Vineyards

Once construction is complete, Alamitos Vineyards will be San Jose’s only tasting room with an onsite vineyard. And it’s most certainly the only one with its own fire truck.

Proprietors Shaun Coleman and Chris Maune are tech entrepreneurs who’ve built several companies and have many interests, including vintage NASCAR racing. But the 6-acre vineyard, which they planted in 2015 with sauvignon blanc, syrah and Touriga Nacional, is really their passion project. They purchased the parcel off Alamitos Road just past New Almaden, which includes several residences tucked among majestic live oaks and blue oaks and surrounded by a lush lawn, in 2014 from a couple who had primarily used the property for weddings and events. Coleman and Maune intend to continue with this use when the winery opens.

As to the fire truck, after learning that the local fire department required them to have four pumping stations at a cost of $6,000 each, Coleman—who never met a vintage vehicle he didn’t want to show some love—found a 30-year-old fire truck in Washington state. “It had 24,000miles on it and was in great shape. They age out their equipment after 30 years, and they only wanted $6,000 for it! Done deal.”

Maune admits he was skeptical of the purchase but was sold after the truck helped stop two harrowingly close calls with fires  before Cal Fire equipment could arrive on the scene. “Worth every penny,” says Coleman. “Plus, it looks really cool in parades.”

Both Coleman and Maune have farming and/or winemaking in their genes. Coleman’s grandfather and father are and were Iowa soybean and wheat farmers. Says Coleman, “When I told my Dad we were planting a vineyard and were going to be farmers, he said, ‘I can write a book right now about what you already don’t know about farming!’”

With the help of Coastal Range Vineyard Consultants, who installed the vineyards, the men have been learning about the soils on this land that backs up to New Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

Coleman’s Portuguese heritage predisposed him to plant Touriga Nacional, from which they make rosé, a favorite beverage of the Portuguese community, which has shown up to support them throughout the pandemic.

Coleman’s Portuguese grandfather was an early winemaker in Livermore Valley, working for Cresta Blanca, Concannon and Wente.

“My grandfather made sauv blanc for the wineries he worked for in Livermore,” he says. “We even have some old bottles of Cresta Blanca. It turns out he also made sauv blanc for Almaden Winery, which used to be on Blossom Hill Road.”

Each wine at Alamitos Vineyards sports a label derived from an original painting of one of the many birds that inhabit the property, with its beautiful views of Almaden Reservoir, created in 1935 as part of the New Deal. Maune’s aunt painted the intense gleaming-eyed raptor that graces the 2018 Hawk Eye Syrah. The 2019 Laura’s Love Rosé is named for Maune’s mother, who passed away in 2017.

The owners hope to officially open Alamitos Vineyards for tasting on July 1, assuming all goes according to plan. They will be tasting three wines for $15 and six for $25, pouring from a bar built of reclaimed wood from a 150-year-old barn in Gilroy.

Reservations will be required, and 30 people can be accommodated for each of the four or five seatings planned between 11 a.m.  and 4 p.m. on weekends. Tasting fees will be collected in advance via Cellar Pass. Private tasting appointments and events can also be arranged.

For more information, visit https://www.alamitosvineyards.com.

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June 12: After initiatives like Top Ten Importers, Top Ten Producers, Top Ten Indian Women of Wine (WOW) and delWine Excellence Awards, Indian Wine Academy is proud to take lead in recognising India’s young winemakers, the backbone of quality winemaking, and introduces the biennial ‘Top Ten Winemakers of India under 40’, with this Article featuring the next 4 winemakers in the List in no particular order, says Subhash Arora who feels that the 3-Part series was needed to do full justice- featuring Karna Vasani, Mahesh Awate, Sanket Gawand and Chetan Arekar in Part-2

Karan Vasani (Sula Vineyards)

The Senior Vice President & Chief Winemaker, Sula Vineyards, Karan Vasani had no idea when he was recognised as the ‘Most Promising Associate’ at the prestigious CRISIL Awards that barely two years later he would be changing course and would become the ‘Grape Gatsby’ of the Indian wine industry.

Born in a business family, Karan did his B.Com. and worked with CRISIL for 4 years before changing the track and went to New Zealand where he graduated in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University. He then travelled across the globe from one terrain to another to learn more about the wine world. He has completed three levels of the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) program and is also a qualified WSET Educator. He also won the prestigious ‘Champagne India Scholarship’ in 2014 by the Bureau du Champagne in India.

He worked as a harvest intern at vineyards including Bird in Hand Winery at Adelaide, Australia, Pask Winery in Hawke’s Bay New Zealand, and the historic Cuvaison Estate Wines in the Los Carneros wine region of Napa Valley, one of the world’s great wine destinations.  

“Wine is so much more than just an alcoholic beverage. It captures and reflects not only an entire growing season but also the personality of the people who make it”. And that is the thought behind which he invests all of his local and global wine experience to create some of the best quality wines at Sula vineyards.

He has been working for Sula for the last 8 years, 4 of which have been as the Chief winemaker. He was responsible for developing the popular Premium label ‘The Source’. India’s first red sparkling- Sula Shiraz Sparkling had his hand in it. He was also involved from scratch in introducing the first WIC (Wine-in-Can) in India with two variants of Dia sparkler. He also added Chardonnay to the Dindori Red.

As the Chief Winemaker, Karan supervises all the winemaking processes right from grape harvesting to wine bottling at Sula Vineyards.  His first love is wine, but he is also an ardent fan of football. He loves to read whenever time permits. His ultimate ‘unwind tip’ is a glass of Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon with a hearty meal.

Mahesh Awate (Big Banyan Wines)

After finishing his M.Sc. Chemistry and Post-Graduation course in Fermentation Science and Alcohol technology, and an MBA from Symbiosis Pune, Mahesh worked as a visiting Lecturer in Enology at VSI Pune for 3 years.

Starting his career with Chateau Indage in 2005 as a Trainee, he worked for two vintages as a lab chemist. Mahesh got an opportunity to work with Grover Vineyards in 2007 at their Sangli Winery, overseeing all aspects of   wine and fruit wines production- from Vineyards development to wine bottling. He worked with Team Michel Rolland at the Bangalore and Maharashtra Winery. He also worked for two vintages at Chateau Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, then owned by Michel and his wife Dany Rolland and sold after to a Chinese investor.

He had a free hand in the experimental winemaking style at KRSMA Estates in Karnataka where he joined as an assistant winemaker after 8 years with GVL and learnt the new- world winemaking techniques and concepts focused more on the analytical and scientific approach to winemaking during the 4 vintages that he worked from 2014-17.

Big Banyan Wines (John Distilleries)

Mahesh started the green field project at the state- of- art- winery owned by John Distilleries, 30 km from Bangalore and helped in setting up 35 of the 40 tanks all the way to the bottling lines.

