Winey diney affair

Sitting with seven glasses of wine on your table, waiting to be smelled, swirled and tasted, is a swell feeling. Especially when they are as nice as the Zinfandel Rose or the Kadarka and of course the fact that are worth thousands. The Rose turned out to be quite a hit with the ladies at the wine do. It had a different feel to it - a fresh strawberry aroma. There was a dark side to it too: I couldn't guzzle them down, much as I wanted to, for fear of a repeat of the last time I got drunk on six glasses of red wine.

Really, wine tasting is as exotic as it sounds. And it turns out to be extra delightful if it is followed by a dinner of cold cuts and cheese (the Indian dishes were still under covers, beats me why). My fellow journo, eM and I stacked our dishes with all kinds of cheese right from the rancid Gouda to a soft yummy variety. And guess what, the bar had nothing to offer apart from wines! It was kinda funny. eM wanted rum and coke. At the end she settled down for a sparkly white wine.

I have to say this. It's part of my social work. Never invite Pooja Bedi to compere any show. Unless you want to grit your teeth, bear those brilliant flashes of teeth and go the eM way: "Can I slap her?"

An Audi parked at the entrance of Mayfair Rooms was too much to resist. The interior was so lush and rich, I could almost feel
the snugness of those huge leather seats. No, the car was not open for visitors to peek in. This conclusion was arrived at after several minutes of squinting in through the dark glass. The incident
reminded the dragon (it slipped out while I was in a meeting with him)of Dilip Cherian who was doing the same (peeking in through a car window)when C K Birla stepped out and said, "Now stop it Dilip!"