A family visit to Grover Zampa Vineyards, Nandi Hills

If you are a wine person and you happen to be in Bangalore, India then a visit to Grover Zampa Vineyards (GZV) becomes a foregone conclusion. Unlock 3.0 provided one such opportunity which I utilised to put together a family sojourn to this renowned winery and its vineyards. Here I endeavour to record some ofContinue reading “A family visit to Grover Zampa Vineyards, Nandi Hills”

A Day Filled with Surprise

It was a day filled with surprises. Picked out from the bucket wish list was ‘The Pasta Bowl Company’ which became the venue for our family outing – a mini reunion of sorts since son came down from Jaipur (hostel) and we two from the emerald islands (Andamans). Going by standard yardstick of ‘”white wineContinue reading “A Day Filled with Surprise”

Coravin Screw Caps

Coravin is the magical contraption that allows you to draw wine from a bottle without opening the cork. This way you can pour limited portion of wine without worrying that the balance will go bad. Certainly an oeonological boon, is it not ? However, can Coravin be used for screw cap wine bottles as wellContinue reading “Coravin Screw Caps”

Tour de France 2017 – and the Chilean Wine Connection

Picture – https://twitter.com/ConoSurWines Tour de France, presumably the greatest bicycle race in the world, was held in France from 01 to 23 July 2017. The tournament was won by Chris Froome of Britain. But there’s a wine connection too associated with the sporting event. Read more to find out. “Tour de France 2017: Britain’s ChrisContinue reading “Tour de France 2017 – and the Chilean Wine Connection”

Cava de paraje –  the Grand Cru of Cava       

Cava, the Sparkling wine wine from Spain has, over recent years, gained much favour amongst wine consumers world over and this along with Prosecco (Italian bubbly) is increasingly proving a viable competition to the French Champagne. Now, “Cava de Paraje“, the new proverbial ‘grand cru’ of Cava, could become a reality soon –  according toContinue reading “Cava de paraje –  the Grand Cru of Cava       “

Every wine reflects the personality of it’s winemaker

“Every wine has a story”…goes the saying. Well if that’s true then the story teller (or the wine maker) certainly assumes a central place in the wine experience. This also supports my belief that the winemaker’s personality is always reflected in the wine he makes. I often try to read about the  winemaker of theContinue reading “Every wine reflects the personality of it’s winemaker”

Yes that would be wonderful..

“Why don’t you try some french wine with food” ? – an innocuous question by the bearer at a french bistro in New Delhi. I had taken my wife for an anniversary dinner. Till then I had never liked wines and wanted to say – “No, thank you”. Maybe the french ambience got better ofContinue reading “Yes that would be wonderful..”