The vineyard and farmer development was a major challenge. He worked with Lucio Matricardi, the consulting winemaker from Italy, from the initial days of the project at Goa. He has been involved in the making of Chardonnay, Rosa Rossa Rose, Bellissima dessert wine, Cabernet Sauvignon and Limited Shiraz.

With an extensive experience of 16 years and 18 vintages in India and abroad, Mahesh Awate deserves special mention in the first List of ‘delWine Top Ten Winemakers Under 40’- he turns 40 later next month on 27 July.

Sanket Gawand (Vallonne Vineyards)

The 37-year old Sanket Gawand has been the winemaker since 2009 at Vallonne Vineyards located near Sanjegaon, Taluka Igatpuri, about 30 kms before Nashik. He has been making wines independently since 2014 at the premier boutique winery owned by Shailendra Pai.

A Biotechnology graduate of Mumbai University, Sanket did his PG Diploma in Wine Technology at GARTI Nashik before starting work in Feb 2009 as Asst. Winemaker at Vallonne under the guidance of the French Winemaker Marie Barbe till she went back. ‘I learnt many important things from Marie but if I have to name one- it would be picking the grapes at optimum maturity based on sensory evaluation,’ says Sanket.

Sanket has had international experience at Domaine de Chevalier, Bordeaux, France, where he worked as an intern and a Cellar hand in 2010. He had worked before as Vineyard & Cellar intern in 2008 at Fattoria Zerbina in Bologna, Italy.

‘My inclination lies more towards the vineyards. We strongly believe at Vallonne that wines are made in the vineyard. I realized this at the earlier stage of my career because of the foreign experiences,’ says Sanket who has doubled up his role working as a Viticulturist and Winemaker this year. He believes this will influence the quality and styles of the wines.

Wines at Vallonne

The wines crafted independently by Sanket include Riesling, Viognier Reserve, Syrah-Merlot and Syrah and recently the award winning wine Anokhee Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 listed at Waitrose London.

In order to get maximum advantage of the cool breeze coming from Mukhne lake which favours retaining crisp acid, Riesling was strategically planted in 2014. Since the first vintage in 2017 the focus has been dry Riesling with minerality over a period of time.

The first vintage in 2015 of Viognier Reserve was also the first Reserve white from Vallonne. It undergoes fermentation in French barrels followed by ageing on lees in the same barrels for 6 to 8 months. The idea was to match intense aromas with structure and complexity with subtle oak. 

Syrah-Merlot– a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Merlot is made by fermenting both grapes individually with focus on fruity notes and soft tannins. It is also aged in old French barrels for 6 months to add complexity.

The vineyard is screened and only selected vines are harvested separately for Anokhee. This is followed by manual berry sorting and fermentation in Stainless Steel tank with focus on extended maceration to extract desired tannins. Malolactic Fermentation in French barrels is followed by 24 months of barrel ageing and a minimum of 18 months of bottle ageing with natural cork.

Chetan Arekar (Dessal Winery)

If one were to go by academics only, Chetan Arekar, currently the Senior Manager in Winemaking at Dessal Winery in Vinchur Park Nashik, would stand head and shoulders above the rest in his tribe. A specialist in Microbiology, he did his undergraduate degree from Shivaji University in Kolhapur in 2008, followed by M.Tech. from Karunya UniversityinCoimbatore.

Not only did he do his Ph.D. (Tech) in Food Biotechnology from Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai in 2013-2017 with Studies on Tropical Fruit Wines as his Dissertation topic, he also worked as a Research Technician at Seema Biotech in Kolhapur for a year in 2008-09 and taught fermentation technology and Microbiology at MGM’s Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad asAssistant Professor from July 2011to December 2012 before joining the PhD programme in April 2013.

He worked as Assistant Winemaker at Soma Vineyards Bengaluru for a few months before joining Sula Vineyards as Assistant Winemaker from January 2018- July 2019. He has been currently into winemaking and managing winemaking operations, new winery site development and commissioning, Blending, setting up protocols for the upstream and downstream operations, managing and troubleshooting bottling operations, Sensory evaluation, Market research, quality control and Food safety.

He has interned with Kenwood Vineyards, California for over 4 months in 2019- helping with winemaking operations. This was followed by a short stint at Pernod Ricard in New Zealand last year.

Also Read: Wine Feature: Top Ten Winemakers of India under 40 (Part 1)

With a Little Help from my friends

I have been helped and guided by Ajoy Shaw DipWSET and Sumedh Singh Mandla DipWSET in the project by helping me set the direction and criteria and making sure we considered each and every known winemaker in India, who is under 40. This cut-off was my desire so that we could also measure their lifetime achievement and see some of them shooting for stars during the coming decade.

Sumedh is the CEO of VBev and had ample exposure to winemaking while the CEO of Grover Zampa. Ajoy was the Chief Winemaker at Sula Vineyards till he branched out and became a consultant winemaker and is greatly in demand. He was also elected as The Best Winemaker in India at the first delWine Excellence Awards (2016) held at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. I am also grateful to several wine professionals, producers, winemakers and journalists for giving the inputs when requested.

Subhash Arora

Continued with the Final Part-3 covering the balance 3 winemakers to appear in the next issue. So watch out this space-editor

 

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The UK now has 500 working vineyards, many offering tours and tastings, as well as restaurants and places to stay

Sitting on a sun-drenched terrace with a cold glass of sparkling wine, gazing out at lush, vine-covered hills, it feels as if I have broken through border control and am on a holiday in France.

‘That’s often the first comment people make,’ says Charles Palmer. ‘They just can’t believe they are in Britain.’

The Charles Palmer Vineyards in Winchelsea, East Sussex, not only look as if they are in France — the chalky soil is so similar to that found in Chablis and Burgundy that it’s ideal for producing flinty whites and the award-winning classic cuvée I’m enjoying right now.

English vinitourism has taken off in recent years, spreading out from the sunny downs of Sussex and Kent to as far afield as Cornwall and even Yorkshire. 

The UK now has 500 working vineyards, many offering tours and tastings, as well as restaurants and places to stay. 

So, with the Continent off the menu for the time being and English Wine Week about to begin, here’s our guide to the top UK vineyards.

BUBBLY IN KENT

Chapel Down, pictured, is set in the Kent countryside near Tenterden and is described as the superstar of the English wine scene 

Chapel Down is the superstar of the English wine scene, set in gorgeous countryside near Tenterden, Kent. It is the first English wine producer to feature in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’.

Book a tour and a tasting of six wines or splurge at the restaurant The Swan, which sits above the vineyards, has two AA Rosettes and a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and specialises in locally sourced, modern British produce.

