Wine Trail with Four Seasons

A bunch of us, Kolkata bloggers consisting of fashion, beauty, lifestyle and food bloggers met on the 6th of July 2013 for a very enjoyable and informative session of acquainting with the wine extraction and preparation process, courtesy Four Seasons wines. I had attended a similar wine appreciation and food pairing event organised by Four Seasons last year at Oasis, park Street. You can find details of the same here.

So, what are the new things that happened this time? For one, compared to the mere seven bloggers last time, this year nineteen of us bloggers came together to share our love for wine and learn the knick knacks to appreciate it better.

The fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers

The food bloggers

The event was held in the very beautifully lighted Rose Room at The Conclave at Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata. The evening started with an introduction to the ancient process of grape cultivation and wine preparation from the ancient Greeks and Romans during the Dionysian satyr festivals celebrating fertility and health to the modern day advanced mechanisms. Our host and speaker of the day , Mr.P.P.K Mitter, fondly referred to as Peter who is a representative of the UB group, explained to us how the procedures during wine extraction works and resolved the doubts and clarified the myths regarding wine and alcohol.

Unlike last year, this time we had a detailed power point presentation which numerous slides which gave explicit information regarding the types of wines, their cultivation, harvesting, the areas where vineyards can be grown, the new and innovative technologies adapted by the UB group for the extraction of Indian Wine and the different types of glasses and equipment used for drinking and extracting wine.

After the initial introduction to the preparation process and the extraction of different types of Indian wines, Peter helped us understand how wines are to be tasted, paired and evaluated.

•  There are three different types of wines based of color- White (generally golden or yellowish in tinge), Rose (Pinkish colored) and Red ( deep maroon to dark purplish in color). 
• Wines are grouped into 3 other sections - still wine, sparkling wine and port wines. 
• A lot of wines and alcoholic beverages, those prepared in the Old world countries get their names from the areas of their production like Champagne (in France), Port (in Portugal) and Scotch (the whiskey from Scotland). The same name cannot be used for the same spirit  produced in any other area of the world.
• Wine can be best appreciated by following the 4 S's- See, Swirl, Smell and Sip. This evokes the four senses. By clinking the glasses, one evokes the fifth sense of hearing.

The four S's

• UB group exports White Indian wine and Red Indian wines under the label name of Ritu, meaning seasons. Within the small time of its launch in India, Four Seasons wines have gained immense popularity and have received numerous accolades and awards for their quality.
• Wine glasses are to be held at the stem and touching the curved area where the wine is contained is to be avoided. This is to ensure that the wine doesn't get warmed up by the heat transferred from the body of the drinker. 

The five wines we tasted were Sauvignon Blanc (white), Viognier (white), Blush (rose), Shiraz (red) and Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (reserve red wine).

 The food from The Conclave provided the best accompaniment for the five different wines we tasted.

Special thanks to Peter, four Seasons wines and The Conclave for the amazing experience.

Lastly, we all left the event tipsy with not just happy memories and a lot of wine related wisdom but also a beautiful Wine Appreciation Certificate. Now, I am a certified wine enthusiast (that is definitely going to make a lot of my friends green with envy). Yay!!  

To good times *Cheers* 

P.S.- For those who want to know more about the types of wines available under the Ritu and Four Seasons label can refer to Four Seasons's Facebook page and their blog.
P.P.S.- Not all photos were clicked by me. Thanks to Anupriya, Debiparna, Aniesha, Pooja, Animesh and Kamalika for the remaining pictures.

The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag collection at Jabong.com

The Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor starrer much awaited movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag released today. Being a Farhan Akhtar fan myself, I've been waiting to catch this one for a very long time.

I have a feeling that this film will be a turning point for Akhtar's career as an actor. The dedication towards his profession is evident in how he has transformed himself to achieve the body of an athlete to perfectly suit the role of the legendary athlete, The Flying Sikh and I personally think he look fabulous. And it has made me feel a little guilty for forgetting my yoga practice which I haven't been doing for quite sometime now. I guess it is time for me to get back to it.

I was browsing through Jabong.com and saw the promotional collection of sportswear and equipment that are available and they seem amazing. From a huge and attractive collection for both men and women to choose from, the collection has everything from sports and gym wear clothing, shoes, equipment, bags, water bottles and what not.

