In the first decade of the 2000’s, the Taj West End, Bengaluru, with its celebrated, lush tropical plantings, heritage trees and colonial architecture was the location for some of India’s finest wine promotions, paired with Indian cuisine. The menus were memorable, as were the pairings. Masala Klub, the modern Indian restaurant conceived by the Taj’s then Corporate Chef Hemant Oberoi, introduced lighter versions of Indian dishes from across the country, while remaining true to original flavours. The luxury hotel boasted one of the finest wine lists in the country and a French sommelier interacted with guests at all three of the hotel’s restaurants, offering wine recommendations by the glass, or more elaborate choices. The stage was set for a surge of interest in wine. The driving force behind these exceptional presentations was Vinod Pandey, then Head of Food & Beverages at Taj West End, currently General Manager, Taj Mahal Hotel, Lucknow. A man with an abiding passion for wine, his twenty-eight years in the hospitality industry have been dedicated to sharing his interest and knowledge of wine with guests. Seated at the elegant Awadhi restaurant, Oudhyana, over a glass of wine, we traced Pandey’s journey from a wine-lover to a level 3 WSET aficionado, who combines his passion with a commitment to spreading awareness of wine.
In the first decade of the 2000’s, the Taj West End, Bengaluru, with its celebrated, lush tropical plantings, heritage trees and colonial architecture was the location for some of India’s finest wine promotions, paired with Indian cuisine. The menus were memorable, as were the pairings. Masala Klub, the modern Indian restaurant conceived by the Taj’s then Corporate Chef Hemant Oberoi, introduced lighter versions of Indian dishes from across the country, while remaining true to original flavours. The luxury hotel boasted one of the finest wine lists in the country and a French sommelier interacted with guests at all three of the hotel’s restaurants, offering wine recommendations by the glass, or more elaborate choices. The stage was set for a surge of interest in wine. The driving force behind these exceptional presentations was Vinod Pandey, then Head of Food & Beverages at Taj West End, currently General Manager, Taj Mahal Hotel, Lucknow. A man with an abiding passion for wine, his twenty-eight years in the hospitality industry have been dedicated to sharing his interest and knowledge of wine with guests. Seated at the elegant Awadhi restaurant, Oudhyana, over a glass of wine, we traced Pandey’s journey from a wine-lover to a level 3 WSET aficionado, who combines his passion with a commitment to spreading awareness of wine.
A serendipitous move to Taj Gateway, Nashik, launched him right into the heart of India’s wine country. “Nashik as we know, continues Pandey, “is the wine capital of India. I had many opportunities to understand the winemaking process while visiting wineries during harvesting and being involved in the process of wine making, observing the journey of grape to glass. It was exciting and rewarding to meet wine makers, understanding the terroir and the uniqueness of wine styles.” Pandey’s considerable efforts resulted in the successful positioning of The Gateway Hotel, Nashik, as a Wine Hotel. Part of his efforts included conceptualizing four wine themed suites, namely Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. “Expanding on the theme of wine,” he says, “I worked with an artist to create the longest painting on canvas, measuring 150 feet, depicting ‘Grape to Glass – A Journey of Winemaking from Vineyards to Bottling’.”
With energy and enthusiasm, he goes on to describe a run of extraordinary wine experiences and dinners he was involved in conceptualizing and presenting during the years at Bengaluru, Kolkata, Nashik and Delhi: “I am pleased to share that I was part of organizing some of the exceptional wine dinners in the country, such as Chateau Lynch Bages with Jean Michel Cazes; Château Pichon Lalande with Jean-Guillaume; Château Pontet-Canet with Melanie Tesseron; Bodega Vega Sicilia with Pablo Alvarez ; Antinori Estates , Tuscany; Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia, to name a few. My most memorable wine dinner was with none other than Jancis Robinson MW and Mr. John Salvi MW, The Count of Wine at The Gateway Nashik, where all the wines on the menu were Indian.”
Lucknow, a city known for the elegance and refinement of its traditions, customs, architecture and above all its heritage of evolved gastronomy was a complete contrast to the wine-loving cities where Pandey had previously worked. “Lucknow was a challenge,” he observes, “both in terms of the availability of wine, as well as the culture of wine drinking. Our guests are global travellers, but as in many Indian cities, spirits such as Scotch and Malts are preferred. I had to aspire and work towards introducing a culture of wine drinking.”
