Six wines that’ll sing with the monsoons!
Every season deserves its own wine list for good reason. Summers call for refreshing bubblies, chilled down floral whites and roses while winters need opulent and tannic red wines that insulate the self from falling temperatures and warm the soul with full bodied expression. Spring and autumn call for modest version of the above but with India’s wild monsoon interlude, the script is still a bit green and continues to evolve just like the nascent Indian palate. Interestingly this season, especially in Mumbai, can require plucking out wines from the summer and winter lists because a given rainy day oscillates from windy wet to intensely hot and humid and a sudden revert back to cold and breezy. Welcome to monsoons in Mumbai. So this unique weather system demands an equal custom wine selection. Perhaps, crisp and refreshing sparklers, whites and roses are best to get through the warm patches and maybe even for some casual day drinking in the course of an afternoon shower. And late evenings are an opportune time to uncork them elegant and full bodied reds when skies loom with dark, pregnant clouds about to burst and the palate longs for the reassuring depth of ripe fruit and sumptuous tannins. Well then, it’s time to be monsoon ready with a clutch of ferments handpicked for the wet season. Cheers!
Colterenzio, Lumo Pinot Grigio 2018
Pinot Grigio is one of Italy’s most famous white wine exports because like the Italians themselves, this exuberant white wine is easy going and yet full of pleasant surprises. An ideal day drinker, this white is produced in the cool, northerly Alto Adije region and teems with peach and citrus fruit and fresh burst of acidity. Chill it down and simply pour!Tenuta Sant Antonio, Scaia White 2019
Another superb Italian white wine that also happens to be our top bestseller and rates 4.1 on ViVino – there are so many good reasons why this Veneto white blend should be in your monsoon wine cellar and frequently opened during downpours. Savour its floral notes and fresh palate of citrus, pineapple and mango, laced with nice acidity.Gramona, La Cuvee, Brut Gran Reserva 2013
An exquisite Cava vintage from the family estate of Gramona, this classic Spanish sparkling wine regales the senses with delicate flavours of apple, peach and almonds, a delightfully creamy texture and lively acidity. So when the pre-shower humidity begins building, this is the big gun, you ought to pop.Vinologist, Rose 2019
The sight of generously filled glass of cool rose by itself lifts the mood. This South African rose, produced by South African winemaking genius Marc Kent, goes even further, taking the senses on a grand flavour trip. Vinified from sustainably farmed fruit, the salmon pink wine expresses a superb style that balances refreshing acidity and notes of cherries and spice. That true and gushing description should do it.Daily Dose, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Wine Park’s first stab at making an Indian wine, this custom produced red turned out splendidly, expressing a ripe and approachable style with wholesome fruit and soft tannins with hints of French oak ageing. All of which make this home grown red a good choice for a rained in evening with its nice balance of dark fruit, herbs and soft tannins that linger long and enhance the sight of a misty sunset.The Chocolate Block 2018
Now with a name like that, why not, right? And there’s more good reasons why this opulent South African red blend makes for the perfect companions to a comfort food dinner on a chilly monsoon night. The Chocolate Block is simply a work of fermented art, beaming with notes of blackberry, vanilla and signature dark chocolate. The wine’s rich texture and myriad owns the palate the palate long after the wine drunk and could well become this tempestuous season’s finest memory.
