Since I stay in wine country I get to try a lot of wine varietals” says Sandeep Sinha – my friend from high school who stays in California. In the pic is a 100% Mourvedre wine which he relished recently.
Mourvedre is a red grape varietal which ripens fully only in hottest sites. It plays an important role in adding richness, colour and complexity to blends. We all know of the legendary GSM (Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre) blends from southern France.
When fully ripened it can develop gamey, savoury aromas that are sought by many.
The one in the pic is a 100% Mourvedre which comes from vineyards in Contra Costa County, CA where many of the vines are 80 to 100+ years old.
These ancient vines are low yielding and produce a Mourvedre of intensity and richness (15.5% ABV) which display flavours of plum, chocolate and a bit of oak.
“To give an Indian twist I paired this wine with a Mumbai style spicy misal vada pao – which worked wonderfully” says Sinha on the wine – food pairing.
