Hardys wine dinner @ Hyatt Regency.

Sula Selections, the imported wine and spirits distribution arm of Sula Vineyards, had a wine dinner at Hyatt Regency to launch Hardys Wines in Pune and invited PuneFoodiez to come over and check out their range of wines.

Hardys is from the South Australian state of Tasmania and has been in to wine-making for over 150 years producing stunning wines under brands like Tintara, Nottage Hill, OOMOO and Sir James. We were quite excited about tasting some of Australia's most popular wines paired with fine Italian cuisine from the kitchen of Trattoria La Terrazza at the Hyatt.

We started off with the Chardonnay Pinot Noir which was served with starters like potato coins, olive and sundried tomato balls and calamari rings with saffron mayo. Of these, the calamari rings with saffron mayo was passable mainly because of the smooth and delicious saffron mayo. The wine was crisp with citrus flavours and paired well with the delicate seafood.

The first course was a Pepper and honey baked ricotta cake paired with Hardys riesling gewürztraminer, 2012. We loved the sweet and mildly spicy ricotta cake and when eaten with the accompanying savoury sauce it made for a very pleasant burst of flavours on the palate. It paired beautifully with the young and refreshing wine, which was the pick of the lot.

Second course, was a chunky Tuscan tomato soup with house breads. I loved the fresh and spongy focaccia which was sprinkled with sea-salt and herbs. I really didn't get the point of serving a spicy tomato salsa / dip with breads accompanying a tomato soup but, oh well.

The lamb roulade, served as a part of the third course, was quite disappointing. The cooking on the lamb was good but overall, the dish was bland and underwhelming. The risotto chip was one of the worst things I've eaten in a while - it was chewy, tasteless and the overtly oily. No one went past a bite. No such complaints from the very drinkable Hardys shiraz cabernet, a medium bodied wine rich in dark fruit and spices.

The meal ended with a Sicillian cassata served with Sula late harvest chenin blanc. Now, both the components of this fourth and final course were brilliant in their individual capacities but when served together, it had a cloying sweetness which needed a massive sweet-tooth to appreciate. We needed bites of the biscotti and sips of water before alternating between the ice-cream and the wine and even that didn't work for some of us. A cheeseboard with beautiful cheeses like a sharp gorgonzola or an aged cheddar and a creamy brie accompanied with apricots and biscotti would've made for a stunning dessert when paired with the sweet wine which had heavy accents of honey and tropical fruits.

It was also surprising that the restaurant which usually serves brasserie / deli style food adapt to a fine dining menu for the event because apart from the restaurant not gaining much by word of mouth, in a way, it was an unfortunate reinforcement of the point that good wine can only be enjoyed with fine dining cuisine, something which couldn't be farther from the truth. I've enjoyed good wines with pizzas and even hot-dogs and can I say it wasn't bad at all.

Hardys costs around twice as much as regular Indian wines - not much of a price difference between good Indian reserves and Hardys - but are a great choice for celebratory occasions or ones where you need to impress. {or regular drinking depending on your bank balance really}

{P.S.- Detailed tasting notes and aromas of Hardys wines mentioned above can be found here}