Wine for Spice™'s Naturally Semi-sparkling Range Launched in UK

(PRWEB) May 15, 2004 -

Following successful trials in London, Wine for Spice™'s naturally semi-sparkling range has been launched initially in London and across the UK. Viceroy White™, Raja Rosé™ and Rani Gold™ are fine wines to add a refreshing sparkle to curries and spicy food.

"I normally drank a refreshing beer or sparkling water with curries.", says New Delhi born, Wine for Spice™ founder, Warren Edwardes who is of Goan and Anglo-Indian descent.

The idea for the wines came to Edwardes, CEO of Delphi Risk Management, a financial product innovation consultancy, whilst he was sipping a spritzer, a glass of white wine mixed with sparkling water, and trying to come up with a solution to a finance problem. (see "How to capture the big IDEA" http://dc3.co.uk/idea )

"Many wines targeted at spicy food eaters seem to be drinkable but inoffensive cheapest to deliver wine lake surplus stock. It occurred to me" said Edwardes "that a good quality naturally fermented semi-sparkling young wine with not as much fizz as Champagne and Cava would add a zing to and bring out the flavours of Asian food. But not aerated wines as the gas soon fizzles out or those partially fermented drinks that are vaguely alcoholic upgrades from cola or lemonade.

Drunk ice-bucket cold, the semi-sparkling nature avoids the unpleasant effects of gaseous overload yet retains all the refreshing qualities of a cold beer.

Fruitiness and residual sugar in the range rise in relation to the spiciness of the accompanying dish.

A refreshing wine should also have a good level of mouth-watering acidity but avoid mouth-drying tannin.

The wines are also free from oak which clashes with spices such as cumin and coriander giving a bitter harsh after-taste.

A good degree of alcohol is required to provide body but excess alcohol over 12.5% can add to the burning sensation of chillies.

Expressing what will soon become blindingly obvious to many: "I don't drink warm flat beer with my curry - so why should I drink warm flat wine with it?" said Edwardes.

Wine for Spice™'s wines are produced and bottled in Spain by the pre-eminent producer of semi-sparkling wines. And professional wine writers have also been impressed testifying to the quality of the range.

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Notes for Editors

Reviews:

Tom Cannavan, Wine Pages :

Easy to drink in sufficient volume to quench ones thirst with a spicy meal. .. matching wine to spicy food is a very tricky challenge, and one where Edwardes has succeeded ... Edwardes has done a great job in choosing wines that are very specifically suited, with the crispness and freshness that is needed, and the fruit profile to match a variety of spicy cuisines styles, not just Indian, but Chinese, Thai, Mexican and more. His project deserves success.

see http://www.wine-pages.com/organise/spice.htm

Lopa Patel, editor RedHotCurry.com:

"Frankly I can't stand the stuff (beer) - curry or no curry, beer is not on my drinking list. One can hardly spend any time perusing the wine list (in a curry house) simply because either there isn't one, or it's a toss up between chardonnay or chardonnay." says Patel. "Up to now it has been assumed that Asian ladies are too shy to consume wine in public or that there aren't any suitable wines for curry. Well I am happy to report that both these assumptions are wrong. The primary reason so little wine is consumed in curry houses is simply because there isn't a decent enough choice. It was refreshing, therefore to come across 'Wine for Spice™'."

see http://www.redhotcurry.com/food_and_drink/other/whine_about_wine.htm

James Hayes, author of Rosé Exposé:

Matched really well with a diversity of flavours and spiciness. Delicious!

Peter May, wine writer:

A lot of thought and planning is going into Wine for Spice™, ...there are many wine drinkers who have beer with curry and these wines could be the ones to make them switch back.

http://www.andys-scribblings.co.uk/oldScribblings/As149.htm

Richard James, wine writer http://www.winewriting.com

These three semi-sparkling wines from Ampurdán-Costa Brava in north-east Spain represent the first stage of a potentially broad range launched by Wine for Spice™. Owner Warren Edwardes has sourced some interesting wines here, a cut above the usual offerings in Indian or Asian restaurants, looking closely at what works best with spicy food. The combination of aromatic fruit, fresh acidity, light fizz and a bit of sweetness in two of the wines - in addition to avoiding oak and tannin - is a solid one. I've also found before that rosés make particularly good partnerships in a wine with spice context. Future developments may include a Vinho Verde/Albariño/Verdelho, sparkling Shiraz or Tempranillo, medium-dry Riesling, and 'fully' sparkling rosé and white.

Raja Rosé™: Good all-rounder from fairly hot chicken dishes to nicely flavoured saag aloo. Attractive full red fruits, rose petals and lightly earthy notes too; quite weighty style, not so medium thanks to a touch of crisp acidity and that lively frothiness.

Rani Gold™: Copes reasonably well with hot sauces; too sweet with lighter, buttery or nutty dishes. Sweet grapey aromatic style with gentle lychee notes, the CO2 and acidity add an extra dimension making it taste much drier with well spiced dishes.

Viceroy White™: Drink with a delicately spiced fish or prawn dish, nothing too hot. Fresh floral zesty style with crisp acidity and appley nutty finish, the slight fizz giving it a bit of life on the palate; quite good wine actually in a simple, well made way.

http://www.winewriting.com/Wines/ourWines.asp?KC=7&PL=2&FP=51&ST=3&SS=WINE%20FOR%20SPICE&SCI=13047&HC=1

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