It was late february evening and I was perched amongst a group of enthusiastic wine lovers around a rustic wooden table. The set was immersed in mellow golden light of the lamp hanging from the roof.
Perch Coffee and Wine Bar – a ‘must go’ place for wine lovers
Venue was the ‘Perch Coffee and Wine Bar’ – a ‘must go’ place for a unique and enjoyable wine experience – at the upscale Khan Market in New Delhi.
My friend Anand Vermani, who’s studied wines at Burgundy, had just finished explaining about all the wine showcased that evening. Extending the wine courtesy he asked all about their choice for the next glass of wine.
Deepti Agarwal, who was sitting at the head of the table, gave her choice very candidly. She wanted the 3rd Red, Period !! (indicating from the sequence of wines served in the first round).
Her statement would stick to my mind for a long time to come. Coming to think of it, how often we get bogged down and obsessed with the wine labels, names, tasting notes etc that the actual pleasure of what’s in the glass takes a back seat. We all are guilty of this, one time or the other, arn’t we ? Should we not just sit easy and enjoy the nectar in the glass ?
And here was a lady who was doing just that, enjoying the wine without getting into the wine semantics. Now Deepti is no wine newbie, she’s wine literate and knows her wines. But still, keeping her knowledge aside she prefers to savour the wines and the company – living the wine moment.
I was truly impressed and have often tried to emulate her wine style and even recommend to others.
The 3rd Red that day was the Pinotage. It was one amongst a cache of imported wines by Sula Selections, the import arm of Sula – the leading wine producer in India.
Pinotage – dense color, bold flavors, spicy notes
Pinotage is a signature grape from South Africa and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. It regaled all with its dense color, bold flavors and spicy notes. There were many converts that day – people who switched their wine preference to embrace Pinotage.
So, the next time in a wine scenario, in case your host asks you about your choice of wine – say simply the 3rd Red..or maybe last White or even the 1st Rose. Cheers.
Pictures courtesy – Perch Coffee and Wine Bar, Sula Selections