Chenin Blanc

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Don't know your Chardonnay from your Chenin Blanc? Need a night away from reruns on TV, the ever-growing pile of laundry, or the demands of the kids? Mark your calendar for the last Wednesday of every month. That's when you'll find women-in-the-know beating a path to Twisted Vine on the Post Road.

This wine shop has been hosting its "Twisted Sisters" wine tasting event for just under 4 years. Hosted by wine expert and Fairfield resident Sandra Muller, Twisted Sisters offers a chance for wine aficionados and newbies alike to taste and talk while discovering new and different bottles of wine.

This wine shop has been hosting its "Twisted Sisters" wine tasting event for just under 4 years. Hosted by wine expert and Fairfield resident Sandra Muller, Twisted Sisters offers a chance for wine aficionados and newbies alike to taste and talk while discovering new and different bottles of wine. "We try to have a theme each month," explains Muller, a former model and actress who is as bubbly and likable as a bottle of the best champagne. June's tasting, held Wednesday night, was centered around light and easily drinkable summer wines.

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It's been a while since wineries here opened their cloistered cellars to the uninitiated. And this has had a robust spin-off – wine tourism. It's the refreshing mix of unsullied air and the dash of indulgence here that draws scores to Nashik, a pleasant four-hour drive from Mumbai.

It was Sula Vineyards that first hit upon the idea of wine tours. “It was always there on my mind. Wineries in California have been successfully doing this for many years,” says its CEO, Rajeev Samant.

Five years ago, architects from California set up Sula's tasting room and wine bar. And the response has been sparkling. “On weekdays, it's mostly locals, but weekends and holidays see crowds from Mumbai, Pune and even Delhi and Bangalore. Foreigners too are turning up in large numbers. Our guests include local oenophiles as well as corporate honchos. Even kitty party groups come here,” he adds.

Travel operators such as Pune-based KK Travels drive in Westerners to Nashik for a desi wine experience. “There is no wine culture as such in our country. Not many know even the basic facts, and naturally, there's a lot of curiosity. That's why vineyard visits have clicked,” says Ravi Gurnani, Director of York Winery, who recently opened a tasting room against the backdrop of the Gangapur Dam.

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Frankly, it's taken South Africans far too long to start taking this seriously. We tend to live rather far apart and public transport has never been much good, so it is always tempting to take a chance after a few too many.

Obviously the organisers of the ninth annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival are aware of this and they have organised a fleet of shuttle buses to and from the various participating wine farms from now until the end of the festival on Tuesday.

The park-and-ride sites are at Bottelary Hills Wine Centre, Blaauwklippen, Delvera, Eikendal, Oude Libertas, Skilpadvlei, Zorgvliet, with the central one at the Information Centre at Doornbosch.

A time-table will be available at every park-and-ride site and each shuttle will have its very own "festival ambassador" on board to ensure that you are well informed and entertained.

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Sebeka's Western Cape Chenin Blanc is timely in more ways than one. It's refreshing enough to serve as a swell summer sipper, and it's a great accompaniment for watching World Cup soccer from its homeland, South Africa. It's also just plain delicious, with cool melon flavors and bracing minerality. Like most chenins, it goes well with all manner of food, from white meat to summer salads to goat cheese. The $8 price tag is just a bonus.

Weekly restaurant deal: Bambu - Where to start at bargain-oriented Bambu? First, there's the $4.99 lunch buffet (weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

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California chef Bruce Riezenman has turned years of food and wine-matching wizardry into grist for his Great Pairings website and Pair It!, his inventive application for iPhone and iPod Touch.

The talented chef, who operates Park Avenue Catering in Sonoma County, has partnered with many area wineries, particularly estates operated by the Gallo family, providing dishes that work harmoniously with the wines they produce.

The official start of the summer grilling season led me to seek Riezenman’s advice about what components make for great wine matches with barbecued dishes.

Riezenman says it’s important to remember that spicy heat, as in the case of chili peppers or nuclear grade barbecue sauces, accentuates alcohol and tannin in wine.

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