Speaking at the launch, Abhay Kewadkar, Chief Winemaker and Director of Four Seasons Wines said that the brand believes that they are now ready for the next stage, that is blends. "The Vintner's Reserve is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, which is the result of an elaborate process of shortlisting".

The best grapes from the oldest of vineyards are selected and wines created from them. The red wines which are heavier in structure in terms of good concentration of soft and ripe tannins are selected to undergo ageing in new French Oak barrels for a period of 24 months depending on quality and style desired. This process helps compounds in wine to evolve as tannins extracted from the wood complement tannins present in the wine. The barrel maturation also imparts vanillin aromas to the wine which develop into complex bouquet after the bottle ageing process, which is continued for another 24 months. Individual barrel tasting is done and some barrels (Cabernet and Shiraz) which are of exceptional quality (aromas/bouquet) are selected and blended together to create a Vintner’s Reserve blend.

Now that is as far as the creation of the wine goes. How it tastes is something you will read about a little later in the post. After all, there was quite a build-up of the experience of the launch so do allow me to take you through it.


I flew in to Pune on one of the red-eye flights from Bangalore with good company on the flight and drive to the Chateau. Once there, we stepped into the dining room for a quick second round of breakfast that not surprisingly was accompanied by yet-to-be-launched Rosé wine. What I loved was the fact that the breakfast buffet was a mix of continental and Marathi cuisines, bringing the best of both worlds to your plate.

We were taken around the winery and on a detailed tour of the wine making process from the harvest being brought in to the final bottling. Four Seasons is equipped with some of the best equipment available internationally.


The idea of the Four Seasons Vineyard began to take shape in 2007 as a greenfield project. It was ready in 2011 and the expansive facilities added over the years. Four Seasons currently has seven varietals to its credit – Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Viogner for whites. For reds for Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot; and Rosé is a blend of Zinfandal and Shiraz. The Reserves from the brand are Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. All of these are single straight varietals.

With the tour done we were escorted to our rooms and given time to freshen up for the launch that was scheduled to begin close to noon.


Before the formal sit-down lunch it was wonderful to catch up with some well known faces of the wine and spirits world and make new acquaintances as well. This was enabled by a wonderful range of nibbles that were being passed around - from Dolmas (stuffed vine leaves) to Pesto Chicken Vol-au-Vents, Batter Fried Prawns and more, it all kept coming. These were paired with some wines from the Four Seasons stable such as the Chenin, Sauvignon, Rosé of 2016.

An elaborate set up on wine barrels held some lovely canapés - the Salmon on Cucumber with capers being an interesting combination that went very well with the Chenin I was nursing. The cheese and crackers set up too, hit the most of the right notes, with the only exception of flies trying to play spoilsport. 







First course was a Greek Salad described as crisp iceberg lettuce, calamata olives and feta cheese with a drizzling of chia. This was paired with the Four Season's Sauvignon Blanc. Personally I did not much care for the salad which perhaps may have sat a little too long before being served. The vinegar-based juices that seeped out killed the freshness of the iceberg making it limp. I did not really see the chia and doubt that it was feta on that plate. The wine was a pleasant start to the meal, light, fruit forward and a good base on which to introduce the heavy Vintner's Reserve.






Dessert was a Baked Rosemary and Grape Cheesecake that was paired with a Four Seasons Sparkling Rosé Brut. Created in the "Methode Traditionnelle", this bubbly made for the perfect partner with the baked cheesecake and its core of stewed grapes spiced with rosemary. The full bodied wine went well with the creamy nature of the dessert. In fact, I liked it much more with the eggless souffle rendition of the dessert that you see below.