Wines
Wedding season is upon us and that means it’s time to celebrate! From the wedding toast to the food pairings, at Maharaja Drinks, we've got you covered. Trust us, there won’t be a dry eye - or glass - in the house. Our Wine Guru Sophia Longhi takes us through her recommendations of Indian wines to serve at your wedding...
The first drink after the ceremony is always a welcome one. The happy couple can breathe a sigh of relief and relax, and everyone else can finally get the celebrations going. Champagne might be the obvious choice, but why not go for India’s answer to Champagne: the Grover Zampa Soiree Brut.
This sparkling wine is made the same way as Champagne (the Traditional Method, meaning the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, giving the wine more complexity). It has been aged in the bottle for 12-14 months, which provides the wine with those lovely bakery characteristics - think brioche and pastry. A key difference between this and Champagne is the grape variety. The Grover Zampa Soiree Brut is made with Chenin Blanc, which makes a fruitier style of wine, with notes of pear, lemon and apricot. The wine is still dry rather than sweet, which will be refreshing for your guests and ensures it will pair well with a variety of canapés and nibbles. Drink this wine out of a Champagne flute or classic coupe glass for extra elegance. It make a fantastic pouring wine for an opulent “Champagne Tower”!
Many couples choose to serve several courses for their wedding meal and it’s normal for a red and a white to be placed on the tables for guests to help themselves. As these wines will need to pair with lots of different kinds of food and flavours, you’ll need versatile wines that won’t overpower the dishes. However, versatile doesn’t have to mean mediocre - this is another opportunity to wow your guests with your impeccable taste!
The Charosa Selection Chenin Blanc is a beautifully supple wine, that isn’t too heavy but has enough body and texture to pair with food. It has a fresh acidity to cleanse the palate and has subtle tropical fruit characteristics.
For a red, the Grover Zampa La Reserve Syrah Grenache is a great choice. It’s an oak-aged, rich red wine that has flavours of dark berry fruits and sweet spices. The Grenache in the blend lifts any heaviness, making it a much better option for a party. Some reds can be too heavy and full-bodied for the occasion - you don’t want your guests falling asleep when they’re supposed to be dancing! The Syrah lends black pepper notes, which make the tastebuds tingle, but smooth tannins ensures that the wine won’t be abrasive with food, especially if your dishes have a fiery kick to them.
At a wedding, guests wouldn’t usually expect a dessert wine, but if you wanted to treat them to something sweet after dinner, one of the fruit wines from Rhythm Winery would be ideal to refresh palates, ready for dessert and dancing. The pinky-red strawberry wine would look pretty and romantic in the glass, and would be fabulous served with a creamy dessert or wedding cake. Serve chilled and enjoy seeing your guests marvel at tasting something different.
To the happy couple!
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