The Beginning: Hyderabad Wine Club

The fun of being a part of wine clubs is conversations with the like-minded over wine and getting to taste and know newer wines and wine regions in the process. Despite being home to wine connoisseurs, and wine aficionados who are known to maintain wine cellars stocking some of the finest of wines, Hyderabad has lagged behind in wine club culture. The reason may also be because of being a non-wine growing region, unlike Bengaluru or Pune. 

Vikas Sharma, General Manager,Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel Gachibowli recently unveiled the Hyderabad Wine Club – which is designed to be an avant-garde destination in the city for wine connoisseurs. The launch dinner was at the Pan Asian restaurant Zega – it was indeed a glamorous soiree helmed by sommelier Aravindan VR and the guests included Sandeep Mehta, Centre Head, DuPont; Sudhir Reddy, VP head of Studio – India, Digital Domain; Mohit Kapoor, CEO, DBS; Rajat Mittra, Founder, Asian Art House; Shankar, Voila F9 gourmet; and Rohit Dar, General Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace among others. 

For the launch was the finest of the gourmet food conjured by Executive Chef Amit Dash paired with wines chosen from the old and new world to give an overall view of the portfolio held by Brindco. The first one was the old-world wine Sartori di Verona from Italy that comes across as metallic and sharp, with fruity aromas of apple and pear and dry citrusy notes. The Domaine Laroche’s lively wine Petit Chablis from Burgundy France was paired with Asparagus Parma and poached quail egg with watercress. 

Then came the Chinkara, ‘Cara’, a Chardonnay from Victoria, Australia which is fresh and displays spicy and citrusy notes. This wine was paired with the perfectly done Slow smoked Atlantic salmon in green puree and roast potato. Also, on the day’s menu were the young new world wine from California, Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve and the Nipozzano from Italy – a well-balanced wine with delicate aromas of violet with a long and satisfying finish – which marked the finale of the evening, and a beginning to what is hoped as a beginning to a vibrant wine club culture in Hyderabad.