Who doesn't like looking good all the time? And especially when you are all drenched in sweat after working out at the gym or after that jog in the morning, having stylish clothes on yourself becomes even more important.Wearing good and stylish clothing boosts up one's morale and for lazy people like me, they are a good way to motivate oneself.

I made out two collages for both men and women from products available at  Jabong.com. Have a look-

Click on the pictures of items below the collages to find and buy them.

All collages created via polyvore

So how many of you are going over this weekend to catch the movie. I sure will be. Do let me your thoughts about it :)

This post is written for blog contest by Jabong.com online shopping website, Jabong.com on the occasion of launching the exclusive Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Sports Collection.

An Ode To Bob Dylan

Hello Bloggy Friends,

It has been a long time I have been MIA. Today I've come up with a poem written by one of my very favourite people on earth and a very old friend, Rakesh Krishnakumar. Rakesh is an engineer to be and a movie buff who has the most amazing taste in world movies. This is what he says about his composition-

It is inspired from Bob Dylan's Masters of War. After hearing that song I was so deeply moved I thought it would be the ideal start for me to write a contemporary version of the same as I thought it suits perfectly in today's context. It is basically aimed at the scheming perpetrators who are sending the country to her lowest lows. My maiden attempt, so please forgive the blunders.

Come See This Blaze, This Golden Glow
The Storm Gathering Might,
The Lighthouse Incinerating The Ships
The Oppressed, The Suppressed, The Beaten Ones
The Torments, The Tortures, The Tricks And The Taunts
Enough With It I Am Warning You.

If Not A Day Will Come And I Hope It Will Soon
When You See The Fire Rising Above Your Mansion
The Fire You Yourself Created To Burn Us Down
The Furnace You Yourself Fabricated To Char Our Souls
You Will See It, Your Same Old Fire Eating Into Your Flesh.

You Say The Times Have Changed
With All The Mud Settling Down
And All The Winds Changing Their Course;
You Say The Warmongers Are All But Dead
And The Blood They Shed Disappeared In The Tide.
You Say Peace Has Shrouded This World
You Say Future For The Unborns Is All Shining Bright.

But I Say Shut Your Ugly Mouth Mister
That Your Petty Tricks Ain't Now Good;
All These Lies And Fake Promises You Offer
Carefully Concealed Inside A Golden Chocolate Wrapper.
Keep 'Em With You, You Sly Oldster
As Times Have Indeed Changed
But They Have Changed Only For Your Bad

You See The Boy Over There, That Poor Little Chap
Cleaning Your Vomit And Washing Your Waste
I Wonder How Old Is He
I Wonder Where Are His Tooth Fairies
Where Are His Christmas Gifts
I Know Its You, The Cunning Orchestrator
Stealing His Childhood, And Tearing His Wings
I Dare You To Look At His Face, See Through His Eyes, Once At least
And If You Do Can't You See A Million Faces

Can't You See The Girl Selling Flesh For A Crumpled Currency
A Widow Grieving The Loss Of Her Other Half
A Mother Mourning Her Infant's Demise
A Peasant Failing To Feed His Cherub Drinking His Tears
A Fragile Weak Contour Receiving The Remains Of Her Beloved Martyr
All Because Of You And You Alone
Because Of Your Fake Bloated Promises
Because Of Your Negligence And Unapologetic Greed
I Just Want To Ask You One Thing
Can You Bear These Curses, All Aimed At You
The Curses Which Can Melt You Down To Your Bloody Ashes

Now You Hear That Sound, That Ever Increasing Tremor
Sound Of That Fast Approaching Storm
You See Those High Concrete Walls Of Yours Shivering
And Those Extravagant Tiles Underneath Your Feet
Cant You Feel Mighty Chasms Forming All Over Them
Not A Pretty Sight, Ain't It You Filthy Schadenfreude.
Ain't You Afraid Now, Ain't You Trembling With Fear
Or Ain't You Even Aware Of These Impending Danger
I Think You Are, As I Can See It In Your Eyes

