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 With slightly more choices available at the Delhi Duty Free (DDF) shop in its miniscule wine section, some of you, your friends or relatives returning home are not planning to buy the customary pair of Black Labels. You may be confused about which wines to pick up for relatives, friends or as gifts, have our following recommendations (it is a bonus that the wines are stored at fairly decent temperature as the area is air-conditioned, even though the lights are far from perfect for obvious reasons):
Jacobs Creek Brut $12 -made by using the Champagne grapes Chardonnay-Pinot Noir, this is an excellent value for money sparkling wine, selling for only a dollar more than the Sula Seco Brut, the lower ended sparkling wine made from non-noble grapes by tank method by the leading domestic producer- obviously targeted for the outgoing expat passengers. Although the classic JC is available at a good value at $10, the Reserve label at $15 is a better value, if you don’t like ‘champagnes’.
Incidentally, both the Brut and Rose sparkling wines are available in India between Rs. 1360 and 1660, surprisingly at their lowest best in Delhi!
It is refreshing to see a couple of Proseccos finally making a debut in Delhi thanks to Aspri Spirits and wines:
Carpené Malvolti DOCG Prosecco Superiore at $22 is produced in Conegliano, one of the two big towns known for producing Prosecco (Valdobbiadene is at the other end of the DOCG Prosecco-making spectrum- between the two towns there are several producers that make quality Prosecco DOCG. Made from Glera (earlier popularized as Prosecco grapes), very smooth and fruity wine with lovely effervescence and concentrated and fresh flavours thanks to the tanks for second-fermentation kept in a room chilled to freezing temperatures.
Zonin Prosecco DOC is a DOC bubbly and is a couple of dollars cheaper at $20. However, it gives you an opportunity to taste the grapes but from different area and terroir, within a part of Veneto, the home of Prosecco.
Champagnes-The Delhi Duty Free shop continues to confound me. Just like Fratelli Sette that continues to be priced at the record high price of $52 for an Indian wine- double the street price, including the excise duty and VAT at 20%, priced at Rs.1650 = $27 (Favourite as the ‘most expensive and hence the best red wine’ with the affluent Chinese visitors with big wallets departing the country, I am told by the sales persons at the airport), Piper Heidsieck Champagne is priced at $ 59 (Avg. wine-searcher price $37) while another comparable quality champ GH Mumm Brut from Pernod Ricard is listed at $51 (wine-searcher lists the average price at $39.
Dr. L Riesling which also debuts at the Delhi Duty Free makes its presence felt as it is also positioned as a value-for-money Riesling that seems to be encashing on the reputation of Dr. Loosen though-one of the premium Riesling producers in Mosel. At $38 Dr. L is too expensive, frankly a rip-off. Wine-Searcher lists it an avg. of $11+ but it’s good to see a Riesling making an effort to increase its acceptance.
 Promis Gaja $47 , the everyday drinking wine made in the Tuscan winery Ca’Marcanda by the iconic Piemontese producer Angelo Gaja is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese and is a much better value, if you are not colour conscious but lay stress on the value, taste and health Benefits. You can well understand my angst on Dr. L being a rip-off, as Promis is listed at avg. price of $31+
Masi Modello delle Venezie Rosso iGT $21 Made from the local Veneto grapes (there is a discount of $2 if you buy 2 bottles, good value-for-money wine similar to Valpolicella, by the well-known producer.
Duty Free at Dubai
I am often told by the trade that the prices of Duty Free Shops which are supposedly not under the control of the importers but the international operators, are declared by the Duty Free operators Association (think OPEC?!). It is interesting to know that Gaja Promis sells for $ 36 and the Piper Heidsieck Brut has a tag of $43-at a discount of over 20% and 25% respectively at the Duty Free Shops at the Dubai Airport. Interestingly Jacobs Creek Reserve is priced at around $16 in both places.
 Interesting Display at Delhi DF
An interesting addition to the display rack in the wine section has been a generous display of hip flasks in a rack that displays Sula Seco Brut ($11) and Dindori Reserve Viognier ($13) on the right side and the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc ($11) and again, Seco on the left side. The impression they are trying to convey is perhaps that the perfect choice for drinking still or sparkling wine is to carry them in the flask when outside and drink by the flask!
There seems to be a continued lack of interest in the Retailers at the Duty Free Shops to promote wines. There is ample scope to offer promotional schemes and aggressive pricing as the comparison of barely a couple of wines indicate- there are plenty of comparisons as the prices of Dubai Duty Free indicate. But till that happens, there are a few wines like mentioned above that are worth picking up, at the arrivals. The DDF does offer an interesting offer-of placing and buying the wines before one departs and picking up on arrival.
Subhash Arora
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Tags: Delhi Duty Free (DDF)
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