As President Delhi Wine Club, Mukul Manku WSET3, put together a wonderful wine dinner for the members on 4th July 2025 which was held at the upscale Italian restaurant called Sorrento at Hotel Shangrila Eros New Delhi, which excelled with its exceptional hospitality. Mukul talks about his experience in this post.
The wine flight for the evening included four wines from the old world. The common thread here was that all wines came from wines houses having a legacy ranging back in time from approx 100 to 250 years.
The event was graced by the presence of Ms Antonietta Baccanari, Trade Commissioner and Ms Mahima Yadav, Trade Analyst, both from the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, as the honoured guests of the Club.
An Alfresco Starting
The pleasant evening started with servings of delectable snacks paired with the Cinzano Prosecco, in the aesthetically decorated open courtyard.
Cinzano Prosecco
Cinzano Prosecco comes from the Cinzano Wine House, which was established in the year 1776. It soon earned a good reputation and was granted the royalty patronage wherein its wines were selected for supply to the Royal House of Savoy. Later on in mid 1800s, this winery was credited with creating one of the first sparkling wines of Italy.
Cin Cin C’innamoriamo
Mid 1900s was the period of advertisement boom. Riding on this wave, in 1966 Cinzano created an audio visual advertisement for one of its products by releasing a song pictured on Rita Pavone, the famous Italian actress of that time. Titled Cin Cin C’innamoriamo, this promotional song became a huge hit with the audience thereby immensely popularising the term Cin Cin.
Now the expression cin cin (meaning cheers) had been in vogue in Italy since the 17th century, however this song made it a household phrase. It also brought a lot of recognition to Cinzano Wine House.
The Sit Down Course
After relishing the Prosecco the guests moved inside for the sit down courses and were enchanted to find the elegantly laid out wine dinner tables.
Piccini Chardonnay
The first wine on the table was Piccini Chardonnay which comes from the Piccini Wine House. It has now been renamed as Piccini 1882 in order to honour its heritage and legacy which goes back to the year 1882, when it was formed.
Shared below is a beautiful quote from Mario Piccini who’s the current 4th generation owner of Piccini, recalling an early interaction with his father at their winery (it has been taken from wine enthusiast magazine):
“Once, my father handed me a glass of wine and asked me what I thought of it,” recalls Piccini. “I clearly remember the surprise of that tasting: sweet and tannic, savory and acid, all so perfectly integrated, with a balance I had never experienced before. That memory that I have carried with me since then, and that I always try to relive, is the greatest confirmation that wine is something that lives, a fluid material in continuous evolution towards a point of perfection. Everything I do is driven by an irrational desire to relive that moment and to share with others the joy and wonder that a glass of perfection can provoke.”
With such a wine passionate person at the helm, Piccini is certain to produce beautiful wines, one of which the guests tasted and appreciated during the wine dinner – the Piccini Chardonnay.
Anne de Joyeuse Winery
The next two wines of the evening were the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon, both from the Camas series of wines from the winery called as Anne de Joyeuse. Established in 1929 this winery is located in the Limoux region at Languedoc in South West France . The winery is named after a Duke of same name who was granted the Lordship of Limoux way back in the 16th century.
Today this winery forms part of the collective of top twelve prestigious cooperatives in France and is credited with consistently producing high quality wines.
Limoux
The town of Limoux is located in the eastern foothills of the Pyrenees. (Pyrenees is the mountain chain which practically forms the border of France and Spain).
Winemaking at Limoux has a history of over two millennia. Roman historian Livy (Titus Livius, 59 BC–17 AD) has documented the trade in still white wines from this region during the Roman occupation.
Birthplace of Sparkling Wine
Although the Romans established the wine culture here, but Limoux went on to gain a reputation for its sparkling wines. Many wine historians have said that the earliest known sparkling wine called as Blanquette de Limoux, was produced in 1531 by Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Saint‑Hilaire in Limoux.
Camas Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
The next two wines i.e Camas Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon, came from the Upper Aude Valley wine sub region of Limoux. (It is named after the Aude River which flows through Limoux).
On the map below, this area is at north of the place marked as Andorra, at the base of Pyrenees mountains.
Now besides experiencing the coolness from the Pyrenees mountains this region is also subjected to the cold winds coming in from the Atlantic Ocean as also from the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea.
The combined effect of all these geographical features create climatic conditions which are beneficial for viticulture. It provides a long ripening period which ensures full phenolic development of the grapes resulting in the luscious wines like the Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon served on the table.
Both these red wines paired wonderfully with the paired dishes and enthralled everyone with their elegant and food friendly character.
So that was all about my experience at this wonderful wine dinner. I hope you liked reading about it. Leaving you here with some pictures of the evening.
And that’s me talking about all the four wines served during the wine dinner:
Cheers !!
Mukul Manku, Founder Wineglitz India and President Delhi Wine Club.
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