Sorry folks, I am taking a break.

Geoffrey’s, Centrestage Mall, Noida – The good pub

Yes, Geoffrey’s indeed is a good pub. But not great; though quite clearly it has potential to be one.

The first impression

Okay, so I was there last evening for a casual eating and drinking experience with my lovely wife. First the décor: The brass bars, both inside and outside, shined well. The mahogany shade of the world around was pleasing, but the lighting too low, I thought. In fact, so low that when I couldn’t even read the menu card and the steward couldn’t place my need to read one very important, I requested for a change of table in one of the corners which was slightly better lit. The stained glasses lamps hanging over some of the tables and the clay models gave a near authentic, engrezi feel. Another thing, in their effort – perhaps! – to be more phoren than they should, I think, the music played was relatively unknown and tad bit louder.

The service

That said let me come to the service, which at the very outset I must say was fast and good (so what if the guys serving had difficulty in understating English very well). I chose to speak in Hindi, to avoid any confusion. It worked well. We chose all vegetarian during the course of the evening. Though I am a non-believing-non-practicing Hindu but out of respect for my dear wife who doesn’t eat non-vegetarian food during the nine auspicious days of navratras presently underway, I gave in to the duties of a good, tolerant husband.

What we ate and drank

Okay, along with the two bottles of Foster’s beer (Rs. 195), we first sampled the tomato and herbed olive bruschetta (Rs. 195) listed as a starter (pictured above). The bread, on which the olives, tomatoes and basil were baked, under a generous layer of mozzarella cheese, was average. The saltiness of the olive preservative was all too prevalent and that made this good preparation seem like just about okay. Plus, perhaps, it could have been a shade more garlicky.

Next we graduated to cottage cheese peperonota (Rs. 295) which both of us found to be truly amazing (pictured above). The roundels of paneer (three of them glued together with heavenly herbs and flavorings) were served in a bed of flavorful and warm Italian peperonata sauce, crunchy vegetables and aromatic yellow rice. Our stomachs were full, so we gave a rather impressive looking list of things sweet a slip. Total cost, a mere Rs. 845, including all taxes and service charges.

Recommendations

A must visit when time is irrelevant and darkness really a necessity. Good, economic place to hang out for longer durations if one has the capacity to adapt to the loud music. Average meal for two with beer: Rs. 800-1200. Cost wise, it is truly a steal.

Kulpreet is now also the Wine blogging expert for Chef at Large

Well, I am truly privileged to be an expert wine blogger on Chef at Large. It is a wonderful community of experts and enthusiasts, a forum really, to put across views ranging from the most serious, to the most casual of experiences, fantasies, information and knowledge. It is a highly interactive medium and I already have some of the articles put up there. Take a look from here.

Size zero and wine

Ever since the bug to be fashionably size zero has bitten the fairer sex from the Indian subcontinent– thanks to the filmi models who helped spew the craze through gossip magazines – I think the revelation that wine drinking can actually help attain this widely deceptive target has been received with loud applause. Not just the younger lot (they never grow old as we all know, and never dispute), but the next door aunties too are now likely to be seen shopping their wines.

Though Catherine Collins, dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, who went public with the wine and weight loss news this past week said: "It would be a mistake to think that drinking alcohol helps you lose weight," but the fact that the study was conducted over a period of 13 years and the sample size included well over 19000 women, it would be difficult for anyone to keep the relation between wine and weight loss disassociated.

So, without any further delay, join me in welcoming the fairer gang to the world of wines. Cheers!

Wine news, Jan 2010

Its still January, so I guess I qualify to wish all a very happy new year. 2009, for me, has been an extremely busy year as I struggled to juggle my job, my passion for good food, wine and travel, my family and of course, my writing. 2010, looks better. So far so good.

Lets straight get to the world of Wines. A lot has been happening to it, not just around us here in India but all over the world. Reasons are pretty predictable: recession, environment, new players, new consumers etc. Listed below are issues that have been making news.

Its hard to sell expensive wines as consumers opt for cheaper ones
Consumers, not just in the United states but all across the wine drinking world are opting for cheaper wines. So, while on the one hand the wine sales of wines priced above 15 $ is on a downward slide, the cheaper ones in the range of 6 $ or less are on upswing. Further, according to winery consultant Gomberg & Fredrikson, California global wine shipments dropped for the first time in 16 years during 2009, driven down by the worldwide recession in general and sales declines in the United Kingdom in particular. Shipments fell 1.6 percent in the first 11 months of the year to 236 million cases. Read more here.

Angrezi sparkling wines beat the French Champagne

The south of England might be sharing similar geology and soils as that of the Champagne region of France, but the countries haven't exactly been fond of each other in the past. And in wines, Champagne was always heads and shoulders above the English. Not any longer guys. Sample this: Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 (made in Sussex, England) has been crowned Champion of Worldwide Sparkling Wines in the competition run by Italy's wine magazine Euposia. Telegraph has more here.

