In Ian Fleming’s From Russia With Love, James Bond twigs on that the English gent who is his fellow traveller on the overnight train is not as kosher as he seems, when the fellow commits the vinous solecism of ordering red wine with the fish course in the dining car.
Bond’s suspicions are confirmed when the assassin-in-masquerade, a Russian agent, attempts to terminate 007 with extreme prejudice while the British spy is seemingly asleep in his bunk bed.
But Bond, his suspicions aroused by the Russian’s libational faux pas over dinner, is prepared, and despatches his would-be killer by shooting him with a firearm artfully disguised as a book, possibly a lethal edition of War and Peace.
In today’s more permissive climate in matters of aristology, with culinary fusion having come into fashion, we can with impunity thumb our collective nose at bibulous tradition and, without risk of inviting mayhem, quaff Cab Sauv or even — mirabile dictu! — a Mendoza Malbec with our bhekti.
However, while pairing, selecting a particular potable companion to a particular dish is no longer a mortal hazard, punctilious protocols were in observance in the India of yesteryear.
Denne historien er fra Autumn 2023-utgaven av Sommelier India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Autumn 2023-utgaven av Sommelier India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Godinho Historic family owned restaurant
Feasting on Portuguese and Indigenous Goan flavours, relive the calm and quiet of a time long gone by,
Laurent Ponsot is one of Burgundy's most celebrated winemakers
Jon Wyand finally captured the mercurial Laurent Ponsot - a renowned winemaker and vintner known for his exceptional Burgundy wines - on camera
Exploring Brunello vintages
Ten years in the bottle, a long decant, and yet the harsh tannins overshadowed everything.
An ode to the diva grape
It is worth tasting Pinot Noir in all its varied roles - from the shy, delicate ingénue, and simple yet intense New World newbie to the full-on Grand Cru prima donna
Best ways to explore wine in a new city
The first thing most of us want to do when we go to a new city, be it Dallas or Boston, is to enjoy a few good wine tastings
Champagne Billecart-Salmon
One would think that a 200-yearold Champagne as renowned as Billecart-Salmon did not need any marketing, yet Billecart-Salmon AsiaPacific head, Sebastien Papin was recently in India to tell us about the brand and how the wine is best appreciated.
A thoughtfully curated wine experience
Wine tastings at Vintage Wines in Karjat, Maharashtra, are designed to enhance the appreciation of wine and deepen our understanding of it, writes
The legacy of Henri Gouges
The wines of Maison Henri Gouges from the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges are considered among Burgundy's hidden gems
An overview of Sussex and
Rosemary George describes the importance of Sussex as an appellation and its potential for tourism
Shades of Rosé
Rioja and Navarra share a love for Grenache, producing two very distinct styles of rosé, writes Elizabeth Gabay MW, which succsesfully enrich the category as her tasting notes illustrate