Battle Of The Labels

Does the international label on a wine bottle affect our palate? Or are international wines actually much better than the Indian ones? LIVING compares the terroir and tastes of Indian and international wines.

Given a choice between a foreign and an Indian wine, most Indian wine drinkers would opt for the former. If the label read Chateau Blah de Blah or Domaine Hoity Toity, there would be no contest. While it is true that a lot of Indian wines can be quite guiltlessly poured down the drain, there are several that are not just pretty good but are even comparable with international wines.

Naturally, we’re not talking about comparing Indian wines with fine wines like the cru classés of Bordeaux and Burgundy or the big reds of Italy and Australia, but with simpler middle-level wines. It’s important to realise that not all foreign labels are of a high quality; wines, like any other product, are available at different quality levels and in different forms. For instance, cheap wine in Europe is popularly sold in the same type of tetra packs that in India are used to package fruit drinks. Wines for daily consumption or to be sold by the glass at restaurants do not have the complexity or ageing power by which expensive fine wines are characterised. This is a very acceptable standard of wine both in Europe as well as in the New World wine-producing countries outside of Europe.

Like many New World wines, Indian wines are best when consumed within a few years of being bottled. Stylistically, the wines are produced to accentuate fruity and floral aromas and a refreshing acidity on the palate, rather than a subtle balance of fruit flavours and earthy, mineral notes and the mouth-drying tannins that the European Old World favours. One of the most important reasons for choosing this style is that consumers in a young wine drinking country prefer wines that are simple and easy to drink. Considering that Indians are still getting used to the taste of wine and don’t have very seasoned palates, it’s understandable that most of our wines are somewhat obvious and non-challenging. This doesn’t mean they’re bad; it just means that they aren’t living up to their full potential.

Wines that do express the full potential of their varietal usually come from regions where the grape and the terroir are perfectly matched. An all encompassing French term, terroir relates to the complex combination of factors such as soil type, conditions and structure, exposure to sunlight, humidity, altitude and rainfall that affect a particular region. Certain wine regions have limited themselves either by law or voluntarily to producing wines from just a few varieties of grapes: Bordeaux is famous for cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc; Burgundy for pinot noir and chardonnay. Across the border in Italy, Tuscany’s Chianti from sangiovese is highly prized, as are Barolos and Barbarescos made from the Nebbiolo grape in Piedmont. America’s Napa Valley is reputed for chardonnay and zinfandel, Marlborough in New Zealand for sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, Barossa Valley in Australia for shiraz and Mendoza in Argentina for malbec. It is not that other grapes aren’t or cannot be grown, but that these grapes produce the best wine in that specific terroir.

India has not yet discovered which varieties are best suited for its terroir, but the most promising so far have been two whites (chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc) and two reds (cabernet sauvignon and shiraz). There’s much to choose from amongst these wines as every Indian winemaker has at least two or three, if not all of these varietals, in their portfolio.

Chenin blanc has adapted extremely well to Indian conditions, producing generous harvests of fairly good quality grapes. Sula’s straw-coloured chenin blanc intense with stewed apples and lychee on the nose and a pleasant sweetness cut with some sharp acidity makes it amongst the best of the crop. Another great and award-winning chenin blanc with a floral, grassy bouquet with a crisp and balanced acidity on the palate comes from Reveilo. Both Sula and Reveilo produce an excellent intensely honeyed, sweet dessert wine from chenin which can quite easily be substituted for liqueur. The crisp chenin from Indus Wines and the slightly sweet one from ND Wines are also very good.

Credit for first planting sauvignon blanc in India goes to Sula, whose wines while pleasantly fruity and a reliable safe bet are not outstanding. Indus Wines however produce a gem of a sauvignon which easily compares with the ones coming out of New Zealand. Amazingly crisp and refreshing on the palate, it has a wonderfully expressive bouquet that offers heady aromas of guava and cut grass on the nose. Additionally, by integrating the alcohol, fruit and acidity rather well, it has turned out to be a beautifully balanced wine, quite rare to find in India. York, a relatively young winery, will be releasing a nice sauvignon this year that has very balanced vegetal and fruit aromas and a nice palate cleansing freshness. Château d’Ori produces a very nice smoky, Bordeaux-style sauvignon blanc.

Some winemakers have been able to produce great white wines from other international grapes as well. The ones that stand out are Reveilo’s Chardonnay Reserve, Grover’s Viognier Clairette, UB Wines’ Viognier and Sula’s Riesling.

Cabernet sauvignon and shiraz (or syrah) are producing some great red wines in India that seem to be quite well-suited for the Indian climate. The varietals are often blended together, as which for the longest time was considered India’s best wine. While it still continues to be amongst the top, the best wines coming out from Reveilo are the Cabernet Reserve and Shiraz Reserve which are widely acknowledged as India’s best wines. They undergo about 11 months in French oak barrels, resulting in wines that are smooth and velvety, rich and deep, and have soft tannins that linger languorously on the palate and then elegantly fade away. Both wines are also very well balanced and they express the indisputable characters of the cabernet sauvignon and shiraz in a distinct yet subtle way that is a hallmark of any fine wine.

Despite cabernet sauvignon tending to be a bit dominated by aromas and flavours of capsicum, the list of good cabernet sauvignon and shiraz is quite substantial. The ones that stand out are Château d’Ori’s Cabernet Shiraz, the Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz, the Ivy Shiraz from Château Indage, Indus Wines’ Cabernet Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and the Aryaa Shiraz from Mercury. York and UB Wines will be releasing their barrel-aged reserve cabernet sauvignon and shiraz later this year, and both are extremely promising. Though winemakers have produced red wines from other grapes and are experimenting with different varieties, none have produced anything noteworthy. The sole exception being Château d’Ori’s elegant cabernet-merlot that has a deep, rich, inky texture, and in which hints of oak can be discerned.

Despite producing some great wines, India is a relatively young wine producing country, and there are still many challenges that need to be overcome and many lessons that are yet being learnt. One of the most important disadvantages we face is the relative youth of the wines, which still have a long way to go before they reach their full potential. The shortcomings have been compensated by adjusting viticultural practices, importing world class equipment and consulting experienced professionals.

Internationally reputed winemakers like Bordeaux-based Michel Rolland at Grover, his protégé Athanase Fakorellis at Château d’Ori, American Kerry Damskey at Sula, Italian Andrea Valentinuzzi at Reveilo and Australian John Worontschak at Indus are making sure that Indian wines are keeping up to the international standards.
India is taking giant leaps forward, and it is only a matter of time before it is respected as a wine power house

Published in Hi! LIVING JULY-AUGUST 2009