Uncork your luck
Happy New Year! 😀
I’m looking forward to starting this year on a high. So here’s announcing the first contest on GiggleWater411. I’m super excited about this and all the other cool things that are lined up for the blog in 2012 and I hope you’ll are too.
Thank you for coming back week after week to see what’s happening. It’s why I keep blogging!
WIN. WIN. WIN.
FRATELLI CONTEST
If you read my post The Story of Fratelli then you know that this vineyard produces some real quality wines.
In keeping with the festivities of the season, Fratelli Wines is giving two lucky GiggleWater411 readers a chance to win a bottle each. All you have to do is post a comment and answer this question – WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST WINE MOMENT?
It could be an especially satisfying wine experience or even a memory of shared laughter with friends over a bottle.
Don’t forget to Like the new Giggle Water411 page on FB here to be eligible to win this and other goodies!
I really enjoy Fratelli’s Chenin Blanc 2011 and am making my way through the tasting of their other wines (looking forward to the Sangiovese). I love my sangria and I must say that their Classic Red and Classic White make for a great base. Wine connoisseur and fellow blogger Aneesh Bhasin (also a top-notch photographer) first suggested I use Fratelli for the sangria pitchers I was planning for the night, and they were a complete hit. At Rs. 395 for a 750ml bottle they are also very affordable, especially when you have sangria guzzlers around!
I used the Classic White for a melon sangria with musk melon, apple juice and a dash of vodka. To the Classic Red I added apple cubes, orange slivers, orange juice and some roasted cinnamon. Superb! I won’t tell you how much of each to use because I’ve found it is best to add to taste depending on whether you prefer it sweet or a little acidic.
The 2011 tasting notes:
Chenin Blanc 2011 – Silky smooth and medium-bodied, the fruit is reminiscent of peach and lime with mineral accents. The crisp acidity balances the slight residual sugar to create a dry impression, coupled with a silky texture. Not overtly complex, but carefully constructed and well balanced. Rs 495 for 750ml
Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – It holds a high level of intensity throughout, and its low pH, high acidity and touch of residual sugar are so perfectly balanced and elegant in structure. It is so emphatically varietal, yet subtle in its complex fusion of melon rind, lime, grapefruit and dry grassy/ herbaceous flavours, that you’re left entirely satisfied and wanting. Rs 595 for 750ml
Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – This classic-style Cabernet has great balance and nuance. The first impression is of concentrated blackberry and black currant fruit, but more impressive are the subtle notes one finds underneath the fruit: black olives, subtle minerality, a hint of sage and an elusive spiciness. The soft tannin adds to the wine’s structure without adding bitterness. Rs 650 for 750ml
Chardonnay 2011 – Offers bright aromas of tart apple, sugar melon and a brush of lemon- chiffon wrapped around a citrus peel core. The delicious palate is hung on a lovely frame of firm acidity to give it structure and vibrancy with a fine edge of minerality piping in throughout the finish. Rs 695 for 750ml
Shiraz 2011 – This wine is packed with fresh, juicy flavours of cassis and blackberry with spicy dark chocolate undertones. The velvety entry in the mouth strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, which are kept lingering for a lengthy soft finish. Rs 650 for 750ml
Sangiovese 2011 – Aromas of perfumed red fruits, cherry and lolly musk. With more air, raspberry and vanilla bean emerge. . Supple, ripe, and intense on the palate, it has plenty of spicy cherry fruit and hints of cardamom following. The finish is long with a fine underlying structure, even tannins, and exceptional length. Chianti has come to India! Rs 795 for 750ml
Merlot 2011 – Full and fat with classic plum and red cherry like fruit. Good depth and concentration. Crafted in a fresh, clean style, this velvety Merlot offers enticing aromas and bright, juicy flavours of cherry, dark berry and plum backed by subtle mocha and herbal nuances and a delicate minerality. Rs 795 for 750ml
Classic White – A beautifully vibrant wine, with fresh aromas of melon and cumquat with a hint of lemongrass. The mouth explodes with fresh clean acidity which cuts through the succulent tropical flavours, while lingering flavours of passion fruit and guava travel along the mid-palate. The wine finishes with a sprinkling of lime juice and dry mineral notes. Rs 395 for 750ml
Classic Red – The wine is deep ruby red in colour with aromas of plum, blackberry and spice, with hints of typical earthiness and coffee on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate with a soft supple mouthfeel, this is a well balanced wine exhibiting the elegance and complexity on the palate all framed in a velvety texture. Rs 395 for 750ml
wen we had that candle lit dinner on the dock, close to the sea under a full moon…
i got picnic chairs and a table and set it up before she came??
we played some real romantic music on my ipod as we GULPED DOWN A BOTTLE OF FRATELLI WINE whilst looking into each others eyes…
When the world left me FRATELLI was there by my side. I gave up the white line and settled down for wine. It made me feel fine since I had to meet my girl at nine. So I took her out and went to dine. I still remember her face shine when she saw me uncork the bottle of FRATELLI wine. Then we strolled through the cold winter street. On the street we saw a Counterfeit Crank so I reached my hand to the deepest end of my pocket to hand him a dime. I MARVELLED at the mysterious popularity of Fratelli…When the Crank replied leave the dime share with me your bottle of Frattelli wine… 🙂
I feel with wine,its a “perfect your moment”….my guy took me on a date.I never had wine before,but i was fascinated about it.. and that was the day when he asked me out,with a promise of fulfilling all my dreams and fantasies.
