Southern Comforts

Jun 01, 2012 - Age Correspondent

Ask any connoisseur and the best wines, they will say, are coming from the Southern Hemisphere. Sure, Mediterranean ones have pedigree, but it’s Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand that have the momentum.
Dharmesh Karmokar, sommelier and director of Mumbai’s Silver Beach Café, says it all comes down to pricing. “A French winemaker will price their premium products way out of reach. Their 3 and 4 euro wines — retailing in India for about `2,500 are the only ones we can afford. In comparison, you will get an excellent Chilean wine for that much,” he explains. “These wines are also simple. They will put the varietal on the bottle label. Even a novice can decide which wine he wants.”
But if you can afford it, there’s still nothing that beats a vintage French wine, he adds. “The best wine in the world is still a classic Bordeaux. The problem is that it will cost you at least `40,000 and it’s not even available by glass,” he laments.

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