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 | Last week at a special event organized by the Culinary Institute of America, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich was celebrated for his contributions to Californian wine.
The success of the California wine industry can be traced to "our unique and varied bouquet of cultures," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the event.
After working at a number of wineries in the Napa Valley -- including Souverain, Christian Brothers Cellars, Beaulieu Vineyard (working alongside André Tchelistcheff), and Robert Mondavi -- Grgich became the winemaker and limited partner at Chateau Montelena. |
The three major Indian winemakers continue to score in the world scene. This time it was Chateau Indage's turn who won three bronze awards at the Indy International Wine Competition 2006 at the Indiana state fair. The award winning wines were the Chantilli Cabernet sauvignon 2005, Chantilli Merlot 2004, and the Marquise De Pompadour.
Choosing to drink alcohol is always a personal choice and will always be. Governments rarely, if ever interfere when it comes to the drinking habits of their adult populations. However, it is important to understand the health benefits and risks if you do choose to drink.
There are few better authorities than the Mayo Foundation and their accompanying website, MayoClinic.com to advise you on the benefits and the risks of drinking. The key takeaway - drink in moderation which means no more than 2 drinks a day if you're a male adult under 65 or 1 drink a day if you're a female or a male over 65. Read Alcohol and your health - Weighing the pros and cons for more important information.
The 8th Lianhe Zaobao Wine Review Challenge 2006 which saw 350 wines entered from around the world was just completed. The event was founded in 1999 by Ch’ng Poh Tiong and each year, three judges taste all the wines blind. This year's panel included Magandeep Singh, Ignatius Chan and Suzanne Brocklehurst. Both Magandeep Singh and Ch’ng Poh Tiong are Sommelier India contributors.
This year the Montenisa Franciacorta Brut NV was judged the best sparkling wine, Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaïque the best non vintage Champagne and Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru 1996 the best vintage Champagne. Over the next few weeks, the winners in the other categories will be listed on the blog.
 | Marquis Ferdinando De' Frescobaldi of the Frescobaldi family was in India recently to promote his wines. Frescobaldi is known for its Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Castel Giocondo and Luce della Vite wine holdings.
The Frescobaldi family began producing Tuscan wine in 1308 and developed a notable client base. In exchange for exclusive paintings, the Frescobaldis traded their wine with the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo. |
The family also supplied wine to Henry VIII and have contracts in their family archives signed by the English King. Their wine Ornellaia was rated Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator in 2001. Pictured above is the Marquis, Aman Dhall of Brindco Ltd and Reva Singh of Sommelier India.
 | The Wine Society based in Delhi held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, August 28th.
The event was held at the Ashoka Hotel and served as the culmination of a series of wine events organized over the last year for its members. A large majortiy of the 220 society members were present for the annual general meeting. |
| The minutes of the meeting was approved at the start of the meeting. Society finances, past activities and new initiatives were discussed. A new executive committee was also voted in. The committee will be choosing the Society's officers over the next few weeks. E&J Gallo wine accompanied a five course meal. The wine was provided by the Radico group who import E&J Gallo wine into India. | 
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The setting could be the Hunter Valley or Napa. The drinkers sit on leather seats on a balcony overlooking rows of vines as they sip their sauvignon blanc and nibble on olives and goat’s cheese.....says Ashling O’Connor in a Times London article on the Indian wine industry. Also read the complementary article titled, "Growers seek a change in licensing laws and attitudes" which discusses the licensing laws. Ashling was in touch with us last week as she researched her article.
Now you don't need to visit the Sommelier India blog to know what's happening in the world of wine. Simply submit your email address using the form in the top right hand corner of this page (below the join the list box for the monthly updates) and you'll receive emails with Sommelier India blog headlines each time the blog is updated.
The blog is updated several times a week and includes news, commentary and events from India and around the world. Remember, you can always comment on any news item published to the blog. The blog is a supplement to our print publication which carries feature length stories by Indian and international wine journalists.
 | Last year Tyeb Mehta's Maishasura made history when it was auctioned off at Christie's in New York for a record price of $1,584,000. Who knows what is going to happen this year. But if Christie's preview of its Modern and Contemporary Indian art sale held in Delhi on August 22nd, 2006 is anything to go by expect more history to be made. The event was held at the Royal Ballroom of the The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi. |
Some of the artists on display included Tyeb Mehta, Francis Newton Souza, Syed Haider Raza and Subodh Gupta. The Sommelier India editors who were invited noticed that the city’s who’s who was in attendance chatting over wine and hors d’oeuvres. The wines served included Bollinger's Grande Annee 1997 Champagne, a Capitellie Croce 2003 white wine and a Chateau Le Fleur de Quinault 1999 red wine.
 | According to Forbes magazine, the L N Mittal wedding which cost $55million included some awesome wines too. Over 5,000 bottles of Mouton Rothschild 1990 were drunk and the wine tab was $1.5 million.