Raise a glass: Pick up a bottle of Chapel Down Bacchus gin, then book a cocktail-making masterclass to nail that gin sling.

Details: Tastings from £25, two courses at The Swan from £25 (chapeldown.com).

REFRESHING RYE

Tillingham Wines in East Sussex is the new kid on the block — a biodynamic winery and restaurant serving imaginative and locally sourced food in a trendy, renovated hop farm with views across Rye and Romney Marsh.

There are also 11 en-suite bedrooms and bell tents.

The innovative menu changes weekly, and there’s an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven for dining on the pretty covered terrace.

Raise a glass: Combine your vineyard trip with a visit to Camber Sands, eight miles away.

Details: Tours and tastings from £35, rooms from £160 (tillingham.com).

A TRUE VINTAGE 

Sparkling company: A lunch with wine at Gusbourne in Kent – known for its award-winning vintage sparkling wines

A serious player on the English wine scene, Gusbourne is known for its award-winning vintage sparkling wines. The estate in Appledore, Kent, which dates back to 1410, hosts two-hour tours with wine tastings and an extended tour with lunch in the on-site restaurant, The Nest.

Raise a glass: Spend the weekend and visit two nearby National Trust properties: Sissinghurst Castle Garden and Scotney Castle.

Details: Two-hour tours from £25, with lunch from £75 (gusbourne.com); stay nearby at the chic Woolpack Inn at Warehorne from £110 (woolpackwarehorne.co.uk).

THE BRITISH LOIRE

The Charles Palmer Vineyards, pictured, in East Sussex, just 30 miles from France 

Close your eyes and pretend you are in the Loire Valley on a visit to Charles Palmer Vineyards for a tour and tasting of three wines.

It’s only 30 miles across the Channel to France from here in East Sussex.

Midsummer Feast Nights with an Argentinian barbecue and lashings of award-winning wine are also available.

Raise a glass: The Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine (2013) is superb.

Details: Tour with a tasting costs from £15, Midsummer Feast Nights from £75 (charlespalmer-vineyards.co.uk); stay at Wickham Manor from £135 (wickhammanor.co.uk).

NOT SO HUSH-HUSH

Open for business: Balfour Winery at Hush Heath, Kent, which features a light-filled tasting room

Hush Heath Estate & Winery is another established superstar of the English wine scene, producing the award-winning Balfour label since 2002. The 400-acre estate near Staplehurst, Kent, features a light-filled tasting room and terrace where you can enjoy beautiful views.

Raise a glass: Balfour Brut Rosé was the first English sparkling wine to be served in British Airways first class, and was the official English wine of the London 2012 Olympics.

Details: Full tour and tastings from £45 (hushheath.com); rooms at its sister pub, The Goudhurst Inn, from £117 (thegoudhurstinn.com). 

HAMPSHIRE FIZZ

The Black Chalk winery near Andover. Here you can book tours with a tasting and a charcuterie lunch

Black Chalk sprawls along the glorious banks of the River Test near Andover in Hampshire, and its small batch fizzes are in top form. Book a tour with a relaxed tasting and a charcuterie lunch.

Its Wine Club has exclusive offers, plus a welcome case of wine for new members.

Raise a glass: Black Chalk Classic sparkling wine is aged in oak barrels and won gold medals at the 2020 WineGB Awards.

Details: Tour with a tasting and lunch from £32, club membership from £225 annually (blackchalkwine.co.uk); ‘eco treehouse’ rooms from £260 (canopyandstars.co.uk).

SURREY SWEET SPOT

Grapes ready for harvesting at Denbies in Surrey

At 265 acres, Denbies in Surrey has the largest single vineyard in the UK. 

If you take your food seriously, book a table at the elegant Gallery Restaurant overlooking the North Downs, or nab a more relaxed table on the terrace or in the vineyard restaurant after your wine tour.

Raise a glass: Its rosés are perfect for a summer day (and less than a tenner per bottle).

Details: Tours from £14.95 (denbies.co.uk); doubles at the Vineyard Hotel from £145.

SUNNY SUSSEX

The Tinwood Estate sits close to Chichester, which is reported to enjoy more sunshine hours than any other city in the UK. It’s not only the perfect spot to grow grapes and make wine, but also next door to the Goodwood Estate, and within ten minutes’ drive of eight excellent pubs.

Raise a glass: Tinwood’s sparkling Blanc de Blancs is perfect to celebrate a win at the races.

Details: Tours with wine from £18 (tinwoodestate.com); wooden lodges from £195 a night.

A DROP IN DORSET

The Langham Estate near Dorchester. Langham was named by the International Wine & Spirit Competition as Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year 2020

Dorset may not be top of the list of wine-growing regions, but the Langham Estate near Dorchester is doing a roaring trade producing excellent sparkling wines. The winery is based in a rambling old barn straight out of a Thomas Hardy novel, with an on-site café.

Raise a glass: Langham beat French champagne houses to win the International Wine & Spirit Competition Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year 2020.

Details: Tour and tastings from £10 (langhamwine.co.uk); the nearby Oak At Dewlish has rooms from £90 a night (oakpub.co.uk).

TASTE OF CORNWALL

Drink it in: Camel Valley Vineyard in Cornwall. It was founded by ex-RAF pilot Bob Lindo in 1989

Lots of bottle: Offerings at Camel Valley

Camel Valley was founded by ex-RAF pilot Bob Lindo in 1989. It’s now run by Bob’s son, Sam, and its reputation has soared since winning the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

Raise a glass: The Sparkling Rosé has won gold at eight out of the past ten International Wine Challenge Awards.

Details: Tastings from £12 (camelvalley.com).

HEREFORD HEAVEN

Excellent wine-growing is creeping north, as artfully shown by Coddington Vineyard, a small but exquisite estate near the Malvern Hills.

Enjoy a tour and a tasting of three wines with nibbles and a bottle of wine of your choice. Or order a light lunch in the pretty gardens.

Raise a glass: With a nose of elderberry, nettle and lime, its award-winning Bacchus white wine is popular.

Details: Tour and tasting from £30 (coddingtonvineyard.co.uk); stay in the two-bedroom Grade II-listed cottage or in the Vine Lodge log cabin from £320 for a weekend.

COTSWOLDS CORKER

Three Choirs Vineyards, pictured, which is deep in the Cotswolds, was first established in 1973

Fabulously located deep in the Cotswolds, Three Choirs Vineyards is one of the UK’s longest-established (first planted in 1973).

Dip in for a tour and tasting, organised on Saturdays and Sundays (£15 pp), then stay for a meal at the restaurant, which serves tapas.

Raise a glass: Its Pinot Noir Rosé Sparkling is aged for more than two years and has a ‘strawberries and cream’ finish.

