Bubbly goes well with spicy dishes

"Bubbly Goes Well With Spicy Dishes"

Francois Hautekeur, winemaker, Vueve Cliquot Ponsardin (VCP), a part of the Möet-Hennesey stable, was in India recently to promote this 300-year-old champagne house. BT's Kushan Mitra caught up with him for a drink and a chat. Excerpts:

Oh yes, people are drinking more champagne, and we have been increasing production to keep up with consumption. What is particularly interesting is the increase in popularity of our Rosé, which now accounts for over 10 per cent of our production, from less than five a few years ago.

And in India?

More people in India are drinking champagne. That is why we have our entire range here, but the taxes…

What is so special about VCP?

I would say it is the fact that we use up to 350 different reserve wines to make our signature Yellow Label champagne, ensures that we deliver a consistent taste to our buyers.

Yes, but Indian food, rich in spices, does not tend to go well with light sparkling wines...

I would not agree with you. While the flavour of the champagne might be lost with a lot of chillies, I believe our champagnes bring out the taste of other spicy Indian dishes better.