 Think of the small town of Panzano in Chianti Classico wine region and the first image that comes to mind is the meat shop of local celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini who is so famous for his quality meats that celebrities in Europe and the USA order regularly from him. He also runs a small, rustic restaurant, Ristorante Solociccia (meat-only) across the ‘Macelleria’ since 2006, where you can eat unlimited amounts in either of the two shifts of 2 hours each for around €30, and you may carry your own wine.
One wine that would pair famously with those delicious Tuscan meats is Tenuta Degli Dei, an IGT Toscana premier quality Super Tuscan red wine made by Roberto Cavalli in collaboration with the well known Italian wine consultant Carlo Ferrini who was in India a couple of years ago and also interviewed by delWine.
Florentine designer Roberto Cavalli owns the winery making this super-premium wine in Panzano. His 41-year old son Tommaso Cavalli manages the winery. He was in India last week to launch the premium Vodka label along with the Cavalli wine.
After an extremely successful launch party organized at Hotel JW Marriott by Aspri Wines and Spirits Pvt Ltd., who will import the premium products into India, the action moved to Shangri-la Hotel in Delhi last Friday. On his first visit, Thomasso was impressed by the hospitality and attention, and expressed satisfaction in joining hands with Aspri.
The father-son comparison is inevitable, since Roberto is a very well-known designer in India-not only because of a couple of his controversial designs that had upset the Hindu Diaspora in the earlier years. ‘He is a powerhouse of talent. As a successful designer, he was asked by a liquor company to design their bottles. After the assignment, the idea of selling our signature vodka and wine hit him. And that's when I stepped into the picture,’ he says. Today he takes care of the total distribution and marketing of beverages and also manages the winery in Panzano.
When asked the beverage of his preference, Tommaso was quick to respond, "I'd definitely vote for wine over vodka. Wine has that home-grown taste of Tuscany which the vodka doesn't.’ This is when the crowd was really enjoying guzzling the vodka. .
at the Shangri-La hotel launch.
He also defended wearing his black Cavalli suit for the promised fun evening, admitting honestly, “I have to wear a Cavalli, it’s expected,’ while pouring out a glass of the 2006 Dei from the winery he had established in 2000 at the family farm bought in the seventies. Roberto Cavalli Vodka was set up his father in 2004 and both will be soon available across major metros in the country.
The wine is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The small portion of Malbec that is also used has been replaced with Alicante grape. The wine is well-structured, elegant and harmonious with crisp freshness in the back layer and is quite ageworthy.
Sumedh S Mandla says that only about 2000 cases of this designer label wine were recently released for the world markets. Each bottle is aged for three years before the release. Grapes are procured from two vineyards- in Panzano and the foothills of Florence. Comparing the wine with the fashion outfits of Roberto Cavalli Tommaso says,’ it is like a silk dress-it captures the senses, harmonizing the aromas of aromatic herbs, balsamic overtones, and fruit with balanced acidity, firm structure, velvety tannins, and a long finish.’
However, like the Roberto Cavalli outfits, the vodka and wine are not for everyone. Vodka is priced at Rs. 9,950 and Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei 2006 at Rs. 10,990 in Mumbai where the excise duties are saner than in Delhi, They will be available at notable duty-free hotels and restaurants.
Of course, there could always be a special promotion where if you buy an outfit from Roberto Cavalli at the DLF Emporio, you would be entitled to a complimentary bottle of wine at the DLF owned Zest Restaurant
And is it my imagination or a coincidence that after the famous Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo brought his wine through FineWinesnMore where Sumedh S Mandla was the partner before joining Aspri as the CEO, we now get another famous Italian designer Roberto Cavalli to bring an upper end wine-both from Tuscany!
Well, ours is not to question why, but to buy and try!
Subhash Arora |