Review of TiLT Red Wine in a Can from Fratelli’s - My2Cents

During a recent visit to a local wine shop in Bengaluru, I came across cans of TiLT wines stacked attractively. The shelf had a couple of varieties - Rose, Bubbly and Red laid out on the shelf. 

Not surprisingly, I hadn't heard of the brand. This being India, liquor and wine advertising is highly restricted and a few brands that are advertised are camouflaged as mineral water or the like when advertised. The colorful cans of TiLT looked appealing enough for me to do a double take, and I decided to check them out.

During the years spent in the US and Europe, I had cultivated a taste for Red wines, with a strong preference for Cabernet Sauvignon. It also happens to be the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties and is grown in major wine producing countries. Cabernet Sauvignon typically exhibits strong fruit flavors of black cherries and plum and go well with Indian snacks and savories. 

Being value-driven-budget-conscious, I would explore bottles priced under $20, of which there were a number of great brands and vintages to choose from. Although I was partial to bottled wines, I would occasionally buy single serve ones packaged in plastic bottles or tetra-pack of which there are several varieties available in American shelves. Attractively priced between $3-6 per bottle/pack, these are favored by those looking for a quick glass before dinner.

After moving back to India a couple of years ago, I gave up my passion for wines, preferring the good-old Kingfisher. Trusty and reliable brand that is easily available in local stores. I didn't prefer exploring local wines and would stock up on a few wine bottles during my trips abroad. 

COVID-19 and ensuing lockdowns put a hold on my travels and wine tasting adventures. At least until recently. 

When I spotted the attractive and colorful cans of TiLT Red Wine in that showroom, I was intrigued. Priced at about  ₹ 180 for a 250 ml can, it looked like an attractive alternative to a cans of Kingfisher that I was out there for. 

Review - Slightly fizzy and metallic taste

As the wine came in a colorful, beer-like l can, I decided to pop it open and take a sip directly from the can. After the first sip, I was underwhelmed. The wine tasted a bit carbonated and fizzy with a distinct metallic flavor. Perhaps it was the fact that I was sipping from a can and not a wine glass? 

I decided to switch tactics by pouring the contents from the can to a wine glass. Needless to say, it was the same-old wine in a new container. Even after a couple of sips, the distinct metallic flavor overpowered any lingering aroma of the red wine. After polishing off rest of the glass, the 11% alcohol gave me a slight buzz.

After this experience, I was left scratching my head over the audience for this Indian wine-in-a-can. Folks like me who have sampled other wines during their travels are likely to give it a pass. Indian youngsters looking for just an alcohol-buzz may find cheaper alternatives - a can of beer holds more fizz and alcohol per rupee. 

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References

• TiLT from FRATELLI WINES 
• Would you drink wine from a can? Packaging wine in a can alters the perception of it—it's a nod to the carefree, casual culture that beer represents
• Wine in cans is edging out corks and glass bottles, and the global trend is now in India

Reflecting on "HIDDEN BRAIN" The Ventilator: Life, Death And The Choices We Make At The End

This week’s podcast of Hidden Brain really hit home for me. The episode raises intriguing questions about end-of-life decision. Shankar Vedantam's narrative takes us  through the question "The choice was always, do you want to see tomorrow?"

The episode takes us through the journey of a family grappled with the same question. Over the decades, they talk deeply about the choices they would want to make in the face of an incurable illness or terrible injury. But when the time came to act on their beliefs, they discovered a question they hadn't considered. What if the seemingly rational choices you prefer when you're healthy no longer make sense to you when you're actually confronting death?



The questions around life, living and the reluctance to embrace the inevitable death even when it is staring you in the face are topics that I have been reflecting on since my father was paralyzed and eventually spent the last 8 months of life needing 24 X 7 care and support just to see another day; a day that may not be better than the one gone by.

I also began to appreciate how rational people react when facing the inevitable end. My dad was a proud and active veteran who had spent his early retirement years traveling around with my mother. He continued to be upbeat, even when facing the of debilitating effects of Parkinson’s.

What will happen to me after I die?

