The team at AllThingsNice.in showcased the Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Award (2012) winners at Mumbai on 29th of June. The very professionally and tastefully managed event at the Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ), Colaba, allowed patrons to sample a wide range of wines from eight leading vineyards across India for a modest sum of Rs 1,000. All proceeds of the event went to ATMA, a unique NGO that provides financial and management support/consultancy to many NGOs efforts across Mumbai.
LP
Q at Colaba was the perfect setting, with two levels of seating. Mixing Wine and Friends is always a good thing, so I invited a few friends who were more than happy with the offer to taste unlimited red/white/Champaigne and appetizers for a good cause.
This being a Wine Tasting event, the tables were set up for tens of bottles of wine and delicious appetizers. At the lower level, we were welcomed by the pioneers of Indian wine – the Sula, Grover Zampa, Nine Hills and Chateau D’Ori. A neatly laid out table with a hundred glasses welcomed the guests, and I was quick to start the tour and sample the selection. Neatly laid out brochures allowed those present to understand the individual nuances of wines produced by each vineyard. I started with the Grover Zampa, hoping the merger with Velle de vin did some good to their efforts – but felt no drastic improvement in their offering. Keeping to the whites, I quickly moved to the Nine Hills, then to Sula, polishing off many samples in quick time.
My pick of the day, the premium category 2008 Chateau d’Ori Savignon Blanc, kept my glass re-filled for the longest time, thus allowing me to concentrate on the appetizers provided by LPQ. Appetizers from Pork, Chicken spread, Mushrooms, to Fish (my favourite) were plenty and being served hot and flavorful right off the kitchen.
The crowd really started to pick up pace around 9 pm, bringing a lot of energy to the event. Moving to the second level, we were greeted by Myra, Fratelli, Reveilo and Vallonne vineyard selections. To match the wines, Fortune provided a wide spread of cheese, meats and olives – which was the busiest section of the venue to say the least. The Paysan Breton Le Brie cheese was amazing, rich, creamy and easy on the palette went very well with the Reds offer.
Nikhil Agarwal, Director of All Things Nice, met with and attended to now over 80 people at the event. Conversations, good wine, opportunity to learn and a good cause created a memorable evening. I hope we are able to see more such events where new people are introduced to the growing culture of wines in India.