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The complimentary, unlimited munchies they serve with
wine are also uncommon and beckon you for more wine. 19 Oriental Avenue
is the most conducive place for a wine tasting party, preferably near
the Enomatic area. I was told the same wine list is valid throughout the
hotel.
I suggest starting with a glass of VCP Brut (Veuve Clicquot
Ponsardin-yellow label) Champagne. Though priced at Rs.3500 a bottle,
a tulip- shaped glass costs only Rs.450- quite a deal. I would even recommend
stopping by for a glass of this delicious bubbly all frothed up to replace
the staple Moet Hennessey as the most visible champagne, before starting
any evening out.
Here is my recommended package for splurging on a budget,
with one champagne and 8 glasses of still wine in a 5-star deluxe comfort,
in the suggested order of tasting:
| Wine |
Grapes |
Region |
Country |
mL |
Rs. |
| 1. Champagne VCP Brut |
PNoir, Char, PMeun. |
Champagne |
France |
125* |
450 |
| 2. Dr. Loosen Bernkastel 2006 |
Riesling |
Mosel |
Germany |
50 |
150 |
| 3. Villa Maria Private Bin 2006 |
Sauvignon |
Marlborough |
N Zealand |
125** |
320 |
| 4. Mt. Pleasant Elizabeth 2002 |
Semillon |
Hunter Valley |
Australia |
50 |
150 |
| 5. Allegrini Valpolicella Cl. 2006 |
Corvina, Ronda.,+ |
Valpolicella |
Italy |
50 |
150 |
| 6. Bodega Norton |
Malbec |
Mendoza |
Argentina |
50 |
150 |
| 7. Grover La Reserve 2005 |
Shiraz/ Cabernet |
Bangalore |
India |
50 |
100 |
| 8. Casillero Diablo 2004 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
Maipo Valley |
Chile |
125** |
150 |
| 9. Coppola Diamond Series |
Syrah |
Napa, California |
USA |
50 |
200 |
| Total |
|
|
9 |
675 |
1820 |
Champagne (*) is served in the regular tulip-shaped glass, which is appx.
125 mL. Assuming that there are 6 people in your party, the cost of a
Casillero Diablo bottle from Concha y Toro costing the lowest anywhere
in India-Rs.900 would mean a cost of (**) Rs.150 for a glass of 125 mL.
Same goes for the entry level Villa Maria which does project pleasant
flavours of a NZ Sauvignon Blanc.
With this package you will end up drinking 675 mL of wine, which is 0.9
bottle- the amount consumed by Delhi Wine Club members at their 3-hour,
5-6 course wine dinners. This amount is recommended to be consumed, perhaps
only once a month. But with wines from 9 countries, giving you the taste
of all different grapes, it is unique.
Champagne does add to the cost. But we are talking of splurging, remember?
If you are not in a mood to splurge, or do not want to cross the outside
level of healthy, daily wine drinking, or if you are less than 5-6 in
the group, eliminate the non- 50mL wines from the recommended package
and you can sample a healthy 300 mL from 6 countries, all different great
varietals, at an affordable Rs.900- within any budget. VAT is extra, of
course, a sizable 20%. Fortunately, the hotel charges no service charges.
Shangri-la has recently launched a wine club. At an event I was invited
to, I saw no Indians or non-whites besides the sommelier, vendor or me.
I need to check up from the hotel if it is only an ex-pat club in which
case I cannot write any further about it. It brought in memories of the
Beach Candy Club in Mumbai which even in the sixties did not allow Indians
to enter its doors!
Subhash Arora
February 24, 2008
I have since been assured that the hotel has no racist policy. The
invitees are from the data base of their regular clients. For Rs.1000,
one can taste 4-5 wines with a sommelier like Harshal
Shah this evening,
talking about the wines which were all Pinot Noir, with snacks-editor
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