A Desi Wine & Cheese affair !

I visited the oldest operating winery in India, Grover Zampa Winery, located at the foot of Nandi Hills in Bangalore. GZV invited media and industry people to showcase their revamped winery and launch two new wine labels – La Reserve Brut Royale, a 100% Chenin Blanc sparkler, and Vendanges Tardives, a 100% Viognier( Red wine) -based dessert wine.

The day was quite eventful, after a quick tour to their bottling unit and sample tasting at the barrel room, it was time for some cheese and wine pairing. Who does not love cheese and when paired with wine the experience reaches a whole new gastronomical level which can only be experienced and not entirely explained in words.

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Cheese from Auroville

The curated wine & cheese pairing session at the winery was hosted by Mathias Pellissard (Winemaker) of Grover Zampa vineyards. A wide array of cheese styles was on offer and surprise element was that all the yumminess was desi. The Cheese on platter was not from any foreign land but was locally produced by La Ferme Cheese which operates at Auroville (near Puducherry city) in south India. The company believes in sustainable manufacturing process.

The Pairing

A mild Cheese & a subtle red

The first wine pairing featured Vijay Amritraj Collection, a red blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Shiraz, and 1% Viognier aged for 18 months in oak barrel. It presented a well-balanced and structured wine with soft tannins, subtle oak, medium acidity, sweet spices on the nose, and ripe red berries on the palate. Mild and nutty 34-month-aged Gouda cheese, which varies in flavor with age, complemented this medium-bodied red wine perfectly..

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A piquant cheese & a lively Brut

ext wine was a dry Chenin Blanc sparkling aged for 9+ months on yeast.  The 100% Chenin Blanc brut sparkling wine presented crisp notes of citrus, bready, and toast with a creamy mouthfeel and a clean, dry finish. This wine was complimented by equally interesting six months aged Auroblochon cheese –  sharp flavour and creamy texture.

A hard cheese & a mouth-watering white

Wine number 03, Grover Art Collection Sauvignon blanc was paired with Cheddar cheese. Sauvignon blanc’s citrusy fresh  notes paired well with 24-month-aged cheddar’s strong and salty flavours.

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A Bold cheese & a Bold Red

Mark’s explanation of the mold-ripening process of blue cheese, resulting in visible veins throughout, peaked excitement when paired with Grover’s Insignia.

Blue cheese has a creamy, salty, and pungent taste that requires a bold wine to tame its strong flavours. Grover’s Insignia, a 100% Shiraz, aged over 20 months in new French oak barriques, complements the cheese perfectly.

 Mounika Uppu