Details: Tours with tastings from £15; a room overlooking the vineyard costs from £145 (three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk). 

YORKSHIRE BREW

Yes, they even make wine in Yorkshire! The family-run Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery based in Nun Monkton is as much about events as wine, and offers a brimming calendar of summer activities. Drop into the Cellar Door for a tasting, or book a romantic ‘wine picnic’ for two. Evening events with meals are also organised.

Raise a glass: The Hearty Festival (August 20 to 22) has seven bands plus activities — tickets from £15 pp.

Details: Picnics with a bottle of wine cost from £40 (yorkshireheart.com); on-site camping and glamping options from £15 a night.

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HUMMELSTOWN, Pa. (WHTM) — A local vineyard is using the launch of their new wine on Sunday to raise money for cancer awareness and research, and offer live entertainment for the community.

Cassel Vineyards out of Hummelstown, Dauphin County, is excited to be launching its new drink Purple Rein, a canned bubbly wine. Proceeds from the special event will go to Relay for Life, the fundraising body for the American Cancer Society.

Hershey’s Troegs Brewing wins national “Crushie” award

“This event is especially important to Cassel Vineyards because of all of our family and friends that are being affected by various types of cancer,” Cassel Vineyards told abc27 News.

On Sunday, the vineyard will offer the bubbly wine while offering live music.

“Enjoy live music from Jeff Seyfried and For Play Duo,” they said. “And [enjoy] delicious food from four food trucks: Philadelphia Hoagie Co. On the Roll, Whirling Dervish Bakery, Piper Belle’s BBQ, and Gina’s Scoops, which is proudly serving Penn State Creamery Ice Cream.”

Local band Copper Bets is taking the Midstate by storm

The event will have COVID-19 protocols, including 12 feet X 12 feet squares in their lawn. The vineyard also hosts free concerts every Friday and Saturday.

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While New Yorkers are always ready to enjoy a great glass of wine, it’s doubtful many of us know just how impressive the state of winemaking is here.

A few facts to enlighten: There are, quite literally, hundreds of wineries across the State of New York. It’s the third-largest wine producing state in the entire country (behind California and Washington), and billions of dollars of economic activity are generated each year through New York’s winemaking industry. Innovation, experimentation, and evolution have defined winemaking here for decades—and from an impressively varied terroir to ecological transparency or longstanding traditions of winemaking, there’s never been a better time to delve into the local wine scene.

So whether your preference is a day trip just a couple of hours away by car or a long weekend getaway worth the scenic multi-hour journey (hello, summer road trip!), here are 12 gorgeous stateside wineries to swirl, sip, savor, and taste the best vintages from this side of the coast— be sure to check each winery for specifics on their masking, distancing, and operational guidelines before your visit.

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Sustainably Farmed Grapes from High-Altitude Argentine Vineyards Used in a New Line of Low Calorie, No Sugar, Low Alcohol Wines Kicking off with a Sauvignon Blanc this Summer

Fort Worth, TX June 2021 – Osmosis™, a new wine brand created by Vino del Sol and made by co-winemaker Martina Galeano, brings high quality “better-for-you” wine to the mindful drinker. A project in development over the last three years, Osmosis™ is a new-to-market low alcohol, zero sugar, low calorie wine that is created with sustainably farmed grapes from renowned family-owned vineyards in Argentina.  Launching this July, Osmosis™ will begin with a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, perfect for the summer.

As health-conscious consumers seek out sustainable brands across the wine category and strive for a more balanced lifestyle, Osmosis™ focuses on delivering wine with integrity made by a revered winemaking team.  While we have lowered the alcohol and calories in the wine, Osmosis™ prides itself on not sacrificing flavor.  At nine percent alcohol and no more than 85 calories per five-ounce pour, Osmosis™ is the finest quality wine to fit into today’s healthy lifestyle.

Vino del Sol President and Co-Founder Matt Hedges became a believer in the Better-For-You-wine category before it became the trend it is today. “Our vision has always been to create a great tasting wine that is less calories and less alcohol,” said Hedges. “It took us a while to perfect, but now our combination of strategic picking of the highest quality grapes with an unprecedented wine making process creates a wine that delivers 100% flavor.” 

Hedges and co-winemaker Martina Galeano use grapes from sustainably farmed, estate-grown vineyards in Alto Agrelo, Mendoza.  The vineyard’s high altitude lends itself to bright acidity and very concentrated flavor that results in a full body wine even after alcohol has been removed. The grapes, hand-picked and double sorted, are strategically harvested on three separate days to produce a more complex flavor that incorporates bright acidity with citrus and tropical notes.  Our pneumatic press uses a special nitrogen component to capture and enhance the fruit flavors and aromatics.  Each harvest is fermented in separate tanks, then blended together for the perfect balance and aged on the lees for extra body.  Through the winemaking team’s innovative techniques for gently removing alcohol, Osmosis™ retains the full flavor, with a lower alcohol and caloric content, resulting in a light, high-quality wine without the guilt. The wine maintains optimum flavor and freshness being kept in stainless steel tanks and bottled on demand throughout the year.

Not only are Osmosis™ wines low ABV, but they are also gluten-free and vegan.  The Sauvignon Blanc is naturally dry with zero sugar yet imparts the perception of sweetness from juicy pineapple flavors of the latest harvest.  The wine is pale yellow in color with additional flavors of grapefruit as well as floral and grassy hints. The wine’s acidity is balanced with a pleasant creaminess from the lees-aging process.

Osmosis™ will launch this July with a Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $14.99).  A red blend will come later. For more information on the wines and where to find them visit osmosiswines.com. “Get Your Wine by Osmosis™”

ABOUT VINO DEL SOL:

Vino del Sol’s mission is to be your trusted source for great wine. Since 2004, we have built our reputation as a leading importer of terroir-driven wines that over-deliver in value.  Known as “The Argentine Wine Specialist®,” we also market exceptional wines and sakes from California, Chile, Japan, and New Zealand. We are proud to be the exclusive U.S. importer of Altocedro, Anko, Black Cabra, Criss Cross, Crooked Path, Formation, Gen5, Kura Selections, Lagar de Codegua, Lamadrid, Puramun, Taonga, Tapiz, Tassajara, Teho & Zaha, OSMOSIS™, Wapisa, and Zolo.  Vino del Sol’s wineries are all estate-grown, sustainably-farmed and family-owned, and many have worked with Vino del Sol since day one.

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Finally, grill covers are coming off, smokers are being fired up and invitations are going out for the event that’s gone missing far too long—the backyard barbecue. Whether you define that as anything on (any kind of) grill, or you’re a purist, and nothing short of hours of smoke will do, it’s safe to say that cooking outdoors this summer for friends you couldn’t even see last summer is cause for serious celebration. And that calls for special bottles of wine. To ease the pressure on that front, we did extensive empirical research—that is, staged an unapologetically over-the-top cookout involving all the usual favorites, around a table groaning with bottles—to settle on which grapes and producers punch up the food and wine together the most.

