Cheers to Dasain

Someone has invented a mask through which one can sip a beverage without taking it off. We may be seeing such contraptions this season as connoisseurs of fine wine attend free socially distanced tasting events in Patan.

Nepalis are used to celebrating Dasain with khasiko pakku, rangako choila and meaty items all washed down with beer, local raksi or scotch. But Vesper House in Jhamsikhel is looking to change all that with wines that do not just taste good on their own, but enhance the flavour of traditional Dasain dishes.

This month till the 23 October Vesper is hosting free wine tasting in its retail store. Customers can walk into its unique cellar, or book appointments to get a taste of different varieties of wine from different parts of the world.

“The whole idea about wine tasting is intelligent drinking,” says Ashank Rana of Vesper House, “Customers can create personal preference, compare notes and it is a great way to socialise.”

For the uninitiated, wines can be as daunting to pronounce as to keep track of: Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot. Vesper hopes to demystify wine, make it a less snobbish and intimidating affair.

One staff member will be personally on call to attend and explain the available labels to customers, point out the subtle aroma and tastes as they roll the fluid in their mouths.

Customers can choose from a range of wines, from Vesper’s own house label, which is produced by regional wineries in Italy, to more premium Pinot Noir, which has cultivated a massive following of hardcore wine enthusiasts worldwide, to the most popular among white wines, the Sauvignon Blanc.

Keeping the current Covid-19 situation in mind, less than seven people will be allowed inside the tasting area at a time. After the tasting, customers can choose to purchase their favourite bottles at a special price and take it home to share with families during the festive season.

“Wine is a kind of different product. Each wine has a story to tell and people can have a conversation around it, which makes it a good choice of drinks,” says Rana.

Vesper, is also one of the major importers of fine wines in Nepal, specialising in wines from Spain, France, Italy, Australia and Germany. “We keep in mind the palette of Nepalis when importing wines while some are chosen because they are in trend at the moment,” says Rana.

Tasting wine is a very different experience from drinking it but Vesper House has made a concerted effort to educate Nepalis when it comes to wine. Before the pandemic hit, Vesper routinely brought in sommeliers from around the world for events. It regularly trains staff both in-house and in other hotels and restaurants about the nuances of wine.

Those interested can also sign-up for a wine workshop (this is on-hold due to the pandemic), where the team guides them in how to identify the appearance, taste and smell of the wines. Each client is poured three different wines: one each of sparkling, white and red (this can be customised to the client’s liking) and provided a tasting mat to take notes in along with some hors d’oeuvre to cleanse the palate in between drinks.

The team then explains the details: name, year, region of origin, grape variety(ies) before moving on to discuss the appearance: the colours, clarity, intensity, smell: intensity, aroma, palate: flavours, alcohol content, body, finish etc. At the end of this session even first timers will come out appreciating wines a little more.

For those who want to take a deep dive in the world of wines, Vesper House also offers a wine club subscription, where enthusiasts can get a well-chosen selection of wine delivered to their doorsteps every month. The subscription ranges from Rs30,000 per year for Gold Curiosity plan to an annual Rs100,000 for the Platinum option. This option may actually be a safe shopping habit during the pandemic restrictions.

In the past years, Vesper has seen a change in its clientele. While it used to be more expats and foreigners coming in, they note that more Nepalis are drinking wine now. Says Rana, “More young Nepalis have developed a taste for good wine.”