June 14: Recently introduced Chandon Garden Spritz in Argentina for the domestic and European and perhaps the US market is a sophisticated and authentic version of a cocktail created by the world’s biggest producers of sparkling wine in this category, but it will not be produced in India yet, writes Subhash Arora who feels it should give the mixologists an interesting benchmark to show off their talent and skill to invent several local versions
CHANDON with its French pedigree and over 60 years of existence, recently released another of its bubbly creations, Garden Spritz, which is simple yet sophisticated and authentic yet intriguing. It took Chandon Brut and added a delectable liqueur with a secret recipe (think Coke!), created by the winemakers of the Maison from natural extracts of orange peels, herbs and spices, with no artificial flavours or colours, thus transforming a sparkling wine into a unique wine cocktail of sort that redefines the spritz experience, according to Market Screener.
The Bad news for Chandon loyalists in India is that the product will not be introduced here –at least not at the present time. A senior executive of the company has confirmed to delWine that the product has been launched in Europe and the US besides Argentina where it has been labelled as ‘Aperitivo’.
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The Chandon Garden Spritz is technically not wine as any wine or bubbly may not have any perfumes, flavours or fruits added to it. Even Sangria made from wine and cut fruit has been ousted from the wine category due to the addition of fruit. This Spritz has been crafted in Argentina at the oldest winery of Chandon which has a stable of 6 wineries in 6 countries including India. Founded in 1959 in the Andean foothills in Argentina, Chandon produces high quality sparkling wines in Argentina (1959), California and Brazil (1973), Australia (1986), India and China (2013).
There is such a geographic diversity of the 6 wineries that the sun never sets in the Chandon Empire. The company owns a total of 3333 acres of vineyards with 16 winemakers of 7 nationalities oversee the largest sparkling-wine estate in the world. Garden Spritz is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Semillon grown at an altitude of over 1,000 meters in Argentina, where the terroir and climate favour the requisite freshness, ripeness and acidity.
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The moniker has a zesty bitterness which is obtained through natural maceration of orange rinds and fresh aromatic herbs and spices. The Valencia oranges variety selected is the secret of the unique balance of acidity and sweetness. The oranges were studied as meticulously as the grapes to identify the best time to harvest, to get the most elegant aromas. The peels are 
slowly oven dried and macerated in grape brandy, along with fresh rinds and zests. Apparently the company tried 63 different formulations before accepting the current blend- the idea being to make it stronger for more intense aromas and enough bitterness. Chandon reveals a unique freshness poured over a few ice cubes (remember Chandon Delice!), a sliver of dried orange and a sprig of rosemary.
The Chandon Garden Spritz bottle features the Maison's seven-point star introduced recently in the chic packaging of the Brut and Rose bubblies, representing its 6 domains and the founding pioneering spirit of France. It is available at selected bars, restaurants and wine stores, as well as online at chandongarden.com
Also read- Chandon: Indian Sparkling Avatar of Champagne
In the meantime, the mixologists in India could visit the company website www.chandongarden.com and after checking out the video, use their talent to make a cocktail that resembles what the final product tastes like. In fact, the Indian company could consider a competition amongst the top mixologists to see who would win the top award which could perhaps be a visit to the parent company in Champagne.
Subhash Arora
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