The Complete Wine Guide

Wine guide for beginners and experts alike Tribune News Service

New Delhi, India

A US and Europe-trained enologist Aakash Singh Rathore has come out with a book, ‘The Complete Indian Wine Guide’. The publishers claim it to be the only book providing a comprehensive exposition of every domestic Indian wine.
The pocket-sized information-packed book can be carried along as a reference guide. The author has visited every functioning winery in India, searching for the best wines, even from among the little-known and fledgling producers. Every single wine made in India as well as international wines are tasted, described and scored which enables the Indian consumer to select the best wines possible.

The Wine Guide provides everything you need to know about the wine basics: how to properly enjoy a wine, that is, following the three steps of wine-evaluation — eye, nose, and taste; it irreverently exposes all the myths of wine etiquette, for example, about the need for special wine glasses or for decanting wine which tend to scare people away from wine. Instead, you learn how to select, order, serve and enjoy wine whether choosing from a wine-list at a restaurant or casually among friends..
The book concentrates intensively on the Indian conditions, explaining how wine should be served and stored here.

It provides an interesting sketch of the history of wine-making and drinking in India, from ancient times till now.
Additionally, there is a concise overview of wines from France, Germany, Spain, the USA, Chile, etc., helping you to distinguish, for example Bordeaux from Beaujolais or Prosecco from Sekt. There is information on how to decipher foreign labels, various classification systems, and of course specific details about wine types, regions, and styles. By the time you have finished this book, you will not just know your Dry from Sweet, but even your Cabernet Sauvignon from Sauvignon Blanc. The wine guide has numerous user-friendly features for the beginners and experts alike.

For the beginner, there is an extensive glossary of common wine terms along with a helpful pronunciation guide. For all consumers, there are several handy appendixes: There is a chart listing India’s best Red, White, Rosé, and Sparkling wines. There is a chart summarising the best wines for each grape-variety. There is also a comparative chart giving the best value-for-money wines available on the market.

Ms Devyani Rathore, a diplomat and wife of the author, says the book aims to contribute to the wider awareness of high-quality Indian wines, even as it guides the Indian consumer through all the wines – domestic and imported – on the Indian market.
As the author argues, Indian wine, if properly supported and urged on, has a glorious future ahead.