Part of the wedding was held at the Palace of Versailles, where the French 'Sun King' Louis XIV held court in the 17th century. |
Rumor has it that the UB Group is in talks to pick up a South Africa based wine company. This would be on the heels of the company's recent acquisition of France based Bouvet Ladubay. The UB Group currently has two local wine brands, Golconda and Bosca which sell for around Rs. 200. Let us know what you think of these wines.
The UB Group is also considering creating their own winery in Nashik. This means more wine in the market and more choices for consumers like you!
Sanjay Menon, one India's most famous and successful importers of fine wines is now planning to make his own wine. His firm, Sansula has been importing wines for eight years however the exorbitant import duties and state levies have always limited the growth.
Menon plans to experiment with lesser known variatels Grenache, Primitivo and Negroamaro. He is busying looking for land in Maharashtra and hopes to setup his own vineyard soon. In the meantime, he is also launching a new wine called Bahula from another grape grower in the area. Sansula's job will be to brand and market the wine. Read the full article at Business Standard.
E & J Gallo is the second largest wine company in the world behind Constellation Brands. Gallo is a winery in Modesto, California that operated from its beginning under the assumption that consumers wanted affordable wines with easy-to-remember names and were consistent from year to year.
Some of their wine labels in addition to the Gallo label include Andre, Gossamer Bay, Turning Leaf, Redwood Creek. Livingston Cellars, Peter Vella and Carlo Rossi. E & J also has other labels specifically for the hotel and restaurant markets only.
Have you ever wondered who imports E&J Gallo wines into India? It is Lalit Khaitan of the Radico group. Learn more about him and his business in this Hindu Businessline article.
 | vetro, at The Oberoi, Mumbai has introduced the Scintillante Sunday Lunch which includes fine, authentic Italian food with a free flow of Moet & Chandon champagne; select Italian red and white wines; Bombay Sapphire Gin and Grey Goose Vodka.
Send Sommelier India your wine news for publication on the blog.
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Le Poesie Italian wines from Veneto region in Italy are now available in Mumbai for immediate sale.
The wines available include Le Poesie Soave D.O.C. (white wine from the Garganega grape), Le Poesie Bardolino D.O.C. (red wine from the Corvina Veronese, Rondenella and Molinara grapes) and Le Poesie Valpolicella D.O.C. (Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes).
In a column for Business Standard, Sommelier India contributor Alok Chandra discusses what it takes to enter the wine business in India. He emphasizes that liquor is a state subject in India so when distributing and marketing wine, it is akin to operating in 34 different countries. He encourages the state governments to relax their restrictive wine laws.
Alok explains that the Indian wine industry has come a full circle with Vijay Mallya's purchase of the French wine company Bouvet-Ladubay. Apparently, Vittal Mallya was one of India's first wine makers when he teamed up with Dr. Rossi and Sharad Pawar to set up a winery in Baramati in the 1970s.
Security measures banning liquids from carry-on luggage has hurt Californian vinters. Each year, hundreds of thousands of cases of wine travel across the country as carry-on luggage. Now with the ban, these passengers are forced to pack their wines with their booked baggage. The ban on liquids is affecting wine related duty free shopping around the world.
 | Len Evans, AO OBE, one of the best known and much loved characters of the Australian wine industry, has passed away at the age of 75.
Mr Evans died suddenly on Thursday the 17th August 2006 of a suspected heart attack at Newcastle, New South Wales. |
He had suffered from heart problems in recent years but continued to live and enjoy life in his typically passionate way.
The Marquis Ferdinando of the Frescobaldi family will be visiting India between August 22nd and 28th to present wines from the Frescobaldi portfolio. Exclusive dinners will be held in Delhi and Mumbai.