Two varieties stood out in the crowded field. With juicy burgers, spicy chicken, and saucy ribs, Zinfandel was the preferred partner. Its sweet-seeming fruit (even when the wine is completely dry) and underlying spiciness make it a terrific foil for the flavors across those grill classics. But for meatier, smokier dishes (this is for all you smoke masters and mistresses out there), Syrah was the slam dunk. With characteristic cured-meat aromas (sometimes even bacon), Syrah has echoes of barbecue built right into it, and its characteristic blue and black fruit, black olive and tobacco notes make savory brisket, smoky pulled pork and spice-rubbed steaks shine.

Here are West Coast Zins and Syrahs that richly deserve an invitation to your backyard this summer.

Frank Family Vineyards 2017 Reserve Zinfandel Chiles Valley, Napa Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Frank Family Vineyards

This reserve from Frank Family reflects the elegant side of Zinfandel. The dark berry and plum aromas that open are set off by mocha, black pepper, and lovely violets. The palate is downright juicy with good acidity, punching up raspberry and warm spice flavors, with tannins that build through a beautiful finish.

Buy Now: $90

Inglenook 2017 Edizione Pennino Zinfandel Rutherford, Napa Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Inglenook

Named for the music publishing company founded by Francis Coppola’s maternal grandfather, Francesco Pennino, this concentrated, aromatic Inglenook Zin comes from a core of vines over 40 years old. A complex nose gives up spiced dark fruit (briars still attached to the berries), with hints of savory herbs and licorice. Juicy strawberry and black cherry flavors are spiked with black pepper and warmer spices, with a touch of citrus lingering as the supple tannin structure unfolds.

Buy Now: $48

Priest Ranch 2019 Zinfandel Napa Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Priest Ranch

At north of 15 percent alcohol, this Zin from Priest Ranch isn’t shy, but it’s tangy and bright with great acidity, just made for a well-balanced barbecue sauce. Aromatic, earthy, and spicy, the nose offers up blackberry laced with black pepper, dark chocolate, and violets. A basket of bright berry flavors includes raspberry and even a little cranberry, plus black cherry on a generous, concentrated palate.

Buy Now: $50

Robert Biale Vineyards 2019 Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Robert Biale Vineyards

The latest iteration of the Biale “Black Chicken”—so named because during Prohibition, folks on the ranch knew that if that’s what you asked for, chicken wasn’t what you wanted—is juicy and generous. Dark berry fruit runs from nose through palate, joined by plum and cherry flavors backed by exotic spices, a touch of minerality, and a dusting of cocoa. This is a textural Zin, with supple tannins.

Buy Now: $50

Williams Selyem 2019 Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard Zinfandel Sonoma County

Photo: Courtesy of Williams Selyem Winery

From a 125-year-old, dry-farmed vineyard comes this intense and concentrated Zin from Sonoma’s cult-favorite Williams Selyem. Fresh aromas of bright berry fruit spiked with white pepper open, with earthy notes underneath. Gorgeous flavors of red plum, boysenberry, and the faint tang of citrus unfold (that last a beautiful foil for any barbecue sauce that’s not too sweet), the sweet-seeming fruit bound by plenty of structure and underlined with minerality.

Buy Now: $95

Avennia 2018 Boushey Vineyard Arnaut Syrah Yakima Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Avennia

This dense and savory Avennia Syrah, from one of Washington’s preeminent vineyards, picks up great textural interest from being unfined and unfiltered. Its complex nose reflects the contradictions good Syrah is capable of—smoke and cured meat balanced against wild blueberries and pretty florals, warm spice against savory herbs. Marked salinity and minerality on the palate continue the contrast against black raspberry and plum.

Buy Now: $60

Denner Vineyards 2018 Dirt Worshipper Central Coast

Photo: Courtesy of Denner Vineyards

This irresistible Syrah from Paso Robles’ Denner gets a lot of aromatic mileage out of 1 percent each of co-fermented Roussanne and Viognier. The nose is downright seductive, with florals wrapping around a dark core of blueberries, smoked meats, black olive, espresso, and black pepper. Real hedonism follows in juicy blackberry flavors layered with crushed herbs and anise. This is a very textural wine—supple and long.

Buy Now: $80

Keller Estate 2017 Rôtie Petaluma Gap, Sonoma County

Photo: Paulina Sánchez Navarro

This blend of 93 percent Syrah co-fermented with 7 percent Viognier from Keller takes its cues from the aromatic Syrahs of the Rhône Valley’s Côte-Rôtie. Light on its feet and with lovely floral aromas from the Viognier, the nose still layers under them the earthy cured meat, “garrigue” (warm underbrush notes), and savory black olive that mark a cool-weather Syrah. The palate is juicy and elegant, with blueberry and raspberry flavors wound together with chewy tannins.

Buy Now: $60

Caliza Winery 2018 Reserve Syrah Willow Creek District, Paso Robles

Photo: courtesy Caliza Winery

Beautiful black fruit is the calling card for this complex Reserve from Caliza. Dark loam, bacon fat, warm spice, and iron minerality swirl with blueberry and a little tobacco smoke. Dense and hedonistic, the palate carries berries and plums with a little kick of orange zest and fresh herbs, through a lush finish.

Buy Now: $95

Law 2016 Intrepid Adelaida District, Paso Robles

Photo: Mariah McNulty

This inky beauty from Law is both dense and expressive. You know a Syrah (100 percent in this case) is a keeper when it opens with bacon and violets. Earthy minerality underlies blackberry, black olive, and tobacco aromas leading to fruit flavors that run from red to black (call it black raspberry in the middle), a gamut of warm spices, chewy but elegant tannins, and a lush, lingering finish.

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Mira 2016 Hyde Vineyard Syrah Napa Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Mirah Winery

Named for the Latin root for “miracle,” this Mira Hyde Vineyard Syrah from cool Carneros is marked by fresh acidity and pure transparency, brought up as it was in mostly neutral oak. A dark-fruited and earthy nose is layered with cured meat, black olive, tobacco, and toasted spice. Savoriness notwithstanding, the palate is rich and generous—raspberry, plum, and blueberry coated with a little dark chocolate.

Buy Now: $89

Myriad 2019 Esther Block Las Madres Vineyard Syrah Carneros

Photo: Matt Morris Photography

This 2019 from Myriad joins a growing number of impressive Syrahs coming out of the cool Carneros region. Fresh-cracked pepper, damp earth, and cured meat aromas announce a savory bent, while the palate perfectly balances that side with sweet fruit. Cherry is layered with black olive, a little leather, and some salinity, carried on an elegant structure.