So,when i showed him the yes signal,in that perfect moment,he said that it was the time to climb the first ladder of the promise staircase.i didn’t understand.To my surprise,he was just there with my first dark fantasy,a bottle of CHIANTI(i perfectly remember)……..whoaaaaaaaah…………….it was an amazing time and from that day onwards we celebrate that day every year calling it our own “WINE DAY”.
My best wine moment so far is a recent one: New Year’s Eve 2011-2012.
The boy and I were in a quiet town along the Konkan coast after an exhausting two weeks in the city. We’d brought along a Spanish, Italian, and Indian red. We savoured the first two under a rising moon closely followed by a shockingly obvious Jupiter, accompanied by long pending conversation. Thankfully it wasn’t something fantasy-esque. There was dhinchak music bouncing in the background, making the entire experience that much more real, and the mood that much lighter.
Once a month, Y and I settle down to Crime Saturday Nights. Sometimes, it’s the inimitable Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes marathon series, or we dream up a parlour game like the celebrated authors of ‘The Floating Admiral’ did. On lazier Saturdays, we read out Feluda stories. It’s usually accompanied by a little indulgence: a bar of Lindt Cointreau, rich Christmas pudding, the likes.
To read the last of the 56 Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan Doyle, ‘The Adventures of Old Shoscombe Place’, we chose a certain bottle of Pinot Noir. The story is a rare instance of Holmes accepting a glass of wine. A good detective is always alert to smell, colour and taste. And in keeping with our detective’s demeanour, we wanted a moody wine. Crime stories and wine go well together. They require you to do your homework if you want to figure them out. And really, once you start, you can’t help getting to bottom of it!
Perhaps, feasting on the visual adaptation of Steig Larsson’s feisty Lisbeth Salander this month would be well accompanied by a bottle of Fratelli’s Sauvignon Blanc 2011?
MY best wine moment was when me and my Girl Friend now, but at that time she was just a friend and my office colleague, had first met and decided to have a party and i got a bottle of wine with snacks to rejoice her promotion. So i gingerly went to her, but suddenly the lights went and then we decided to move out of the house and sit in the garden.
there we were sitting and talking and sharing jokes and sipping wine. Then finally the moment came and i felt like proposing her. And i did and it was accepted. Do not know if it was the wine effect, but it was one of my best moment… and i still find it as refreshing as ever.. and cherish it…
My best wine moment wasn’t romantic,it involved four friends sipping on what may have been a bit too much Sangria in a restaurant in Bandra..My friends had kept me waiting alone at the restaurant for more than an hour, and once they arrived I tried to stay mad at them, but as the Sangria flowed,and the fruit chunks looked up at me from empty glasses,the afternoon became evening-one of the most fun evenings I had in 2011! The boys acted like Sangria was for the faint hearted and downed it like it was just fruit juice,only later realising how potent it is, and today they don’t recall most of the evening! We befriended the waiter and promised him we’d be back for beer the same evening but somehow ended up playing Taboo in an almost empty Bandra Gym..The thought of that evening still makes us all laugh, and the mixture of the wine, fruit and tipsy shoe shopping on hill road cemented a friendship between two couples that will only mature and get better as the years go by-like really good wine!
Oh la la! Best Wine moment was in Montreal. I went there for early lunch with my wife. Decor was very spacious and modern, yet still held a warm & intimate feel. Service was outstanding, top notch.Our waiter was very attentive & informative.Every course came with a choice of wine. I opted for only the White tha came with my app. Good pairing. We also sat in view of the 7,000 wine bottle cellar and did some great people watching. Also, good thing about a lunch time reservation is the choice to be casually dressed up rather than full blown dressy..it was my wedding annivasary.then my wife gifted me a watch there and it was an awesum evening.
Ummmm…..Hmmm…. best wine moment. Statistically speaking every Wine moment with my hubby has been a special one; but if I were to choose one this has to be it. It was the night on the Terrace of my building where we were hidiously meeting away from the gawky eyes of our parent & neighbours.
For the reason still unknown to me, my love had a candle in his pocket. He burnt it with his lighter. And then slowly & steadily from nowhere he started pulling out some puffs, coke, chocolates, a rose, perfume and and and a RING 😉 (for a lanky guy he can carry a lot of stuff 😀 ). I was flabergasted. He bent down & said ‘High time we get married, isn’t it?’. I still don’t know why I replied with “WHAT?”.
