Writers, Wine Boom and Well Being

As some one who loves exotic wines, it is thrilling to see how wine boom is not confined to the Danielle Steel novels one gets glued to. At times, I used to read parts of her novels again and again to read about the wines she described.

Another famous writer who loved wines was Ernest Hemingway, who said, "Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing."

Let's face it. It's one of the most flavor filled and fulfilling naturall things in the world today.

But I am not sure how many Indians really appreciate the exotic tones and textures of wine. Maybe price is an issue or maybe its pairing with Indian cuisine hasnt been in great favor. Whatever it is, there is such a small group of wine lovers that it's just recently that wine has soared in demand. Also, fine quality wines like Sula have made an impressive entry. I totally love Sula wines though I wish they were more reasonably priced.

Coming back to the wine boom, I feel great that countries like China and India are emerging as strong players in the wine industry. India is hosting a Wine Fair in March 2009, which is just a few weeks away. See, what i mean?

Take the case of China, where over 90% of its people prefer red wine, not just for the taste but because Chinese culture respects red as a color of abundance, power and vibrance. White wine, however, is viewed as a more classy and chic choice in China's elite circles.

No wonder, people say that now is really a fine time to declar yourself as a wine lover in Asia. Places like Hong Kong actively promote wine as being a great thing for health, heart and wellbeing while in the UK, wine bottles are plastered with health warnings and duty hikes.

Last but not the least, here are some of my favorite links on wines:

1. To read about Greek wines, visit http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/greek-wines-7-greek-varietals-to-know

2. To read about explosion of dry roses, visit http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/22/WIQ710P4EA.DTL

3. To read about how to taste and savor wines, visit http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/ht/winetasting.htm

Finally, send me names of your favorite wines and what you like about it. Would love to hear from you. You can reach me at swapnaraghusanand@gmail.com.

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