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Saviah Cellars 2018 The Funk Estate Syrah Walla Walla Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Saviah Cellars

One of Walla Walla Valley’s most exciting areas for Syrah is The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, on the Oregon side of the border, where “rocks” is an understatement. Enormous pebbles, rolled down streams from the Blue Mountains, blanket many of the vineyards in the AVA, à la the Southern Rhône. Saviah’s winemaker, Richard Funk, pushes that mineral-driven terroir in this estate wine with partial whole-cluster Syrah co-fermented with some whole-cluster Viognier. High-toned floral aromas mingle with tobacco leaf, smoked meat, and black raspberry. The palate is layered and dense, with blackberry and anise balanced by savory black olive and a touch of salinity.

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Huge tariffs imposed by China on major Australian winemakers including Penfolds producer Treasury Wine Estates have put the brakes on vineyard expansion activity and could affect values too, according to agents and valuers.

A lack of backpacker casual labour to pick fruit at harvest time is also proving a headache for grape-growers and winemakers as are expectations that grape prices this year will be down on 2020.

“It is clear that the market is taking a wait-and-see attitude, particularly on the Chinese trade issues,” says Colliers national director of agribusiness and vineyard specialist Tim Altschwager.

“Transactions completing in the first quarter of 2021 have achieved solid results. However, there is a perception that values will fall due to the China trade restrictions,” says Altschwager, who is selling the extensive portfolio of wineries, vineyards, stock and brands of the collapsed McWilliam’s Wines Group.

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“The market is still assessing the potential implications and is taking a conservative view. Investment into the sector is likely to slow down through 2021, however investors and operators taking a longer-term view will continue to be active.”

Since the start of the pandemic, major commercial vineyard transactions have been few and far between.

Some that stand out include the sale of the renowned Bass Phillip estate in South Leongatha, Gippsland, home to Australia’s most expensive pinot noir. It was bought by a group of investors that included Burgundian winemaker Jean-Marie Fourrier, Singaporean businessman Soo Hoo Khoon Peng and Hong Kong/San Francisco-based venture capitalist Kent Ho.

Over in the NSW Hunter Valley, where demand for vineyards has been boosted by wealthy Sydneysiders seeking a reprieve from city life, the well-known Krinklewood organic vineyard, plus winery and cellar door, sold for about $5.5 million including stock while the former Black Cluster vineyard, renowned for its old shiraz vines and once owned by French beverage giant Pernod Ricard, sold for about the same price to “wine industry people” from Sydney.

However, the failed private equity takeover of the McWilliam’s Wines Group, one of the biggest and best known in the county, in late 2020 highlighted the challenges facing the industry from the additional tariffs imposed on Australian-imported wines.

The group’s assets are now due to be split with Calabria Family Wines to acquire more than 75 per cent of the McWilliam’s Wines operations, including the Hanwood Estate winery and brands near Griffith. The Medich Family Office will buy the smaller Mount Pleasant winery and brand in the Hunter Valley.

Writing in valuation firm Herron Todd White’s March 2021 property report, national director of agribusiness Tim Lane said there had been less activity in the table and wine grape sector.

“Any growers with plans to expand appear to be keeping their powder dryfor now due to concerns of price reduction, export trade concerns, lack of available workers to pick the fruit along with the real possibility that some fruit may remain unsold,” says Lane.

According to HTW, wine grape growers are already bracing for lower prices for red grape varieties, and there is nervousness among table grape and citrus growers due to their heavy reliance on the Chinese market.

Veteran vineyard and winery broker Toby Langley, of Langley & Co, is selling two wineries on behalf of Accolade, one of the country’s largest wine companies and owned by private equity firm The Carlyle Group.

They are the Petaluma winery, vineyard and cellar door in the Adelaide Hills priced between $6 million and $10 million and its historical Krondorf winery and cellar door in the Barossa Valley, tipped to sell for more than $3 million.

Despite the current challenges, Langley says prices are holding up.

“The market is steady, with reasonable levels of the demand and limited stock available,” he says.

“Industry fundamentals are driving demand, with buyers seeking to secure supply and strategic assets to match their long term business objectives.

“Demand is quite widely spread across key regions of South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania.”

He adds that technology is playing a significant role the vineyard and winery sector in terms of improving yields and returns.

“This is happening in the areas of water use and water requirements, plant and soil health for vineyards and energy usage and reducing filtration losses in the winery,” Langley says.

Colliers’ Altschwager, who is also selling the Stonehaven Winery and Norfolk Rise Wines on SA’s Limestone Coast, says there remains “reasonably strong” appetite for premium quality vineyards, large-scale production facilities and well-positioned brands in recognised wine regions.

“There are essentially two types of active buyers: private equity, corporate and institutional investors looking to purchase large holdings with a long-term lease or a working relationship to a wine industry operator, or established wine operators looking to expand their holdings,” he says.

As an example of institutional appetite, in December last year New Zealand sovereign wealth the NZ Superannution Fund acquired four vineyards in Marlborough for $31 million from Yealands Wine Group.

Covering a combined 187 hectares and planted primarily with sauvignon blanc and pinot noir grapes, the vineyards will be run by FarmRight, manager of the NZ Super Fund’s rural portfolio in New Zealand.

In Australia, a major challenge remains the lack of casual labour to pick fruit. Before the pandemic, overseas backpackers on temporary working holiday visas helped fill the void but with international borders closed, that pool of workers has disappeared.

According to the Department of Agriculture (ABARES), a large fall in the supply of overseas workers is expected to reduce the supply of horticultural produce in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

“The supply of overseas workers on Working Holiday Maker visas and from the seasonal worker program declined significantly following the introduction of COVID-19 containment measures, which curtailed international travel,” the department states.

“The major impact was on the number of working holidaymakers, which fell by 64 per cent in 2020 to around 61,000.”

A bigger issue though remains the China tariffs. China accounts for 82 per cent of the demand for exported shiraz and cabernet wines.

Until that situation is resolved – winemakers are pushing for the Morrison government to raise China’s punitive tariffs on the industry – growers will be holding back while they source alternative markets.

“While the news to impose tariffs of up to 212 per cent on Australian winemakers will be devastating for our industry, it is still too early to predict what the true or accurate consequences are going to be,” says winemaker Andrew Calabria, of Calabria Family Wines, who is president of the Riverina Winemakers Association.