Would we be better prepared to embrace death when it inevitably comes calling, if we can answer this question? It is a question that humans and philosophers across civilizations and generations have pondered. Religion, spirituality or even the study of history and anthropology doesn’t give a clue into death and what lies at the other end. And if there is something in that ‘black hole.’

Humans don’t have the answer since the dead cant tell us what’s on the ‘other side’. And while the living can be certain that death isn’t reversible, we don’t have an assurance that the unknown we pass onto is going to be any better. Hence we take comfort in the status quo, and the certainty of life as we continue to live.
Of course, not all of us are destined to face this question. For many, death may be sudden, abrupt or untimely; leaving only the survivors to come to terms with death.

I have often wondered about the reason why people like my dad, and the protagonist of this podcast, Ms Stephanie Rinka want to struggle to live.

It is the will to struggle through the ailments and live to see another day, or is it the fear of the unknown finality of death that keeps them hanging by a thread?

Frequent flier Miles and points: how far will they take you?

I haven’t blogged in a while. The reasons are several including procrastination during summer vacation. I hope to continue with the blog, now that I am back and refreshed.

 

This summer, I planned a family trip (with my wife and son) from Anytown, US to Bangalore where my parents live. While planning the trip back in Spring of 2014, I decided to explore the possibility of burning some of my accumulated airmiles.

I am not a miles junkie at least not as much as I used to be. This said, I will gladly take the small, perhaps the only, perk of business travel that comes in the form of air mile credits and hotel loyalty points.

 

I shall refrain from naming the carrier where I had accumulated nearly a million miles and now have a measly ‘silver-elite status (but here is a hint this airline traces its roots to the illustrious Pan Am). Not long ago, when I was a ‘road warrior’ IT consultant , it was much easier to earn a lot more air miles, and more importantly acquire and retain privileged Platinum “Elite” status with the airline. The biggest benefit of an elite status, besides the ability to change flights without additional fee was that I frequently got bumped up to first-class while traveling in the US – lots of leg space without the need to worry about knee defenders.

 

Of course, it is much harder to maintain such coveted status with the airline, now that I don’t travel as much; and the few cross Atlantic business trips a year don’t really cut it with them! I spent a couple of days searching options on the airline’s website with the following constraints:

• I had to be able to book three returns tickets from Anytown, US to an airport closest to Bangalore where the airline flies
• Ensure that the major leg of our trip could be on business class

Turns out most US carriers don’t fly directly to Bangalore. A few fly into Mumbai or Delhi. And Airlines are less generous with miles on code-share flights with partner airlines, and especially less generous with those who don’t have higher elite tiers (like I said earlier, that is a perk that makes being a road-warrior worth it).

After a few days search, I zeroed in on two options: fly from Anytown, US to Mumbai or to Dubai and book an additional return flight from DXB/BOM to BLR. The difference was the return trip to DXB would burn about 140,000 miles (per seat) versus 180,000 to Mumbai. I decided on the former and decided to extend the trip with stopover for a day-long tour of Dubai.

 

The trip was great, with minimal disruptions. A few lessons from this experience

• Be flexible on airports and itinerary. As I mentioned above, we were flexible in planning a trip with a stopover in DXB instead of BOM.
• Change fee is expensive, but may be worth paying. I booked the trip in spring and didn’t have much of the vacation planned. Work and other scheduling came in the way after booking the trip which meant I had to cough up a change fee for the itinerary. Bottomline: change fee of $150 on a cross-continent trip using miles? Worth it!
• Free is not always free. Even free tickets issued using airmiles are taxed. One has to pay the airport tax and other fees that can add up to a tidy sum for cross-continental flights.  There are other costs and incidentals one needs to plan for, especially if you don’t have a higher elite status with the airline in question. Costs like change fee, standby fee etc can add up.
• Be prepared for “Attitude” from (some) of the ground crew. An example: on the return leg, while getting our boarding cards, I asked the lady at the checkout counter where the business class lounge in DXB was. She gave me a ‘look’ and asked if I were eligible to enter a longue on a ticket issued with points. I had to stand my ground and insist on this simple prevlidge (DXB airport requires US airlines’ staff to endorse tickets for longue access as most don’t have their own longues)

Bottomline: The effort expended in being able to burn accumulated airmiles for a family vacation is totally worth it!