Chenin Blanc

Karishma is the daughter of Kapil Grover, owner of Grover Vineyards, set up in Bangalore by his father Kanwal Grover in 1988. Today the company, valued at Rs 100 crores, is spread over 400 acres of vineyards and is the only Indian winemaker to have the legendary French winemaker Michel Rolland consulting with them. They also have several premium wines in their kitty, from La Reserve to their latest in the affordable wine category, under the label, Santé.

At 25, this third generation winemaker who is being groomed to take over the mantle at Grover Vineyards, is nothing but practical. ‘‘I don’t want to take away from the glamour and romance associated with wines but the process involves hard work. At the end of the day, it’s agriculture. If you don’t get good grapes, you don’t have good wine,’’ she adds. Referring to the dreamy grape crushing harvest ceremonies that is a Hollywood staple, Grover has yet another laugh. “It’s visually very appealing but being smeared with grape juice is not my idea of fun!” All in the family The practical approach seems to suit this young lady, whose choices in life are sometimes unusual. To begin with, Grover is India’s first technically qualified female winemaker. She has a degree in Viticulture and Enology from University of California, Davis, that makes her rather like an inhouse expert in the family firm. Growing up in Mumbai, their main vineyard in Bangalore may not have been part of Grover’s life but wine certainly was.

She remembers being introduced to some of the best wines by her grandfather Kanwal Grover, who set up the business in 1988. ‘‘Wine was often part of the dinner table at home and it has always been a staple at parties,’’ she reminisces. As befits a family of wine enthusiasts, there was a lot of wine talk, ‘‘generally about the business and also about good wine practices.’’ Her father’s and grandfather’s influence on this young businesswoman is apparent. ‘‘While I was at University in the US, me and granddad would spend hours discussing wine research that was being done at the University labs,’’ she adds.

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Fortunately, there are some generalities that will help you make your way through this maze of information. Old World or European wine makers have traditionally labeled their wines after the place where the wine was produced, such as Chablis, Burgundy or Bordeaux. New World wine makers have taken a less traditional approach and label their wines based on the grape varietal, such as chardonnay or merlot. The varietal approach makes choosing a particular wine a lot easier.

Another aspect typical of many Old World wines, one not common with New World wines, is the designations of quality assurance on the label that many European countries require. Good quality French wine should carry the AOC designation, while good Italian wines should carry the DOC or DOCG designation. Better quality German wines can be labeled as either QmP or QbA and may be described as dry or trocken , semi-dry or halbtrocken , or sweet.

If you are searching for a French wine, remember that the European winemakers do not generally indicate the varietal on the label. If it's white and from Burgundy, it will be a chardonnay; if it's from the Loire Valley, it may be chenin blanc or sauvignon blanc. A Bordeaux white wine is most likely a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon.

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The venue was the Mysore Hall of ITC The Royal Gardenia, the newest luxury hotel in Bangalore. The menu, in keeping with executive Madhu Krishnan's considerable abilities, combined the traditonal with the unusual.

As an additional bonus, Reims-based Master Winemaker Jean-Manuel Jacquinot was also present, and introduced his 'babies' to the select crowd, who started the evening with casual conversation and chilled glasses of the Nine Hills Shiraz Rose.

At the dinner, the Nine Hills Chenin Blanc 2008, lightly floral and fruity, balanced out the rich but delicious white asparagus and summer Truffle Souffle, while the Indian Ocean halibut cloaked with Lime Gremolata and the gold corn Madeleine studded with peppercorn paired well with the refreshingly crisp Nine Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 with its fruity notes of pineapple and citrus. The third course, artichoke confit and Boletus ravioli/ Guinea Fowl and slow-poached pecan ravioli was paired with the full-bodied award-winning Nine Hills Reserve Shiraz 2008. This was followed by Oven roasted eggplant with red onion confit/Slow braised jaipur lamb shank with Fregola sarda and winter turnip Spezzatino served with the Nine Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.. The grand finale, a trio of delicious desserts featuring a rhubarb and strawberry streusel, nutmeg Kahlua pot de creme and home churned lavender and hibiscus ice cream won accolades from the guests.

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  It was appropriate that I met and dined with Kim Stare Wallace at Gianni’s Steakhouse in Wayzata. After all, the signature image of her Dry Creek Vineyards brand is sailboats, and the restaurant has some seriously cool sailboat models down its center aisle.

Even more apropos was that Wallace, daughter of Dry Creek Vineyard founder Dave Stare, brought along wines that went wonderfully with the array of seafood and beef dishes that we ordered.

  Food-friendly wines from California on a bracingly cold Minnesota night? You betcha, starting with perhaps the best chenin blanc – certainly the tastiest widely available one – made on this continent.

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But if you can show that you've thought about your lover'stastes, carefully selected a tipple to appeal especially to them orconsidered matching the wine to a romantic dinner that you've made, youcan quadruple your brownie points in a heartbeat.

Of course, there are some lovely pink champagnes around.Laurent-Perrier Non-Vintage Rosé is hugely popular andwidely available for around £60, or you could nab a bottle of BollingerNon-Vintage Rosé for around £55. If you're feelingpatriotic, there's some English pink fizz worth sampling - Hush HeathBalfour Brut Rosé 2006 (about £35), with its bright,strawberry-ish, crisp refreshment. And if you're after a bargain, youcould consider rosé cava or Prosecco.

Beyond fizz, there's a world of wines to choose from, and you shouldmatch your choice to the setting, mood and character of your plannedevent. Think along the lines of what your partner would really love -then surprise them.

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