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Two bottles of the rare 1889 Tokaji Essencia wine, Zimmerman Lipot by the Jewish Zimmerman family, will go on auction July 8 of this year, according to a statement by the auction house Drewatts.The bottles hail from the renowned region of Tokaj in Hungary, known especially for crafting fine wines of the region within its revered vineyard. The Jewish Zimmerman family are one of the first winemakers within the region whose wine originates from the first vineyards of the 19th century until World War II.The family had numerous vineyards across the Tokaj region, boasting 60 cellars and an elegant townhouse in Mád, with a second residence in Abaújszántó.As winemakers, the family was revered as prized winemaker winning several gold medals in competitions in berlin in 1892 and Paris in 1896.The company continued to flourish, with offices in Budapest, Berlin, Katowice, London and New York, until the Nazi-occupation of Hungary in 1944.The Zimmerman family was one of the 437,402 Hungarian Jews that were deported to Auschwitz during the Holocaust. During which, the vineyards fell into disrepair and eventually taken over by the Soviet Union in 1945 after it captured the region, up until the 1980s.Following the fall of the Nazi regime, and the relinquishment of the region by the Soviet Union, the area of Tokaj was designated a world heritage site in 2002 for its land and vineyards.

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if(window.location.pathname.indexOf(“656089”) != -1){console.log(“hedva connatix”);document.getElementsByClassName(“divConnatix”)[0].style.display =”none”;}In 2016, six of the remaining descendants of the Zimmerman family unveiled plaques recognizing the Royal Tokaji wineries in Hungary and the family’s links to this historic area.”This was the home of Miklos and Blanka Zimmermann and their two children and the second notes the former home of Lajos and Margit Zimmerman,” one of the plaques read. “The signs also go on to note the Zimmerman family’s long history of involvement in: the cultivation, production and marketing of Tokaji wines, since the early 1800s.”The bottles being offered up for sale, are as of now, “exceptionally rare and are almost a slice of history,” according to a statement by the auction house.“One can almost distil the political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th century through Tokaji,” said head of the wine department at Drewatts Mark Robertson. “The free run juice of the aszu grapes can take 6 or 7 years to ferment fully to a maximum 3-7%. This supernatural concentration of sweetness is beautifully married with an unusual level of acidity creating a wine that can age effortlessly across the centuries. “Traditionally served on a crystal spoon, what an experience awaits,” he added.Michael Broadbent, a master of wine describes it as: ““Several consistent notes. Most memorably, on my first visit to Budapest in 1972, with Josef Dömöter, Head of the Hungarian Wine Trust and Fred May, the UK Monimpex importer. Neither had ever tasted an old Eszencia before. “I opened it in Herr Dömöter’s office, to great wonder and satisfaction, and took the remaining half the following morning to Tokaj, where, in Tarcal, I had lunch with the technical Head of the Research Institute for Viticulture,” Robertson added. “He didn’t like it! Briefly: a deep, warm amber; glorious fragrance, rich, chocolatey, spicy; sweet of course, plump, concentrated taste of singed sultanas, excellent acidity. Last tasted in Leiden Nov 1982.”“These are important bottles and I hope they are enjoyed with a chink of the glass to the man and his family who made them,” he added.The two bottles are estimated at £500-£1,000 per 500 ml bottle and will be sold throughout two separate auctions.
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June 04: After initiatives like Top Ten Importers, Top Ten Producers, Top Ten Indian Women of Wine (WOW) and delWine Excellence Awards, Indian Wine Academy is proud to take lead in recognising India’s young winemakers, the backbone of quality winemaking, and has introduced the biennial ‘Top Ten Winemakers of India under 40’, with this Article featuring first three winemakers in the List, writes Subhash Arora who feels that the 3-Part series was needed to do full justice- featuring Kailash Gurnani, Kaushal Khairnar and Vrushal Kedari in Part 1

Most people in the world of wine, including winemakers, would tell you that 90% of the wine is produced in the vineyards. There is a cliché that you can make bad wine from good grapes but never a great wine from poor grapes. However, this is an oversimplifying Statement since we know that an excellent meal can be prepared only from the freshest and best ingredients, but it is ultimately the Chef who interprets the ingredients to give us the flavours, textures and freshness.

Various styles of wine are results of inputs from the winemaker and his personal experience and philosophy of winemaking. Styles that vary from powerful to elegant wines, young wines to age-worthy wines; even the traditional to new world styles are the handiwork of winemakers who are highly valued within the industry but not always enough outside. A consumer might occasionally hear of a Max Schubert as the winemaker who launched the Grange label from Penfolds Australia or the current winemaker Peter Gago. You may hear about Giacomo Tachis as the inventor of Sassicaia but perhaps have not heard as much about the current winemaker Graziana Grassini.

Every serious wine lover in India has heard of Michele Rolland as the (Consultant) winemaker for Grover Vineyards but not many would know about the resident winemaker Abhijeet Shendage. Piero Masi is the acclaimed Italian winemaker of Fratelli but not many outside the industry might know that Vrushal Kedari is a Napa educated winemaker who worked several harvests in California, Australia and the US before coming back to India and joining Fratelli and was involved totally in the production of TILT canned wines.

You have surely heard about Vallonne boutique winery in Nashik but do you know who their winemaker is? (Details in our future issue) Then we have Krishna and Uma Chigurupati, owners of KRISMA who are so painstakingly and passionately involved despite having a winemaker, that immersed in the winemaking process, from pruning to harvesting to fermentation, blending and ageing.

Our objective

The objective for initiating this project is to laud and recognise the hard work being done by these winemakers. Hopefully, they will rise and shine as they become more experienced. Some of them might one day achieve international recognition, or become producers themselves or might even be picked up by international producers as senior winemakers. They may even become like Stéphane Derenoncourt from Bordeaux or Alberto Antonini of Poggiotondo Tuscany and have several international wineries in their basket of clients.

World is truly the oyster for our brilliant young Top Ten Winemakers.

Young under 40

Although the current definition (pre-Corona) of being young is till the age of 65, we have kept our  criteria of 40 years as the outside limit for this List so we could focus only on the youth who will take us into the next levels of winemaking. So the likes of Piero Masi, Abhay Kewadkar, Pradip Pachpatil, Rajesh Rasal etc. are automatically out. Thus, we had to keep at bay Neil Fernandez, the winemaker (red wine) of Sula or Ashok Patil who had done wonders at Alpine winery. Even Gorakh Gaikwad, who was the winemaker at Sula and now managing the Kadu (Sula Heritage) Winery in Karnataka, had to be excluded as he turned 40 in April this year.

With a Little Help from my friends

Although I must take the bricks and bouquets for the concept and selection of the Top Ten, I have been immensely helped and guided by Ajoy Shaw DipWSET and Sumedh Singh Mandla DipWSET
who guided me in setting the direction and criteria and made sure I consider each and every winemaker in India.