The family has been producing wines for over 700 years and 30 generations. Some of their prestigious estates include Castello Nipozzano, Castelgiocondo and Luce Dell Vite. Frescobaldi wines are imported by Brindco Limited.
The 2004 vintage of the Moletto Rosa Frizzante was awarded the "Seal of Approval" at the International Wine Challenge 2006 held in London. Taking part in the competition were 9,080 wines from around the world. The wines are distributed by Sovereign Impex in India.
The Indian World Trade Centre along with Siddhi Management Consultants, Nasik organised a meet on “Export Potential of Indian Wine Industry” on 12th August at Emerald Park in Nasik. The objective of this meet was to present the findings of an Intensive Research study to understand the competitiveness and scope of Indian wine internationally.
| A few months ago, a Business 2.0 reporter wrote to Sommelier India asking for statistics on the growth of Indian wine. We were happy to oblige though we were not quite sure why he was interested in them. Now we know.
Business 2.0 has uncovered a dozen of the most intriguing new business opportunities in the world today. Idea #9 is to import fine wine to upscale restaurants in India. |
In a recent article for Business Standard, Kishore Singh discusses gift memberships to wine clubs and whether they are worth it. If gift memberships don't seem like a good idea, definitely consider gift subscriptions to Sommelier India! They will serve as a gentler introduction to the world of wine and your friends will think of you each time they get a copy of Sommelier India in the mail. We will also send your friends a card on your behalf announcing your thoughtful gift.
 | The Bangalore Wine Club had a sit-down wine dinner at the Leela Palace hotel, Bangalore on 2nd August.
The event was organised in partnership with the Howling Wolves Wine Group, whose director Damien Knowles had come down along with the Bombay-based importers just for the event. |
The Howling Wolves Wine Group is based in the Margaret River area of Western Australia, near Perth, and has tied-up with Baumgarten & Wallia Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Brihan-Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate Limited for the import and marketing of their wines in India.
Bombay's oenophile Sanjay Menon, will take his class at Indigo Deli in Mumbai through a tutored tasting of wines made from one grape varietal. For the first class, he will explore the world’s most planted white wine varietal – Chardonnay. The class will conclude with a tasting of 3 (or 4) wines from both the old and new world.
Sanjay will continue to take a class on every third Saturday of the month at the Deli. In each session he will discuss basic issues concerning wine such as, the tasting process and how to store wine. This will be followed by a tasting of wines from the same varietal from different wine growing regions around the world. From 6pm-7pm. Cover charge: Rs.600. To participate call 022 6655 1010
The World Trade Centre,Mumbai has organised a conference on,"Export Potential of Indian Wine" based on a Research undertaken by Siddhi Management Consultants at Nasik. All those related to the Wine Industry are cordially invited for this presentation followed by a discussion. The event is being held on August 12th, 2006. For more information please email info@siddhimanagement.com or call Prashant on 922632032.
 | Shobhaa De is a best-selling author, columnist, social commentator and die-hard foodie, who likes to demystify fine wining and dining...
"Please don’t waste a mellow Petrus on me. And yes, you needn't decant that Latour either. When it comes to reds – even the best of the best – my tongue rebels. I’m very much a Blanc de Blanc woman.
I like my wines light, fruity and friendly. Give me a happy rosé ……give me a light and lovely Zinfandel, and you’ll see me sparkle. But those deep, mysterious and intense Reds…they just make me nervous. |
I see dinner companions roll their favourite Bordeaux or Burgundy in a handsome Riedel and I literally see…you’ve guessed it – red!!"
| The July/August issue of Sommelier India was sent to subscribers two weeks ago. We still have a few copies if you would like to subscribe and start receiving your copies immediately.
Did you know there are more than 12,600 brands of Champagne, each with about four cuvees? Some of the best brands are now available in India, including our own Chateau Indage. Read about the Champagne lifestyle along with some top Champagne vintages in the latest issue.
Wine never tastes so good as in the proper glass. Magandeep Singh selects a set of wine glasses for himself. And Chad Arnold discusses decanting wine in the issue.
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 | Read Wine Enthusiast magazine's cover story on India in its August issue. The feature covers the Indian wine scene and was written by Sommelier India contributor Sourish Bhattacharyya.
Not surprisingly, Sommelier India is mentioned in the article and in the letter from the publisher, Adam Strum. He was also interviewed on the Sommelier India blog last winter. |
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