VIDEO: India’s New Single Malt – Rampur
There’s a new Indian Single Malt whisky – RAMPUR. But is it a worthy addition to your bar? Here’s all you need to know about it. The premium single malt is made at the Radico Khaitan Distillery in Rampur. The distillery…
The Brave New Face of Indian wines
Even while some Indian wineries are still working towards understanding viticulture and perfecting their winemaking, there are others that are experimenting with grapes, vinification styles, and techniques. It isn’t about creating the most iconic wine, that’s something only time will…
Video: Foolproof mulled wine recipe
My fondest Christmas memories are of the family gathered around bountiful tables, exchanging gifts, humming carols and soaking in that heady merriment. Ah the Christmas spirit. Quite literally! So to keep the festivities going, here’s my foolproof recipe for mulled…
The Hunt for India’s Best Sommelier
When sommelier Magandeep Singh started working with wine in India, he was sometimes mistaken for being Somalian. Cut to 12 years later and now when he introduces himself as a professional wine taster, the response often is ‘Oh! You’re a Sommelier.’…
Krosno Glassware
I have a thing for glassware. Not that I’m prissy about knocking it back from the bottle when the situation requires but I do appreciate a good glass to nurse at the end of my arm – the precision of its lip,…
Fast 5: Ewan Gunn, Diageo Whisky Master
Recently Ewan Gunn, Diageo Global Whisky Master toured India to introduce a few of the company’s Scotch whiskies. Over a tasting, Gunn and I discussed the changing trends in the world of whisky: the delicate art of blending vs. the notion of drinking…
Video: Silly things people say about whisky
Two minutes to deal with just a few of the silly whisky myths floating around out there. Any others you’ve heard that you think need addressing? Special thanks to all the folk at the Pullman New Delhi Aerocity for allowing…
Cantillon and the art of Lambic
When I think Belgium, there are many things that come to mind. The country gave forth to the world Tintin and Asterix, not to forget the Smurfs, then we have the fries and waffles, and of course we have the…
A Sip In Time
A couple of months ago Verve India asked me to recount a few of my most memorable glasses in my travels so far. It was a beautiful exercise to reminisce about all the lovely elixirs I’ve shared with beloved friends, family, and colleagues….
Top wine haunts in Delhi + Gurgaon
It’s bad enough that alcohol taxes in India sap us dry, it’s worse that restaurants and hotels are allowed to charge five times the MRP of wines and beers. If there was ever a time to spruce up that home…
The Cashew Trail @ Park Hyatt, Goa
It’s always nice to receive an invite for an event that’s in Goa. So, last month when I was called to attend The Cashew Trail, at the Park Hyatt Resort & Spa, Goa there was no hesitation at all. The Cashew Trail…
Microbrew Mania in India
The funny thing about life is that nobody is happy with what they are. Street food wants to be upmarket, gastronomy desires demystification, wine craves friendliness, and beer, oh lovely beer, yearns complexity and nuance. For those of us partaking…
Why bother with the 4 Ss of wine tasting?
It’s been a while since I did a wine post for beginners and so here we are, back tracking a bit to see what the art or science, if you want to call it that, of wine tasting is all…
DOURO – the old and the new
Which is better – tradition or modernity, old or new? An experience through Niepoort and Quinta do Pôpa wineries in the Douro Valley. In the world of wine there’s always a jostle between tradition and modernity, old and new. But I…
A toast to Port Wine Day
Long before Bordeaux was a demarcated entity, or before the first vine had even been planned in Australia or California, the region of Douro in Portugal was already a clearly defined appellation! The year was 1756 and Marquis de Pombal,…