Gourmet Passport hosted a Wine Masterclass in association with Grovers Zampa at Layla Restaurant, The Den, Bengaluru.  The special masterclass was taken by the extremely knowledgeable Sommelier & Trade Marketing Manager, Antara Kini.  She shared plenty of info related to Grovers Wine, basics of winemaking, checking wine quality, differences between wines, food-pairing and more.  During the session, she also cleared many doubts regarding Wines that helped understand the Wines.

Grover Zampa Vineyards

The first company to plant the French Grapes in India  It was done by Mr.Kanwal Grover & Mr.George Vesselle in 1988 and first vineyard came up in 1992.  The popular La Reserve wine was launched in 1998.  The Zampa & Zampa Soiree launched in 2008.

They have nearly 40 different type of Wines that are uniquely categorized.

Insignia, Vandanges Tardives, Chene, Vijay Amritraj, La Reserve, Aurige Celestial Brut, Zampa Soiree, Art Collection, Raya, Sante, One Tree Hill & Zampa.

Grovers Zampa Wines are available across 30 countries Internationally including France, Japan, USA, Germany, UK Australia, Canada & more.

Colors of Wine gives info about the age of the wines – Young/Old White/Red Wines.

Wine aromas that one can feel while tasting wine – Spicy, Wood, Vegetal, Fruit, Floral, Mineral, Animal, Domestic, Balsamic.

Detailed info about some select wines – White Wine, Red Wine, Rose & Sparkling Wine. Other info specific to wines that were shared including – Aroma, Flavor, Body, Acidity, Dry & more.

Wine & Food Pairing

The event also included pairing of Wines with Mediterranean food.  Chef Kapil and his team special menu pairing different dishes part of Starters, Main course & Desserts with every Wine variant.

On The Table

Crispy Bread, Assorted Cheese, Assorted Grissini, Assorted Olives, Zakuk & Tahini Dips

To start with the tasting session, I tasted the Sparkling wine from Grovers along with the Table snacks.

Cold Mezze

Msabbaha, Tzatziki, Roasted Eggplant

Chennin Blanc white wine from Grovers paired perfectly well with the Cold-Mezze as it was Medium to High acidic.  Among the dishes, I loved the Roasted Eggplant that was very well cooked and the Tzatziki.

Hot Mezze

Vegetable Kibbeh, Sambusek, Okra Frits

Shiraz Rose paired well with the Hot Mezze as it was medium spicy and stir-fried dishes.  The Okra Frits was the star among the dishes in Hot Mezze.

Main Course

Agnlotti (Pasta), Oxtail Tortellini (Pasta), Borek

Grovers La Reserve was the perfect drink to go along with the Past & Main course dishes.  The wine gives the flavor of Chocolate, Coffee beans & Vanilla while consuming.

Desserts

Roasted Figs with Almond Crumble & Pistachio Ice-cream

The fitting end to the wonderful dinner with the tasty dessert.  I loved the tasty and creamy pistachio ice-cream.  It was so irresistible and hard to control that I do not stop myself after taking the first bite.

Final Thoughts

This was undoubtedly the best wine-masterclass I have attended in recent times. I relished every Mediterranean dish that was paired with the Grovers Zampa wines.  Thanks to Antara Kini was sharing alot of info regarding Wine Making and answering all queries.

Thanks for Gourmet Passport for setting up this wonderful Wine Masterclass in association with The Den Hotel, Whitefield.

More Information

http://www.groverzampa.in/