HYDERABAD: A popular adage goes, “Wine is the only piece of art you can drink.” For those wondering how and why, Hyderabad Wine Club has all the answers. Started in October 2017, the club follows the format of wine dinners held at various restaurants across the city.
“We organise one wine dinner every month and ideally pair it with a five course dinner. We try not to repeat wines and have a different kind of drink every time, both Indian and imported,” shares Suryaveer Singh, who spearheads the club. He says, “The aim of the wine club is to spread the word about the beverage and educating people about it. Educating because wine is not just a drink it’s a subject; there is a lot to understand about it to appreciate it better.”
It isn’t just tasting wine that happens at Hyderabad Wine Club, it’s as good as taking a class on wine and its etiquette. “We try to keep it as fun as possible. We do different cuisines at each meet and pair it with the wine that goes best with it. For instance we recently held an Italian themed wine dinner at Park Hyatt,” says Suryaveer.
Their next outing will be at Olive Bistro’s five year anniversary celebrations on August 3. “Besides the food and wine, we take the members through the history of the featured wine, how it has to be consumed, educate them about the smells, look and taste of the same. How wine needs to be served, stored and what wine goes with what food; there is a lot to learn about wine. We also have blind tasting set up sometimes, for the members to indulge in some amusement. It has now become a fun activity that the foodies of the city come to enjoy,” he chimes.
Although the idea of learning wine etiquette while silently appreciating the beverage seems like a mature plan for a night out, he shares that the youth, too, has found a liking to it. “There are a lot of people even youngsters who want to learn about wine. While we have a lot of expats who are a part of our group, youngsters in their 20s too are gravitating towards the phenomenon of wine dinners,” he assures. Summing up Hyderabad’s liking for wine in all, Suryaveer says, “Hyderabadis sure love their wine!”
— Srividya Palaparthi
srividya.palaparthi@newindianexpress.com
@PSrividya53