World record size 'Ice Wine' bottle in China

First some information: What is Ice wine, you may ask? I agree it is not too popular here in India. Well, it is a variety of dessert wine made from frozen grapes while still on the vine. When the frozen grapes are pressed it results in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. This - the record - happened just yesterday in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning in China. And the record: The bottle contains nearly 1850-liters of wine, four times the previous world record holder, which contains 490-liters. Read more from here.

‘Grover Viognier’ – A good white table wine for Indian food and Kachori Jodhpuree – a delightful place in West Delhi

‘Grover Viognier’ – A good white table wine for Indian food

‘Grover Viognier’ is a white wine that has been made from a blend of Viognier and Clairette grapes. Since Viognier is known for its fruit and floral aromas, and high acid, the Clairette helps to douse the latter – and does it pretty well too. But still, served at about 6-8 Degrees, the wine is surprisingly crisp. A mouthful of exploding fruit and a hint of peach and honey makes it an ideal choice for mildly spicy Indian food. I paired it with chicken curry, rice and simple home made creamy black lentils. This is one table wine (with a screw top) that one must keep handy at home. It is sure to brighten up a lazy Sunday evening.

Cost (Delhi)
INR 440 for 750 ml
INR 230 for 375 ml

Kachori Jodhpuree – a delightful place in West Delhi

This is one good Rajasthani ‘snack and food’ joint everyone must make an effort to visit.

I discovered it quite by accident. The place has a capacity to seat about forty people and the host is a wonderful guy. Only when he told me that the original place (by the same name) existed in Pitampura, did I recall having read about it. And when he showed the newspaper cuttings of many reputed English dailies I was clearer. I sure had wanted to come to this place, but stuck mostly in Central Delhi and Eastern (where I live) it didn’t happen, until that moment, last week. But why did you leave from that location, I asked him. Rent, he said. I pictured the rest: the owner of the place from where he operated must have asked for more money when he started to do well. Kill the duck that lays the golden eggs, to get all ay once. He said, he didn’t get enough time to look for a proper place and therefore landed at the present location. Tucked slightly out of sight, a little behind the service lane that runs parallel to the Tilak Nagar metro station, the place needs a little bit of finding to do. But what the hell, for good food, it is all fair. Trust me on this one: The kachoris taste great. I tried the Aaloo piyaz (Potatao and Onion), Lahsun (Garlic) and Mava (a sweet made of thickened milk and flavoured) ones. Served without any accompaniment (he insists, none is necessary, as the accompaniment has been added before cooking) the kachoris are worth ducking straight into. Medium spiced, the crispiness and the softness that is rare to find (but is absolutely necessary) are all there. So, next time when you are around, please go find the place and enjoy.

Average cost for one: INR 50
(Non alcoholic beverages at MRP).

Hong Kong overtakes London, the Tuscan wine fraud, and Wine tastes better in Red and Blue rooms

Up Up Hong Kong! Up Up Asia!

Here's the good news: Hong Kong has overtaken London as the second-biggest wine-auction market after New York. The Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Industry Coalition successfully lobbied the government to lift all wine taxes, it has been reported, because many auction buyers in New York and London are Chinese. 'Removing the tax barrier has brought the wine market closer to the local economy,' said a statement. Read the full article from here.

The Tuscan wine on your table might be a fake

Questa è spazzatura! It is difficult to believe. But sadly it is true. As per reports, around 10 million liters of Tuscan wine is suspected of having been illegally blended. 17 people and 42 companies are currently under investigation for falsifying public documents with the intent to commit fraud. This investigation apparently extends beyond Tuscany, with producers in Abruzzo, Trentino, Piedmont, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna suspected of having been involved. Read Eric Asimov's article from the New York times from here for more.

Wine tastes better in Red and Blue rooms

Wow! While red signifies passion, blue shows excesses. No wonder then if you are sitting in a room with plenty of these colors, chances are, you are likely to sample your wine better. German researchers found that people who sipped wine in a room with red or blue background lighting thought their wine tasted better than people who sat in rooms with white or green background lighting. Read more...

Sula Brut - sings a song on the Indian palate

Sula Brut is a sparkling wine, made in the 'methode Champenoise' style. The bottle, with a nice and straight label, suggests so. First impression: The bottle label may perhaps be made a little colourful for us Indians, since we like almost always, an overdose of colour, particularly when it comes to celebrations - and hardly anyone here in India can figure out any other occasion to use a champagne. Now coming to the traditional method of wine making, methode Champenoise, we all know that this is a style where a secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle that gets the beautiful bubbles.

Sula Brut is dry, and when served at about 6 degrees, I found it to be crisp. I paired it last evening with chicken Awadhi gravy and Nan, chicken tandoori tikka (which was slightly spicy) and some home fried vegetable cutlets and vegetable biryani loaded with the winter vegetables, carrot, peas, cauliflower and all. First impression: The aroma is floral, with mineral undertones. The creamy taste the website also suggests greets you perfectly. The blend is smooth on the palate and the bubbles are strong enough in their ability to playfully tingle. Great wine overall, for Indian food. Priced well too. In Delhi a bottle costs just Rs. 560. (At Rs. 480, Sula Seco is a good, everyday sparking wine that is sweeter, and also cheaper)