Wine meets Curry!

A beautiful moon-lit evening and a rooftop dining arrangement next to the swimming pool can lend an exquisite ambiance to the whole affair of wine pairing session for a select group of food enthusiasts settling down. Lemon Tree Premiere, Hyderabad, had hosted a wine pairing session with Indian cuisine and I was elated when Ashis invited me to be a part it.

Wine culture has spread its wings in India, considering the fact that restaurants do see a rise in demand among the diners. But to know what you are ordering is limited to a few. Most others order a glass of wine just for the sake of it or to look hip(oh yes, I have seen these 'Aristocratic' few!). I myself have never tread beyond Shiraz for the fear of unknown. And so, this was a session from which I could really learn about how to treat my glass of wine and respect the varieties!

Swiming Pool area, rooftop - Lemon Tree Premier

A great ambiance for a very lively session on wine pairing - Lemon Tree Premier

The table set!

Waiting for the guests to arrive...

Sula is India's premier wine producer(http://sulawines.com/) and so it was natural that Sula products were at the center stage this evening. We were introduced to Chenin Blanc, a white wine and Carbernet Shiraz, a medium bodied red wine.

Sula - India's leading premium wine producer

The accompaniments for starters

We were served the soup(Daal Shorba) while waiting for the rest of the guests to join. It wasn't exactly the way it ought to have tasted. For me, the lemon coriander flavor was too strong to overshadow the taste of daal.

Daal shorba

Mr. Gautam Shah, F&B manager, who also is a certified sommelier, was adept at explaining the nuances of wines, wine culture and wine production in India. Lemon Tree Premiere has a couple of certified sommeliers and I believe that would definitely help wine lovers to connoisseurs to rookies choose the right wine to pair with food.

F&B Manager Mr. Gautam Shah, leading the guests through the session

Trying to implement the learnings

Attentive!

Chenin Blanc belongs to the white wine family with more of fruity flavors(its also called as sweet white) and has a pale yellow flavor. This is usually stored in about 6-12 degrees C and served at the same temperature to retain its flavor. The sweeter taste of Chenin Blanc makes it ideal for pairing with Indian starters which can range from being mildly spicy to spicy. To judge the color of any wine, it has to held against a white background.

Chenin Blanc

There are certain etiquette while consuming wine that we need to follow. There is a reason why wine is served in stemmed wine glass - to try and maintain the temperature it was served in. Chenin Blanc being a cooler wine, needs to stay as much at the same temperature till consumed. The glass should not be held like we hold a regular glass of drink. Instead, the stem is the part where we need to hold the glass. This way, the wine doesn't gain any temperature from our hands.

Tasting the wine is an art in itself. You need to hold it near your nose to take in a whiff of it before drinking it. A few wines would need aeration and for that just swirl the wine glass a bit before drinking. After that you need to take in a a very small sip first. It is not recommended to try finding out the wine taste with this gulp as this sip acts like a palate cleanser. The second sip can be a substantial gulp and can be used to judge the flavor and other characteristics of the wine.

Chenin Blanc
The correct way to judge the color is to look at it with a white background.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc

The starters had already been served and the Chenin Blanc bottle opened. The first one to open the show was teekha paneer tikka which somehow was a poor show on the table. Even though it tasted fresh, it was harder and the red chilly flavor was the only thing very prominent in the marinade. Had it been softer, the marinade could have seeped a bit inside.

Teekha paneer tikka

The next dish to make it way to the table was khumbh hariyali and I must admit that for a moment I felt as if I was chewing through soft succulent meat when the next bite reminded me that it was mushroom and an exceptionally prepared delicacy!

Khumbh Hariyali

Chaapli Kebab was served next and it was equally exceptional! That succulent juicy taste of meat in distinctive spices made me ask for more! A trademark dish spread across from North-West frontier in India to Afghanistan, it really has left its impression in Indian cuisine as well.

Chapli kebab

After two outstanding starters, the next one was pudina neza but this one was lagging a bit behind. The chicken was tender and the pudina marinade was great but then it felt as if they both had not bonded well together.

Pudina neza

The food enthusiasts

Just about when the main course was being served, Mr Gautam went on to tell us about Cabernet Shiraz and its characteristics. Shiraz is usually a medium bodied wine which can be paired well with rich and spicy Indian main courses. Shiraz is viscous compared to Chenin blanc as it has more tannins(due to the grape skins) and the alcohol content is higher. Tannins are the reason why a Shiraz or Merlot or othe medium to full bodied wines make our palate feel like dry, and that makes them a perfect companion to Indian main courses which are thick rich spicy gravy oriented. Shiraz is served at a relatively higher temperature of about 17-18 deg C.

Cabernet Shiraz

Cabernet Shiraz

The main course consisted of Daal-e-balai, Vilayati subz and Gosht bamiya. The Daal-e-balai, to be frank was plan daal makhni and I didn't feel it had anything unique in it. The Vilayati subz, as the name suggested, had squash zucchini and other exotic veggies in a mildly spiced gravy. It was up to mark, but I felt something was missing. The Gosht bamiya was again another exceptional dish with a gravy bursting with flavors and a curry best matched with both rice and roti. The mutton pieces however were quite chewy in the first serving that I got.With the second serving that I requested, the pieces were tender and were a perfect match to the gravy.

Daal-e-balai

Vilayati subz

Gosht bamiya

The evening was spent well in the company of food enthusiasts interacting over food and with an able sommelier guiding us through wine pairing with Indian food. The hospitality of the entire staff attending to us is noteworthy.

Thank you team Lemon Tree Premiere! 

~By Invitation~