So loud & powerful was my reply that the candle flickere and went off 😛 If only I could see his expression I am sure it would have tears. Quickly I got my composure and said ‘YES’. In the meantime he burnt the candle again. The child like happiness on his face till today gets me misty eyed. We were literally on top of the world. The puff was stale but then it tasted like heaven.The coke gave joy of having a wine. The only moment that comes close to this one is the birth of my son, my life UTKARSH 🙂
Well it was in the final year of my MBA, when I actually felt the what and how it means to be in love, romance in air, happier and chirpier world moving around you etc etc… The evening which made me familiarize with such emotions was my BF’s b’day wherein he surprised me by confessing his love for me at the most romantic place (the corner seat of the restaurant ) where we met for the first time at my best friend’s b’day bash and couldn’t keep our eyes off each other. He not just literally knelt down but made me even read his diary in which he has beautifully penned down our meetings with minute details and the feeling which he was nurturing for me. And when I broke down and accepted ; we promised lifetime share of each meal and wine…its almost 5 yrs of our courtship and I am proud to say that sometimes romantic wine moment out was indeed lucky and the most cherished moment of my life 🙂
it was our first wedding Anniversary when my hubby planned an overwhelming surprise for me. He bought me an elegant evening dress and asked me to get ready. We got into the car and he closed my eyes by wrapping it with cloth. As soon as we reached the destination, he opened my eyes. And YES, it was Taj Resort, Chennai. He booked a table for candle light dinner facing sea shore. A red rose given to me was perfectly in sync with the spirit of the whole evening. Our dinner started with Champagne and that is enough to create the mood. That was just the right place to spend a quiet evening with my Love. I was enjoying every moment of it as if it’s a dream. Then we ordered some delicious continental dishes and wine. We truly enjoyed mouthwatering dishes teamed with the brilliance of the premium wines in the romantic flicker of the candle flame. As I took the last sip of wine, I found a diamond ring in the glass. That ring was my anniversary gift and he again proposed me by lying on his knees. And I rediscovered the emotion of being in love. The pulsating decor of the restaurant, the chic ambience and the soft hue of the candle flame coifs the right setting that offered me a romantic evening with my LOVE. It was the most romantic magical evening when I wined with my hubby, and I will cherish it throughout my life time…
My friends and I usually head up to drink on the terrace. Once we realised we didn’t have enough money for whiskey or rum and mixers. The liquor store guy suggested we buy 2 bottles of cheap wine instead. I don’t remember what wine it was, but 2 bottles among 3 friends on the terrace.. Mission accomplished.
My best wine moment is a recurring one. Cooking with some, and drinking the rest 😉
I read somewhere wine is sunshine in a glass held together by water. This reminds me of my best wine moment, sitting at the Marriott overlooking the sea, enjoying the Sunday brunch and the unending flow of white wine.
A full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon which is easy on the tannis has always been my preferred choice with a medium rare stake and one of my best wine moments was sharing a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon with my wife on a cold windy day in Paris….I would love to do the same in Mumbai..especially since its so cold these days!!!! 🙂
Sipping on some bubbly on a beach with the water at my feet and a plate of mussels, garlic fried crabs, fried squids and some King Fish is probably one of my best wine moments!!!….
My favorite wine moment would be at a vineyard in Bordeaux, where I got a chance to STOMP some Merlot…and also got to sample the finished product..all this while sampling some fine French cheese!!!! ahhh..I miss France!!!!
Actually one of my not so favorite wine moments would be finishing 2 bottles of Figuero with my mate one cold evening in Yercaud!!! We couldn’t remember anything after the first 6 Sips…The Favorite part of this drinking Spree was the 6 telephone numbers(#female) stored on my phone!!!! ;)..Thank you LORD for Wine!!!!!!
I don’t have a favorite wine moment..YET…However by winning this Fratelli bottle, ill be sure to BRAG about it!!!!! (Fingers crossed, Glass ready, Liver rested)
My favorite wine moment is a trip to Sonoma valley with a few girls. What was supposed to be wine tasting, turned into “wine shots” and by the time we hit the fifth winery, we were all happy high giggling away with the best cheese and wines. My favorite wine was an Iced wine and I have been longing to go back to Napa/Sonoma. If I win this Fratelli bottle, I will be sure to enjoy it with some fresh tomato mozzarella salad and pasta. 🙂 Fingers crossed.
I think Michelle should win. Good story it sounds like! The guys are soo funny..
Unlike the regular and mundane love struck comments, A.S.’s comment demonstrates an originality and uniqueness in engaging with the beverage. There is far more to wine than romance and fancy dinners, which A.S. clearly and skillfully portrays. S/he should definitely bag the bottle.
i think anju goel’s comment should win because she has told it a way which everyone would like to hear, just see her story guys…awesome…!!
great comment by anju goel.
And the winners of the Uncork your luck contest are: NISHA GUPTA and A.S. And a special shout-out to Michelle Simoes. You’ll get something special from GiggleWater too. Thank you all for taking part. I loved to hear that wine holds a special place in your lives 🙂 Stay tuned to GiggleWater411’s Facebook page for other great contests coming up.
[…] 2011. I also enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. More tasting notes here. The entire range All set for the […]