SWEET DELICACIES

If you’ve ever eaten a raisin, you’re no stranger to the Moscato grape. The pride of Piedmont, beyond its age-worthy Barolo and Barbaresco wines, finest black truffles, Nutella and Ferrero Rocher dolces, and Fiat cars, Moscato di Asti and Asti Spumante are among the most delectable sweet drops of the wine world. And after a glorious run with Sangiovese and Nero di Avola on the Indian turf at various vineyards, Sula Vineyards introduced another Italian varietal to their backyards and created the first Asti-style sweet bubbly under its premium label. They’re flirting with candied bubblies in the country. First they had a tryst with their Aussie-styled semi-sweet Sparkling Shiraz, and now The Source Moscato is an extension of the same line-up, though a complete opposite of the former. Sparkling Shiraz is red, a tad tannic, and bodacious, while The Source Moscato offers softness, delicate perfumes of white peaches and florals, and Fox’s lemon candy’s sweet citrus with a creamy mousse from the bubbles.

Sula has added many firsts to Indian wine, among them, The Source Moscato is the most exciting for me. It works dynamically as a picnic wine, a brunching proposition, an aperitif, a light dessert wine, and an all-round summer sipper. It also breaks the monotony of the Chenin Blanc-based sweet wines and opens up the gates for experimenting and adding something new and unprecedented to the Indian bouquet. Cheers!

Available in Maharashtra, The Source Moscato at `1,495, Sparkling Shiraz at `1,450