Whether it’s a business deal being delivered signed and sealed or a romantic dinner, uncorking a bottle of bubbly seems to be the perfect way to get the evening going. The whiff, the taste and the smooth feel gently glide over your senses giving that heady feel, but keeping you rooted to reality at the same time. Sipping wine is all about quiet, dignified celebration, unlike whiskey or beer, which are associated with loud men cracking dirty jokes and slapping each other on the back. Wine or champagne is the perfect tonic for that all important make-or-break moment when you quietly slip that solitaire in her expensive drink -- a recipe that knows no disaster! As wine becomes ‘the drink of celebration’, clanking wine glasses is doing the rounds of tables like never before, be it homes or hotels. Menu cards, with wine listings running into pages, reflect the increasing popularity of the much-toasted bubbly, be it the frothy champagne, robust red wines or

sparkling white wines. And everybody is taking the me-too-wine-connoisseur role seriously, holding the glass, swirling the wine and letting their olfactory nerve make the final judgement.

Reflecting this interest in international wines is the WOW (Wines Of the World) counter at Mumbai’s Le Royal Meridien. Kaustav Dutta, restaurant manager, says the attempt is to introduce customers to the best and the latest varietals from across the world. To enable customers to be more adventurous and try out new varieties, the counter offers ‘wines by glass service’. Customised WOW place mats tell you everything you need to know about the wines you are having and even have space for your tasting notes in specially made tasting glasses.

The WOW counter vouches for the popularity of Brut Imperial Moët & Chandon champagne from France. Among the whites, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a hot seller along with Terrazas Chardonnay from Argentina and Riesling, Chateau Ste Michelle from USA.

Among the popular reds are Two Oceans Pinotage from South Africa. A cross of the classical pinot noir and cinsault, Pinotage is a very popular South African grape. Terrazas De Los Andes Malbec, a medium-bodied wine made from Malbec grapes grown in the foothills of the famous Andes mountains in Argentina is also a favourite with the celebratory crowd.

Among the most expensive wines around the world is Château Pétrus, a Bordeaux wine costing nearly Rs 1 lakh. One of the highest rated wines, Pétrus is a red wine of the Pomerol appellation made almost entirely from the merlot grape.

Other preferred expensive wines are the Château Lafite Rothschild (costing Rs 49,500 plus) from the Pauillac village of Medoc district in the Bordeaux region of France. Made predominantly from cabernet sauvignon grape, it is a wine that moves well during consulate dinners. Also coming in the high-end category is Château Gazin, again from Pomerol district of Bordeaux region (costing Rs 40,000 plus), made from predominantly merlot grapes.