners at these Lalit properties, the group offered wines at 50% discount at all the restaurants in these centers for 3 days, on 16-18 November, the Indian Wine Day weekend. We also worked with three wineries-Sula, York and Somanda in Nashik who gladly offered 30% discount on wines and 15% on food. Since Reveilo winery in Nashik does not have a Tasting Room that is opened throughout the year to public, they decided to host wine dinners at many places in Mumbai and Pune, offering 30% discount of wines.
The event at Delhi was powered by the Delhi Wine Club with a distinct number of Indian-wine supporting members 
attending the same. The ambience was eclectic- the area outside the 24?7 coffee shop at the Lalit Delhi has a sitting area of around 100-120 people sit down dinner. Arora strongly feels that unless the dinner is sit-down with wines poured at the your table, a buffet is just dinner with wines and one can never do justice to wine or the food. Bound by beautiful green area all around, the place offers a unique freshness. It helped that it rained a day earlier and the pollution levels came down. With a slight nip in the air, it was actually a perfect autumn evening for an al Fresco type of seating.
Sula Il Tropical Brut, the rather pink looking blanc de noir Brut bubbly is always a refreshing drink and was a great accompaniment with the sinfully delicious pheni paranthas and well prepared chicken tikkas. Mushroom and morel galouti was a perfect Amuse Bouche that loved York Chenin Blanc; I even had it with Sula while requesting an extra portion.
Some guests still had not arrived what with a few other events in town and the traffic problem being a par for the course now. This did inflict some pain for the service staff but they quickly readjusted for the next round quite effectively, unable though to completely handle the nip in the air that kept the food fresh but not hot as I like.
The next course was accompanied by Grover Art Series Sauvignon Blanc (SB) and York Arros. Grover SB in a screw-capped bottle was served to many thirsty people who liked it because of its freshness, fruitiness and long and persistent mouthfeel. It justified winning medals at every competition it enters. Arros has already established itself as a premium spicy Shiraz and there were many voices of ‘wow’ and the ‘best so far’ from various tables. Of course the wines were served from the bottle and many guests are already per-
disposed to this wonderful, well balanced Shiraz-cabernet blend that is preferred by most.
The Main course was a big treat for everyone that loves Indian food, With dum ka margh and kharhe masale ka gosht, it was generally a huge dish, what with the accompanying Dal Baluchi- the best daal in town and a mix of Indian breads, it was great experimenting with the star wines of the evening- Fratelli Sette and Sula Rasa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon creating many interesting debates on which was the better wine-some sticking to their guns about Arros. Both wines were full bodied and Sette being a better known brand had a slight edge in terms of popularity. But the point to ponder was than no one was critical about the Indian wines served and some even surprised.
The crescendo was reached with the group of guests, including the Ambassadors and other celebrities, escorted to Kitty Su, the most-popular night club in Delhi where one of the large room sections with a separate DJ music to help the guests shake a leg. It was a great ending to a wonderful evening to celebrate the Indian Wine Day-with 5 bubblies to savour from Chandon, Brut, York and Sula.
In case you missed it, there is always the next year. We have announced the same date, November 16, 2019 for the 3rd edition of the Indian Wine Day.
Video
Subhash Arora
If you Like this article please click on the Like button