NON-FICTION
Dose of sunshine
KISHORE IYENGAR
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This handy book is an ideal ready reckoner for anyone interested in the romance and the simplicity of wines. Wine wisdom: Buying and Drinking Wine in India, Magandeep Singh, Penguin Books, p.234, Rs. 250.
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PENNED in a lucid, easy-reading and informal style by India's only officially certified Sommelier and Wine Expert, Magandeep Singh, this handy book is an ideal ready reckoner for anyone interested in the romance, the mystery, the simplicity of wine and ways to enjoying it in Indian conditions.
Little-known intricacies
Introducing the world's most ancient beverage to a relatively new wine-drinking population in India could be a daunting task, especially when the unanimous choice of tipple throughout this country is whisky. Magandeep Singh goes about unravelling the hitherto little-known intricacies of knowing, understanding, savouring and appreciating wines from the basic steps to advanced tutorials.
The book is structured into topics explaining what vines and their growth offer, the grape varieties, the different kinds of wine, their worldwide classifications, understanding the labels and the information on bottles, drinking etiquettes, matching wines with Indian food, presenting and serving wines, storing and preserving wines and most significantly, buying Indian and imported wines on city shelves across India. Packed with witty quips and humorous instances, the book is presented in a delightfully smooth narrative that aims to make wines even more endearing to Indian wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs and purveyors of this newfound passion.
Though the book succeeds in simplifying the various aspects of knowing wines and their unique characteristics to someone who presumably knows nothing about even its subtle tastes and aromas, the matching of Indian food with Indian and imported wines could have been elucidated more elaborately, since I am often asked the obvious question of how well wines combine with the enormously diverse flavours of Indian cuisine, restricted not just to Tandoori and North Indian specialities. Though Magandeep Singh has rightly indicated individual tastes and preferences as finally being the determining factor in enjoying wines and has also given a broad yardstick to match and blend Indian cuisine with different labels, the Indian wine enthusiast would naturally be keen on information that leads him through the short Indian meal courses (usually three) while entertaining selectively.
Useful glossary
This compact edition lists out the peculiar terms and words used in understanding wines; the glossary is handy and useful. The author's informal and reader-friendly disposition reflects his in interactive approach describing each wine label available in India, their attributes, qualities, ratings and advice on purchase. The book also contains unprejudiced information on how our own local wines rank on levels of acceptability and standards of quality. At the end of it, Wine Wisdom does exceedingly well in demystifying wines across the table, exonerating wine lovers to do what should be naturally done best — go ahead and relish wines all the way.
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