Sumedh is the CEO of VBev and had exposure to winemaking while the CEO of Grover Zampa. Ajoy was the Chief Winemaker at Sula Vineyards till he branched out and became a consultant winemaker and is greatly in demand. He boasts a long list of wineries including Vintage / Reveilo, KLC wines, Desaal wines Asav wines, Resvera (Jamun) Winery, Seven Peaks winery and Bidadi Valley Beverages, Karnataka, besides having a couple of clients in Nepal.

They took time out to work with me closely in the project-especially Ajoy who was selected as The Best Winemaker in India by public voting, at the first delWine Excellence Awards (2016) held at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. I am grateful also to several wine professionals, producers, winemakers, journalists and others who gave me the relevant inputs when requested.

Not only grape wine

Although it might appear that we have selected winemakers from the (grape) wine industry only but rest assured, due diligence has been done also in the fruit wine industry which unfortunately is still nascent though with a great future. In fact, the winemaker’s role may even be more important for fruit wines as a lot of work needs to be done in this segment with not many benchmarks or resources available.

Here we go with the first 3 in the list-chosen randomly. Final list will be presented in the alphabetical order in the next two editions of delWine but next time around we may have the selection in order of Merit, competence, achievement and standing in the industry with a professional jury helping with the final selection, after pre-announced criteria:

Kailash Gurnani (York Winery)

Kailash Gurnani has been working as the Chief winemaker at his family-owned York Winery near Sula Vineyards since he returned from Adelaide after completing his Bachelor Degree in Oenology from the University of Adelaide.

The 32-year young winemaker had diverse work experience in both- the extremely small and large wineries. He had the fortune of working in sparkling, white and red winemaking with specialists in their respective fields. He started work at Hardys Tintara Winery in McLaren Vale and followed it by working as the Cellar Hand/Intern winemaker (Sparkling Wines) for Domaine Chandon at Yarra Valley, Australia where he learnt about the sparkling base-winemaking.

He had good exposure in overall managing everything during a harvest- right from vineyards to the winery at Zambartas Wineries, Limassol, Cyprus. Special focus on traditional French winemaking in concrete vats and long red wine ferments with max extraction was what he experienced at the Bessa Valley Winery Bulgaria, owned by Count Stephan von Neipperg who also manages the family-owned Chateau Canon La Gaffelière estate in Saint-Emilion.

Kailash believes that winemaking in India is particularly challenging. ‘Our climate, vineyard cycle, growing conditions, etc. are all incredibly unique. Whilst there were a lot of things from my time overseas that I could bring with me to India, there were an equal number of things I had to figure out on my own,’ he says.
  
Almost the entire York portfolio has been crafted by Kailash. There was a special focus on Arros, H block, Shiraz Viognier, Cabernet Merlot & their sparkling wines as they were all created from scratch.

It takes years to design the style of a wine and it is no mean achievement that all these wines are established and loved by the consumers as much as he loves producing them. Arros is a big ripe, jammy & rich wine that is a fusion of Barossa & Bordeaux. H Block is a simple, lightly oaked Chardonnay that aims to showcase the typicity of the variety. The York Sparkling Wines are traditional- method long aged wines that showcase good primary, secondary & tertiary flavours. The Shiraz Viognier & Cab Merlot are very contrasting styles-the former being a fruit forward Rhone style while the latter is an earthy and meaty mature style. Both have generous flavour, tannins & length.

Kaushal Khairnar (Chandon India)

Born in Nashik wine region – the 30-year old Kaushal Khairnar grew up surrounded by grape growers and wine producers. His innate curiosity led him to attend an introductory winemaking course for three years starting in 2008 at Gargi Agriculture Research and Training Institute (GARTI) Nashik. During this three-year course, he also had a life-changing internship at Nashik’s Vallée de Vin (Zampa) winery, which inspired Kaushal to consider winemaking as a full-time career.

After his B.Sc. in Winemaking from GARTI Kaushal went to Montpellier, France and did his Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Montpellier SupAgro University where the course is carried out in conjunction with Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon, Portugal.

In 2015, Kaushal was selected by ‘Early Career Winemaker Programme’ at Chandon, and earned an opportunity to play Assistant Winemaker at their India and Brazil wineries, for a year each. After three years of hands-on experience, Kaushal was promoted to his current position as Winemaker at Chandon India in 2018.

Additionally, Kaushal has held diverse positions in winemaking at the production facilities of several well-known wineries across the globe. He has worked 8 grape harvests in different countries, including India, France, New Zealand, USA and Brazil. Each experience has elevated his knowledge of cultivating indigenous varietals, while optimising the full potential of the terroir, resulting in fine wines that embody the characteristics of the region.

From managing every aspect of winemaking at Chandon, right from the grape harvest to the final disgorgement of bottles, Kaushal’s role extends to the brand’s overall winemaking strategy and leading the essential winery operations. Currently, he is focusing on using existing tools of wine-making for different purposes such as using ion exchange, different clarifying agents, and use of culture yeast. Kaushal is passionate about sustainable winemaking and looks forward to exploration in the genre, and the implementation of new, modern practices at Chandon India.

Winemaking is a long, natural process for Kaushal, that requires little human intervention, but each winemaker guides the journey from grape to bottle with his expertise, and perfected techniques. In his spare time, Kaushal is a voracious reader. When he’s not perfecting the winery processes and offerings, he is honing his curiosity in astronomy.

Vrushal Kedari (Fratelli Vineyards)

I had met Vrushal Kedari, a few years back at the Fratelli winery when I spent the weekend with their winemaker Piero Masi who found him very dynamic and progressive, someone he could count on when he was not in India.

Vrushal has always been fascinated by the art of wine making. He did his Master’s Degree in Life Sciences majoring in Fermentation Technology from Mumbai University. He interned at Sula Vineyards before he went to the US to pursue the post graduate Degree from Napa School of Enology. 

He worked with Ferrari- Carano winery in Sonoma and was an integral part of the harvest in other international regions like Indevin winery in New Zealand followed by Benziger winery in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County.

He has been working with Fratelli Wines after returning from overseas since 2012 as a winemaker under the expert guidance of Piero Masi ‘whose wine making style is different from others in India, says Vrushal. Piero is an artist who believes in the neoclassical style of wine making. I have learnt a great deal from Masi’, he says.

Fratelli and Late Kapil Sekhri gave him an opportunity to work with legends like late Steven Spurrier with whom he was involved in making M/S range of wines and Jean Charles Boisset for making JCB and J’NOON range of premium wines. He has been fortunate to have been given complete freedom in working, especially in the Tilt Can wine project.

‘My passion for wines and the challenges we face in trying to create a perfect wine every year, makes me feel fortunate that I am a part of this beautiful industry’, he says.

Continued…..

Subhash Arora

 

 

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