Elaborating how he went about approaching the dining culture of the city, he says, “I worked with available wine labels to enhance our offerings in terms of both quality of wines and the country of origin. We placed Indian wines of excellent quality at competitive rates as strongly recommended on our list. However, to have a comprehensive wine list one had to include Borolo, Chianti, Chablis, Sancerre and wines for celebration such as Dom Perignon, Moët & Chandon. With the addition of easy drinking wines such as Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Chardonnay, we were able to offer a wide choice to our wine drinking guests.”
To actively encourage guests to explore the wines on offer and experiment with what would suit their palates, several attractive initiatives were extended. “I began selling wine by the glass from a caddy presented at the table by servers, offering a selection of three white and three red wines at a very competitive price per glass, ranging from INR 400 a glass to INR 600. Besides this, we offer a wine paired four-course menu titled ‘Daawat e Khaas’ at Oudhyana.
At Saqi, our bar, we serve flights of wine, and we offer wine and cheese platters to our guests in the comfort of their rooms. We also began organizing formal four or five-course wine paired menus for our elite guests in banquets,” notes Pandey, adding that “these are just some of our successful initiatives.”
A couple of decades of observing people make their initial forays into exploring wine has had Pandey “… see many beginners picking up a glass of Prosecco, Chandon Brut, Riesling or Cabernet Sauvignon, which is emerging as a new trend for the competitive prices we offer. Our wine sales have picked up well over the past two years, including at banquets.”
The hotel offers an array of wines at a different price point for banquet guests, to give them the option to choose wines besides Indian labels and Jacobs Creek which are typically everywhere. According to Pandey, German Rieslings tend to do well, and with the ongoing wine activities and promotions, they have seen 100% growth in wine consumption at the hotel within a year, something he finds justifiably rewarding.
“In my experience,” he observes, “choices are quite varied: wine drinkers who are just beginning to explore prefer wines at a competitive price and tend to stay with Indian wines or affordable New World wines. Others choose by the grape, looking for Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and so on, again at moderate prices. The wine connoisseurs, who are well versed with country, pricing, vintage and in many cases, individual wine producers too, look for the Barolos, Barbarescos, Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Bordeaux and Burgundy, to name just a few.”
Pandey is focussed on raising awareness of appreciating wine with food amongst guests, and nurturing a culture of wine drinking: “The most important aspect of creating a culture of wine drinking coupled with fine dining is to have a well-trained team. We are proud that we have talented wine enthusiasts as managers and bartenders to promote wine appreciation at the hotel. Initiatives such as wine visibility, pricing and highlighting tasting notes makes it easy for a guest to select a glass or a bottle of wine. I began with the available, limited wine labels to create wine-paired menus at our Awadhi specialty restaurant Oudhyana, as well as at formal sit-down dinners. Introducing wine sessions by trained sommeliers, and above all, making wine available by the glass at very competitive prices encouraged guest to explore and experience wines for themselves.”
While Lucknow may not be the typical wine city, it is frequently visited by heads of State, international travellers and eminent guests. Oudhyana, the celebrated Awadhi restaurant at the Taj Mahal hotel often hosts high-profile dinners and banquets. “When it comes to pairing wine with Awadhi food”, says Pandey, “we choose wines that are lower in tannins and higher in acidity to balance the richness and spiciness of the food. Secondly, consider the type of wine based on the meat or vegetables used in the dish, and pair body with body. Some of the best wine options with Indian food include Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Garnacha and Shiraz” In his opinion, “Pairing Indian food with wine is a task for advanced wine lovers and sommeliers who do not shy away from unusual combinations. I studied WSET 3 to better understand the finer nuances of wines and share the benefit of my experience with guests.”
Clearly a man with a mission, Pandey concludes, “I would like my team to get more training and learning on wines, go on to WSET levels to be better sommeliers. A dream for me would be to establish a Wine Club in Lucknow, along the lines of Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata.”
This article was published in the Sommelier India, Issue 2 Summer 2024.
