Water week: high-end water from all round the world

A look at the variety of bottled waters on sale in the UAE and whether they live up to their health claims.

Guests perusing the a la carte menu when the Melia Dubai hotel first opened might have been startled to see a surprising addition.

Alongside lists of dishes and bottled beverages from around the world was one extra menu – international water.

For discerning palates, there was a selection of refreshments ranging from Ty Nant still and sparkling from the Cambrian Mountains in Wales to Spain’s Magma de Cabreiroa, packaged in nightclub-style bottles and infused with carbon dioxide from underground rock formations in Galicia, known as “the land of the thousand rivers”.

The range of 14 varieties of water from France, Spain, Italy, Norway and Britain were a long way from the bottle of supermarket aqua, which is deposited on the table in restaurants and hotels around the UAE, often without even being ordered.

But the Melia’s decision to go global with its range marks a growing awareness from consumers about the type of water they drink and why.

Some opt for particular brands because of a preference in taste. Others swear by health benefit claims made by the makers of special water, from hydrogen-rich to oxygenated and alkaline, while coconut and birch water have been growing in popularity for similar reasons.

“We wanted to give a unique experience by giving guests options for water,” says Anuj Nainta, the Melia Dubai’s food and beverage manager.

“We had water sommeliers come in and give us opinions over what to use in which restaurants. The whole concept of having an international water menu was to cater to everyone.

“If you are from France, you might look for Evian or Perrier. Some people are very specific about what water they drink.”

The water menu has since been scaled back, although the hotel still offers seven brands.

While other hotels have not followed suit – the Palazzo Versace Dubai and Burj Al Arab only offer the standard Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino and Perrier, all distributed by Nestle Middle East – supermarkets have been quick to get in on the act.

Lulu hypermarket takes you on a water tour of the world with a total of 22 brands, from France (Volvic, Badoit), the UK (Highland Spring, Harrogate), Turkey (Abant, Sirma), Norway (Voss) and the UAE (Masafi, Arwa, Mai Dubai).

Meanwhile, Geant’s online delivery service features 39 brands of bottled water from around the world, including Turkey’s Hamidiye, bottled from “the spring of the Sultans” in the Belgrad forest, and Alpin spring water from the Taurus mountains.

Then there is France’s Badoit sparkling water, Elan from windswept valleys in Wales, Fiji water from aquifers on the remote Pacific island and Erikli, from the Uludag Mountains in Turkey.

There is Oxygizer water, pumped full of oxygen after being collected from the Dolomites in Italy, Wildalp “baby water”, which claims to be a low-sodium, high-oxygen mix perfect for preparing baby food and Al Ain’s Water Zero, following similar models from fizzy drinks brands with claims to be “the only pH-neutral, sodium-free, regulatory-approved water produced in the UAE”.

The company also produces Al Ain Water+, which it says develops “stronger bones and teeth, making it a perfect drink for your kids”.

But is there any substance to these health claims and does drinking these types of water make an actual difference?

While few in the water industry will be drawn publicly on any genuine health perks, one source privately describes such claims as “a gimmick”.

“There are two types of water, mineral and purified,” the expert says. “Purified is tap water, which could be oxygenised or electrolysed, whereas when it comes to mineral water, it has to be bottled at the source and cannot be touched by human beings, nor can you add anything.

“I think these things are a gimmick and are not going to be there 10 years from now.”

Scientists have mooted that the amount of oxygen in oxygenated water is not present in large enough quantities to make any difference and, to be of any benefit, the gas needs to be in one’s lungs, not the digestive system.

But a study in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition in the US said hydrogen-rich water could boost antioxidants in the body.

Alkaline water is said to be softer on the tongue, although its benefits are still being debated.

And while the minerals in water, such as magnesium, calcium and sodium, can have a positive effect an excess of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, while too much calcium can also be damaging.

Claudia Marino, a spokeswoman for Monviso water, which distributes 200,000 litres a month to homes in the UAE and has a slightly alkaline pH balance of 6.8, says there is a big advantage to drinking such water but admitted there is no medical proof.

“People here are interested in what water they drink because the weather is hot and they drink a lot so they are starting to understand how precious it is to drink the right water,” Ms Marino says.

“There are a lot of cheap brands where the water does not come directly from the source. If you drink better, you stay better.”

But does it really matter what kind of water we drink?

“We take our inspiration from Louis Vuitton and Chateau Margaux,” says Clement Vachon, an international relations director for Nestle drinks division.

The food giant supplies a multitude of hotels across the Middle East with San Pellegrino, Aqua Panna and Perrier. Competition is aggressive among water companies to be the main supplier, as many venues still only stock one or two varieties each of still and sparkling waters.

Mr Vachon says water is a luxury item that should be chosen with the same care as food or wine.

“We are connected to gastronomy. The two main actors are the food and wine but the third is water,” he says.

The company does water and wine pairing evenings in Italy to show how one can enhance the other, and has long been a partner of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.

“The water in restaurants has the function of harmonising food and we work with sommeliers because they are experts of the taste buds,” Mr Vachon says. “Water modestly harmonises the whole thing.”

Fish and white wine are the perfect match for still water, he says, while a beef dish with mushrooms and white truffles needs a more robust sparkling water.

As for drinking cold water with ice and lemon, it is like coating the tongue with an anaesthetic, he says with disgust, adding that “not all waters are born the same way”.