Gigglewater’s Festive Gift Guide
It’s that time of the year again when the dry fruits and silver bowls come rolling in. I’ve been gifted enough almonds and raisins to last a lifetime. It really wouldn’t hurt to switch up our gifts a little. So…
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.’…
For a little sweet something
Looking to buy an Indian dessert wine? This might help. Most people may be inclined to think that it is easier to evaluate a dessert wine – to extract notes and nuances in something sweet –, but not too long…
Oz Beer Master Class
Good beer should not be hard to find. In India, however, good beer is a luxury. So when there’s a beer event with craft brews, no effort is too great to make sure I’m there, even if it means flying…
Welcoming the SETTE 2010
A few days ago I was at a wine tasting different from the usual. I’ve come to hate any event that claims to be a ‘wine and food pairing’. In the many I’ve attended in Mumbai over the last few…
World Malbec Day
So it’s World Malbec Day today and I asked Sommelier Magandeep Singh for a quick introduction to the purple grape. Here it is: Malbec is one of my favourite grapes and I sincerely believe that it needs to find its…
A Quick Guide to Dessert Wines
For years, many novice drinkers believed that the drier the wine, the more refined, elegant and worthy of praise it was. In truth, however, sweet wines encompass a huge category of their own and exhibit a complexity that deserves every bit as…
Say hello to KRSMA WINES
A new winery is all set to enter the Indian wine market – Krsma Estates. Owned by Krishna and Uma Chigurupati, the winery is based about 70 kms out of Hampi, near Hospet reservoir. A long-cherished dream of the Hyderabad-based…