BackLounge Review: La Cave, New Delhi
Finally, a paradise for wine lovers in the city where you can browse in leisure to pick that perfect bottle
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It’s only two weeks old, yet La Cave (the cave or wine cellar, as the French term it) is seeing many walk-ins as early as 11.30 on a Sunday morning. Much of it may be attributed to the natural curiosity about a well-appointed wine and liquor store in the middle of a mall. But the discerning finally have a one-stop shop for fine wines from around the world.
The good stuff
La Cave’s elegant, smart interiors—there is a distinct living room feel—are rare among wine and liquor shops in the city. At present, La Cave stocks 180 labels from across the world. The attendants are willing to help if you ask them, but they don’t hover while you browse the wine racks.
Wines are classified by the country of their origin and, not surprisingly, France gets the largest space, followed by Italy, Germany and Spain. The South American wines from Chile and Argentina are clubbed with American wines, while wines from Australia and New Zealand have their own section. Indian wines (currently the store only stocks Sula and Fratelli) are clubbed with wines from the rest of the world.
Our request for a recommendation for a dry white wine in the ₹ 2,000-2,500 range had the attendant asking a few questions about how we wanted to consume the wine. When we said it was for a gift, the attendant pulled out the Mouton Cadet Bordeaux from the Baron Philippe de Rothschild label. He explained that this was an extremely fruity and fresh wine and would make for a great gift at ₹ 2,530. He also suggested some Sauvignon Blanc options and Californian Rieslings. The German Rieslings were not available at the store that day, though we were told that the Dr Loosen Riesling would be available soon.
The store has a separate section for sparkling wines and champagnes, with labels like Dom Pérignon, Moët and Chandon and Korbel, as well as a dedicated La Cave Prestige section for the more expensive labels.
Apart from numerous whisky, vodka and gin brands, we were delighted to find beer brands Hoegaarden and Kingfisher Ultra Max—both of these have not been easy to source at our local wine shop. Another plus was a section, albeit a small one, devoted to liqueurs such as Baileys and the German digestif Jägermeister.
If you are organizing large dinner parties, La Cave offers the services of a wine sommelier who can help you with selections to pair with food.
The not-so-good
They could look at more Indian wines and perhaps a more extensive selection in the beer category (we are thinking especially of Bira). At a later stage, the store could also consider stocking more dessert wines, something that is often ignored.
Talk plastic
The most expensive red wine in the store at present is the Chateau Palmer Vintage 1996, priced at around ₹ 61,000. The most affordable wines at the store are a Spanish red wine made from tempranillo grapes and a white wine Blanco Airen, both from Soldepenas. Each costs ₹ 640.
La Cave, Shop Nos.19-20, Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi (011-46544210). Open 10am-10pm. Credit cards accepted.
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