25Mail Today, Friday, January 13, 2012

TASTE OF AMRITSARCraving Punjabi food? Trythe ‘Ambarsari Food Festi-val’ starting today. You’ll getyour favourites includingSarson da Saag, Makki diRoti and Murg Tikka. The festival will showcase traditional food by Bobbyand Sucha Singh.

Where: Paatra, Jaypee Vas-ant Continental, 44, Commu-nity Centre, Vasant Vihar.

Date: 13th January onwards

Time: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and7:30 pm to 11:30 p.m.

Price: `̀2500 plus taxes for a meal for two

YOUR OWN TWO-COURSE MEALIf you’re interested in mixingand matching your casualdinner, try the two-coursemenu at T.G.I. Friday’s. Besidesunlimited soft drink refills,choose from eight appetisers,15 entrees and five desserts. Where: All T.G.I. Friday’s outlets including Prome-nade Mall, Vasant Kunj andDLF Place Mall, Saket

Date: On till January 22ndTime: 7 p.m. onwardsPrice: `̀229999 pplluuss ttaaxxeess

CELEBRATING HARVEST,SOUTH INDIAN STYLETry the South Indian thalisdished out for Pongal – trythe rava kesari and anassortment of sambar andchutneys, get an insight intoPongal festivities as kolamgreets you at the entrance.

Where: Vaango, Noida Sector-18; Cyber Park in Gurgaon, South Point Malland Kirti Nagar.Date: On till January 22ndTime: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.Price: PPoonnggaall PPllaatttteerr aatt`̀113399//-- aanndd ccoommbbooss ffoorr `̀8855--`̀118800

ITALY’S BIG HEEL AWINE CONTINENTSICILY, declares Daria

Cartabellotta, directorof the region’s insti-tute of wine and viti-culture, is a continent.That may seem like a

tall claim, coming as it doesfrom a man who lives in theheel of Italy, but you’ve got tobe a wine lover to see whereCartabellotta is coming from.

Just when you start believingyou know everything aboutwine, Sicily comes as a big sur-prise. Just when you figure outthe difference between aChardonnay and a SauvignonBlanc, both white wines withdistinct personalities, grapesgrown only in Sicily changeyour worldview dramatically.

So how’s a Cataretto differ-ent from an Insolia, and whydoes Carricante grow only inEtna, at heights up to 1,050metres? And why is a Frappato,a light and refreshing redwine, more amenable tokebabs and curries than afuller-bodied Nero d’Avola?

The Indian Wine Academy’sPresident, Subhash Arora, andMichele Shah, an English winewriter who’s spent a couple ofdecades researching Italianwine, answered these ques-tions at a ‘masterclass’ organ-ised earlier in the week at theHyatt Regency.

Sicily has for long been infa-mous for being a producer ofbulk wines — a fallback optionfor French winemakers look-ing for stuff that would givebody to their products in yearswhen wayward weather wouldaffect the quality of grapes. Inthe past two decades, though,Sicily has experienced a quietbut certain transformation.

“The style of Sicilian wineshas definitely changed,” Shahinformed an audience com-prising F&B professionals, wineimporters and journalists.“They have evolved from beingwide-shouldered blockbusterwines to more elegant wines.They are fruity and well-bal-anced,” she added.

Before Shah, Arora pointedto the well-rounded characterof Sicilian wines. The Sicilianwhite wine Grillo, for instance,is a great food wine because of

the seamlessness with which itbalances fruit and acidity. The same harmony can befound in the red Nero d’Avola,which is yet another example ofa wine that’s pleasing to thepalate. “Sicily has made it possi-ble for the world to drink goodwines at reasonable rates,”Arora said.

Sicily also is a wire-mesh ofdiverse styles. If the Frappatoseems to be somewhere

between a rose and a regularred wine because of its lightness(“a nice versatile wine” is howShah describes it), the whiteEtna Bianco, made with 70 percent Caricante and 30 per centCataretto, shows wonderfulacidity, which gives it the abilityto age well. “It’s a picture of subtlety and elegance,”Arora said.

If Indians love Sicilian cuisinebecause of its slightly pro-

nounced levels of spicing, manyof the Sicilian wines seem to loveIndian food. As Arora puts it, “Thenext time you have baigan kabharta, open a bottle of FondoFilara, which is a blend of Nerod’Avola (60 per cent) and Frappato (40 per cent).” There’snever a dull moment in theworld of wine — and there’s agood reason for it. It’s so full of surprises.

—By Sourish Bhattacharyya

(Above, left)Michele Shah, an English writer who has devoted a lifetime to Italian wines, says the Sicilians have movedfrom a wide-shouldered to an elegant style. (Right) A ‘masterclass’ participant checks out Shah’s reading of Sicilian wines.

The first-of-its-kind Sicilian wine ‘masterclass’ organized by the Indian Wine Academygot F&B professionals, wine importers and journalists together at the Hyatt Regency.

TIME TO CHECKTHE WEATHER In the mood to try somethingnew? Ever thought of discov-ering fresh talent? For a soulful, eclectic range of psychedelic and funk music,stop by and lend your ears toa youthful band called Strange Weather. The band’sact combines high energymusic with classic rock, southern rock, blues, andmodern rock. The word outthere says they are good. Gobe the judge at Turquoise Cottage.

WHERE: Turquoise Cottage, 47, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar WHEN: January 15 (Sunday)TIME: 8 p.m. onwards

FOOD BYTES

By Nikita Puri

MAIL TODAY Special Initiative