Wining and dining

Well well...I have come back from my first official wine tasting event. And I can't think straight.

Brane-Cantenac has introduced a range of eight wines (from 2000-2007) which will be distributed by Brindco Ltd. The setting was elegant and luxurious in the Ballroom at Oberoi Hotel. Five wine glasses were placed before me with tags indicating the year of the wine.

I was pretty nervous before starting the wine tasting because of two things: since it was my first time, I didnt know how my body and brain would react to the liquor and again since it was my first time, I didnt know how I was supposed to judge these wines! A fellow journalist explained very politely to me that the aroma and 'fullness' of the wine determines how good a wine is. Now how am I supposed to know how 'full' a wine is?

Well, the tasting started. Mr Henri Lurton, owner of the brand, started with a history of the brand, his involvement in it and then took us through a 'guided' tasting. We started with 2007. I bravely took a sip...and I didnt like it. Not to say that the wine was bad. It was exceptional according to others.

Even though I didnt like the taste, I managed to swallow my dislike and taste the other wines (after all, I didnt want to look foolish in front of all those sophisticated people). Soon, I could feel myself getting disoriented. I quickly snatched the breads and the cheese available at the table and gulped it down, feeling some relief course down my body.

Then I again set to the task of tasting other remaining wines. Tasting eight wines at a time is no joke!

Even though I still dont understand the nuances of wine tasting, I am glad I went for this event. At least I know what to expect next time. And whatever it was, I definitely learned how to taste a wine. Yes, there is actually a technique to it! First bring the glass to your nose, move it right to left and smell it, then shake the glass vigourously, then again smell it the same way, and then take a small elegant sip.

I don't know how smelling and shaking helps, but at least you guys wont be as ignorant as me when you go for your wine tasting events. Hope I have helped somewhat.

All said and done, wine making, tasting and drinking is an art in itself. For those who dont know, wine is made from grapes. Even the kind of soil the grape is grown in makes a difference in the taste of the wine. Other factors which determine the taste is the time period for which the wine has been stored,the temperature at which the grapes have been fermented.  I would love to go again the next time to learn more about it.