What happens when some of the best Four Seasons wines, wine-makers like Abhay Kewadkar, chefs like Raman, and venues like the Cheri come together? Well, add a bit of rain here, a dash of some really zesty blogger smiles, an ambiance that transports you into the cobbled courtyards with a Parisian charm, food that goes well with the reds and the whites… and you’re already into the heart of a new-age idiom!
Yes, the ‘live cookout’ at Cheri, One Qutub, symbolically reflected a new-age idiom so full of interpretations that were both exultant and philosophical, that I have no alternative but to tell you all about what transpired on a cool rain-soaked afternoon on the 26th of August 2012.
Interpretation ONE
Is it Four Seasons that is reflecting the mood of the current times… or is it that the new-age is charismatic enough to be reflected everywhere?
Four seasons – Reflecting a new age idiom!
Four Seasons and Cheri, One Qutub have stamped their presence!
Was the afternoon stuffed with PowerPoint presentations, boring lectures, some hackneyed moments copied from other uninspired events? No, it was all a heterogeneous mix of smiles, wines, cooking, tasting, talking, meeting people, sharing stories, and great poses! Yes, let me begin by saying that every great event needs to be full of great poses for the camera. This one surely had a lot of them!
Whatever be the truth, Four Seasons and Cheri have come together to put their stamp on whoever reaches out for them.
Interpretation TWO
Wines are for all seasons and all moments and, like excellent rhythms and exquisite rhymes, live forever.
Wines are for all seasons and all moments and, like excellent rhythms and exquisite rhymes, live forever…
Great wines are embedded on scrolls that last forever…
A precision-laden description of the wine scene in India by Abhay Kewadkar gave the right start to the afternoon… well, the heady aroma and the slightly acidic tingle of Sauvignon Blanc had already made its presence felt by then. This was an adequate precursor to the wonderfully practical tips on cooking well that followed it. As Francis Bacon puts it: ‘Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.’ There were wines, friends, discussions on what the best Under Counter Wine Coolers are, and innovation-soaked ideas for the future… and I was spell-bound!
Interpretation THREE
‘Wine is bottled poetry,’ wrote Robert Louis Stevenson… and I will add that wines go ahead and tempt all the arts to come forward and mingle with them.
‘Wine is bottled poetry,’ wrote Robert Louis Stevenson…
Good reflections are a by-product of good wines!
Ah! a picture to let you know that the event wasn’t just about wines… it was about wines and how they can be paired with food!
This live Cooking Event with Mr. Abhay Kewadkar and a Master Chef Raman with Four Seasons Wine was destined to be hit!
‘Even more importantly, it’s wine, food and the arts. Incorporating those three enhances the quality of life,’ said Robert Mondavi… and this was so true in this event. Raman’s live cooking won the day. The first dish were pan-seared scallops and everyone realised that adding some wine to cooking can actually bring in a zing that will be surprisingly noticeable when you taste it.
It is, of course good to more about the wines that you are having or going to cook with. You can get all relevant information on the Four Seasons website.
Interpretation FOUR
Wines make happy times a reality. People with a diverse thought pattern come together and this interaction makes new idioms come alive! It is always the coming together of diversity that creates a unity that is one in a million and something worth aiming for.
Wines make happy times a reality. People with a diverse thought pattern come together and this interaction makes new idioms come alive!
There you see… a few of them getting busy with the printed recipe of Pan-seared Scallops… Chef Raman did a commendable job!
Yet another delicacy here… I was unfortunately able to photograph only a few of them as the ‘eating impulse’ my ‘photographer’s instinct’!
The focus for the afternoon: wine… and more wine!
Just as different food categories mix with different wines, we too have a propensity to mix seamlessly with those who think differently or have a diverse view point to share. This is what creates combos that are a great hit in life! This is how great moments are actually born!
The final word
Plautus has remarked: ‘Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.’ Well, Cheri and Four Seasons did come together and presented the best wines and the best food… and the invited bloggers weren’t just silent spectators. They contributed their spoken words there and created the right decibel level that makes any event a success.
Good moments and good times need always to be shared well… and so this blog post aims to venture forth into the world through its cyber commuting techniques and share them all sans reservations, sans inhibitions.
Before you scroll down to see a few more pictures from the event, let me quote Clifton Paul Fadiman, who wrote: ‘A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.’ Obviously then, your comments on the post will mark you as a great sharer of good vibes!
More pictures from the event:
There is so much poetry waiting to be discovered in a glass in which wine has been poured… it waits, like a sonnet waits to be read.
Priyanka and her hesitant foray into a new world!
I stood there and looked out and thought: ‘Is this really Delhi?’
Yes, swish the wine a bit… breathe it in first… and then Akanksha lets it tempt and tease her tongue until it yearns for more!
What I liked best about this event was that I came closer to so many more bloggers…
A view of the courtyard from inside.
White roses and red wine… the recipe for lyrics and songs. The place was full of lyrical young ladies!
Chef Raman busy preparing the first dish to be served as only a real master-chef can!
A close-up is also possible with a Samsung Galaxy S3… and by the way, the camera of this phone is simply superb!
Here is Vj again… a blush in his hands and a photographer’s blush on his face!
Cheri One Qutub has an ambiance that converges space and nature to advance and win over the palate and taste buds!
… and then all friends got together and talked about the wonderful things in their lives. Yes, they also listened. 🙂
A day that was a cocktail of warmth, rain, and smiles!
Chief wine-maker Abhay Kewadkar made wines so easy to understand… it was almost like a rubik’s cube being solved without a fuss!
A glass of wine waiting to interact with humans…
There were discussions… deep and animated — both inside and outside, and even on the terrace.
The atmosphere was surreal indeed!
The experience included an outdoor as well as an indoor journey into the kingdom of wines… with Blush wine adding to the ecstasy!
Just three of the wonders available for tasting…
…and for the uninformed, this is Vj Sharma, the magician with a camera!
Obviously, this event was full of a lot of snacks as well… and these thin-crust pizzas melted in the mouth.
Blushes in a row eager to traverse gently into yet another victory for Four Seasons!
The video shared by Four Seasons:
This event was organised by GingerClaps: Facebook | Twitter | Website
Four Seasons | Cheri, One Qutub
Arvind Passey
29 August 2012
4 comments
Adtnu says:
Sep 3, 2012
Great Post 🙂
Arvind Passey says:
Sep 3, 2012
Thank you Adtnu… the event was enjoyable so the post had no alternative but to be be readable. 🙂
Adtnu says:
Oct 22, 2012
Just cant help but to come back to this wonderful read….
Arvind Passey says:
Oct 31, 2012
Nice to see you back Adtnu… hope to read your comments on other posts as well. 🙂