New year cheers for the vineyards of Maharashtra...

Today i had the chance to taste one of India's finest wines...delicacy at its best, or may be the best wine so far tasted...it was "Chantilli" (shan-tele)red wine by Chateau Indage.

Lets unravel a bit of wine history..made by ageing grapes in the finest vineyards..grapes picked, crushed and stored in oak barrels..basic additives are tannin, sugar and acid (alcohol blend is also common)..these barrels are preserved in controlled light and temperature...so ageing is in progress.

Addition/extend of tannin (antioxidant) decides the period of ageing..for red wines the quantity of tannin is more and hence it can undergo prolonged ageing, increasing its texture, quality and price..tannin is found in grape skin, stem and roots..more the exterior skin used, more will be the tannin and red it gets...so always reserve the tannin rich red wine for special occassions ;)

Other than chantilli, there are some other good brand...like Rivera, Chardonnay, Chennin Blanc, Reveilo and many more worth tasting.

And the process of tasting is also important...
a)First nose - to get the subtle aroma.
b)Swirl the glass in ur hand and take the second nose for a prolonged aroma.
c)Sip the wine and swish it around the mouth..slowly!!..slosh it and draw in fresh air...tell the taste sink into the tastebuds...feel...hmmmmm i know, that is the delicacy i was talking about!!!

"Only way to salvation is through the gates of Hell.."
The Godfather....what a movie by Francis Coppola!!!
something that is made memorable by acting of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino plus wonderful screenplay by Puzo and Coppola...this film has all the elements to hold someone spellbounded...

Mumbai monsoon

when thunder rocks the earth,
when lighting flashes the sky,
when rain drops drench the body,
we know he is here...the monsoon.

Its past midnite and i can feel the coolness of wind through my room window..1st rain has always been a subject of my greatest facinations..it brings with it a whole new sensation..

the smell of first rain
spreading the aroma of a new born earth,
the sight of lightning stokes
unleashing the fury of mother nature,
the roaring thunder storms
beckoning the onset of a new season,
the touch of droplets on the skin
soothing the craving for monsoon...

It is my first monsoon in mumbai and third away from home...

Ek sham, CST ke naam...

It's a sunday evening and as always that familiar feeling is filling my heart. This "familiar feeling" implores me to shed the languidness of the past 6 days and ignites a sense of motivation to do something new, to make a few colourful strokes in the barren canvas of life, so i decided to take a walk outside the CST station.

The sight of old bombay is a treat to the eyes. The towering silhouette of black stone built in early 18th century shades the city with a sensual colonial glory (I always wonder that the architectural beauty of these buildings impart an utopian touch to the city).

One thing that I have noticed is how navi mumbai (where i dwell) is poorly suited to the needs of those who must walk. With its public parks and congested array of buildings, it paves short walkway to the man on foot and actually enforces an ancient hierarchy which grants superiority to the mounted man over the one on foot.

To me old bombay is more democratically urban, as there are places where it is the man with four wheels who is forced to dismount and become part of the crowd...


.....to be contd!!

Just stepped into this new world..."to make a space for my thougts to echo":)