You Can Put On Your Thickest Armour
You Can Prepare Your Golden Army
You Can Hide Inside Your Storm Shelter
You Can Even Put On An Invisibility Cloak
But Whatever You Do One Thing's For Sure
This Storm Will Rise And When It Rise
You Will Be Surrounded From All The Sides
There Will Be No Escape Both For Your Body And Soul
And That One Tiny Bullet, Oh It Will Find You Boy
The One Which Has Your Name On It
And Will Make You Bleed From Your Wrenched Heart
That Worthless Blood, Your Poisonous Blood

Rakesh, I think you have done a brilliant job for a first attempt. Looking forward to reading more from you buddy :) For those of you who haven't heard Dylan's original-

Till next,

Adios

Monsoon Holiday Destinations- A Guest Post from Surf Excel

Hello, beautiful people! Monsoon is nearly here, and we hope you all are just as eager to be signing in the rain as we are! We have here a guest post for you, from Surf Excel- with superb ideas for Monsoon 'staycations' (as they call it) with the family. We hope it will make your holidays all the more enjoyable!

Many people opt to leave the country when the rains arrive, choosing alternative destinations for their family holidays. But they may be missing out: India's countryside is transformed into a verdant paradise during the wet season; flowers bloom, mountains are cloaked in midst, and – best of all – you can escape the dry city heat. So if you can't manage a holiday abroad this year, there are plenty of options at home. And, with low-cost accommodation during the monsoons, you may get a lot more for your money. Here are some of the best places to take the kids this year.

Rajasthan

The desert state may see its fair share of rain as the monsoon winds travel northwards, but here they generally only last an hour and will not characterise every day of your trip. Take the kids to the City Palace in Udaipur, floating serenely out on Lake Pichola; they will love the sunset boat trips. Older ones will enjoy the trek up to the soaring Kumbhalgarh Fort, known as the 'Cloud Palace' and built so the maharajas of the past could have the best views of the shifting monsoons. What's more, off-peak season could land you with a hilltop residence of your own at a fraction of the price; there are plenty of family-friendly hotels around Jaipur and the tiger sanctuary in Ranthambore National Park.

Goa

Goa is also a bargain destination at this time of year, but the rains only enhance the beauty of this west-coast region. Treat the kids to rare wildlife and rushing waterfalls in Mollem National Park, or try the smaller, easy-to-reach Bondla zoo and deer safari. The rains don't come in half measures in Goa, but this is all part of the fun. With monsoon celebrations like Sao-Joao Festival in June, you can watch the boat races in Siolim or embrace the rain and dance in the streets. Just make sure you take enough changes of clothes for everyone, so you can save the laundry for when you get home – Surf Excel has got some great laundry tips for the monsoon season!

Kerala

Both child-friendly and appealing even in the wet weather, South India's Kerala makes for a great family holiday. Sunny intervals interrupt the rainfall up until October, although watch out for the Northeast Monsoon later in the year, which hits this part of the country harder. Periyar National Park stays open for most of the year and you can take a boat safari through the serene, wildlife-rich habitats. If the kids like this idea, they'll love the chance to stay the night on the houseboats that travel the famous backwaters of Kerala; with a wooden roof over your heads, you're free to enjoy the colourful scenery.

Quick breaks from the city

Since longer trips are not always advisable in monsoon weather, you might want to try a quick weekend break closer to home. Even Mumbai, which receives some of the worst floods during this time also has convenient access to Bhandardara, a hillside resort around 3-4 hours drive from the city which is peaceful enough to take the grandparents as well as the kids. If you're stuck in Delhi for monsoon, try nearby Damdama Lake, where there's a full programme of activities for little ones, from archery to woodland play parks, as well as idyllic cottage accommodation and ample space to set up a barbecue.

Of course, depending on where you live, it's difficult to escape the monsoon altogether, but if you're worried about child safety or the hassles of travel during the wet season, wait until the first rains have passed and take your holiday in August or September. Accommodation is usually cheaper overall, but some places are not always open so do check ahead once you've decided on a location. Though a 'staycation' is not always a first choice, it's also a chance to see the best rural India has to offer and embrace the beauty that the rains bring to our country.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and got some good ideas for your upcoming 'stay-cations'! For unique articles with cleaning tips, parenting tips and kids’ activities, please visit the Surf Excel website. :) 

 Have a great day, people! 

PS- The pictures in the post have been taken from Google. :)