Indian Wine Day at 1911

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

A restaurant at the historic Hotel Imperial in heart of Delhi, 1911 is aptly described by its website as:

Designed in art deco style, 1911 Restaurant is a bustling all-day-dining Indo-style brasserie, accentuated with a relaxed and lively environment, and toned-down service for an uncomplicated experience. Its eclectic appearance and understated decadence represent the historic magnificence merged with modern-day influences

1911

I often wondered the significance of the name 1911 till I found its meaning in a description by one of their Executive Chefs during 2009 – 11, Mr Jan Seibold:

It was in this year King-Emperor George V declared New Delhi as the Capital of India. The 1911 Restaurant pays tribute to this historic milestone with rich furnishings, choicely done up interiors and cuisine that showcases the ‘melting pot’ culture of Delhi. Although serving international cuisine, this restaurant prides itself on old Indian-style service, that of which one would expect in the time of the Orient. It is situated at The Imperial, a hotel with a long association with period art. In fact, 1911 is an ode to this tradition. It is replete with antiquities dating back to the 1911 Durbar, etchings of ink, stipple, lithographs, tints (mezzo and aqua) and photographs from the colonial era.

Executive Chef Jan Seibold

Having experienced the elegance and controlled opulence of this restaurant on many occasions earlier, we were delighted to visit it again on the occasion of the Indian Wine Day celebrations by Indian Wine Academy on 16th November 2024.

The event organised by Indian Wine Academy witnessed a full house with a large representation from Delhi Diplomatic circles including many Ambassadors with their families and children.

The guests savoured premium Indian wines from the house of Fratelli India with paired food curated by the French Executive Chef

The wines included the following:

Fratelli Gran Cuveé Brut

Fratelli describes this as one having delicate and creamy texture with lovely persistent bubbles. Made in the same style as champagne by a second fermentation in the bottle, this premium sparkling wine has typical bread-yeast notes on the nose.

Fratelli Master Selection Rose

Vibrantly fresh rose petal color with a nose of summer red berries, elegant fruit flavors on the palate, and refreshing finish, this Sangiovese Rose paired wonderfully with the Stuffed Piquillo Salad (Veg).

Fratelli Master Selection White

A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine demonstrates the essence Master Selection range of wines as welcoming and approachable.

Fratelli Sette

Fratelli created this refreshing and yet complex red wine to be a Super Tuscan in the Indian context. Super Tuscan is essentially an Italian term which donates wines made by going beyond the appellation restrictions in Italy, wherein the local varietals are blended with international ones like Cabernet Sauvignon etc to produce fine wines of exceptional quality.

Made with a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, Fratelli Sette paired wonderfully with the Chicken Burgundy on the menu.

Fratelli MS Late Harvest Chenin Blanc

The latest entry into the Fratelli Master Selection series, the Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is a dessert wine which expresses the versatility of the vineyard’s terroir with its rich and opulent flavours.

The late harvest implies that the grapes are left on the vines for an extended period whereby allowing it to develop a concentrated sweetness and complexity. Further the crisp acidity natural to the Chenin Blanc grape balances out the excess sweetness of this wine thereby preventing cloying which results in the wine giving a pleasant sensation on the palate

The Executive Chef

Our first interaction with the Executive Chef at Hotel Imperial was during the initial discussion with the GM and his team regarding the planning and conduct of the Indian Wine Day.

The French Chef Philippe Agnese who comes with an extensive two decades of experience in Asia, curated an exceptional French cuisine intelligently paired with each India wine which left in awe.

Bonhomie and Camaraderie

Any wine event and especially a curated wine dinner is an opportunity for a lot of conviviality, bonhomie and camaraderie. And all that was amply visible in this Indian Wine Day Dinner where life long memories were created.

Cheers !!