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September 2006 |
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 | Brindco introduced India to Australian artisanal wines from Coonawarra. Family owned Penley Estate wines are carefully crafted by Kym Tolley, proprietor and winemaker. He and his wife, Sue, are in India with a selection of Penley Estate's exceptional wines. He spoke about his family, Penfold and Tolley, winemakers on both sides for several generations. |
Kym concluded by talking about his own wine philosophy and by saying simply, "I know the wines will be fab." And indeed, they were!
Sopexa , the French Marketing and Promotion Board for French Food & Beverages with the support of Capexport and the French Ministry of Agriculture, will present in Delhi a unique French Wine Promotion : The Sopexa Try More …, French Wines by the Glass. from 15 – 30 November 2006. The programme will also be held at Bangalore (14 – 28 October 2006) and Mumbai (1-11November 2006).
 | The Valdivieso wines which you find in hotels and restaurants across India were recently included in the “Guia Descorchados 2007" Chilean wine guide. The wines that scored high were the Single Vineyard Reserva Merlot 2004, Maule Valley, Single Vineyard Reserva Malbec 2005, Maule Valley, and the Caballo Loco Nº 8 Premium Red Blend, Central Valley.) |
The wines are imported by Sovereign Impex.
The Spanish Embassy, the House of India in Spain and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Spain invited us to a special wine tasting evening as a part of the Valladolid, First eno Tourism Initiative in India. Valladolid is in the famous Ribera del Duero wine region which consists of 175 vineyards (Bodegas), producing 760,000 hl of wine annually.
Here are snapshots from the event. Spanish Ambassador Rafael Conde and Sanjiv K Singh are in the first photograph.
 | Strong participation by major wine growers from all over the world boost this year's Wine For Asia show. The region’s largest wine show, Wine For Asia 2006, is set to enter its fourth year on a high with a record 19 country pavilions. |
 | Last month I had the pleasure of meeting Ferdinando Frescobaldi, vice president of the Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Group and senior member of an old and distinguished Florentine family, that has been producing Tuscan wines for generations, including one of Italy’s most important red wines, Chianti.
Note, this article was first published as Reva Singh's wine column in Outlook Magazine. |
If you're looking to get hold of some very rare wines, you may wish to get in touch with either the World Wine Consultants or the Antique Wine Company. They both have rare wines from France and Italy dating back to the 1940s.
Recently, Antique Wine Company purchased most of Chirac's historic wine cellar which included more than 5,000 rare wines. A Romanee Conti 1986 went for €5,000.
In Asia , wine consumption is predicted to boom by almost 16% between 2003 and 2008 to 767 million litres, worth over US$ 5 billion in 2008, according to a Vinexpo Asia-Pacific press release. The strongest growth is expected in China, where exports of Bordeaux wine have sky rocketed in the last year. The top five suppliers to the region are France, Italy, USA, Chile and Australia.
Asia is also the leading spirits market in the world, accounting for nearly 57% of global consumption. "This booming Asian market logically draws significant interest from wine and spirits companies all over the world," said Mrs. Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil, Vinexpo Asia-Pacific Chairman.
Vinexpo Asia-Pacific will return to Hong Kong again in 2008: from Tuesday May 27 to Thursday May 29.
 | Here at Sommelier India, we wish all our readers, friends and supporters a Happy Diwali. Diwali is called the festival of lights, marks the victory of good over evil and is considered India's new year.
If you're looking to do something different for Diwali this year, instead of sending friends sweets and fruits try sending them a bottle of wine. Maybe some champagne or a special red. |
To really impress your friends (or bosses!), send them a first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion or a Château Mouton-Rothschild. Nor will you go wrong if you send them a Krug Grand Cuvee, a Dom Perignon or a Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial. The only downside is that these gifts may just hurt your bank account.
Diwali is a major Hindu festival. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for mankind. The festival of Diwali is rooted in the mythological epic Ramayana, and is a celebration of the return of Lord Ram after killing Ravan the demon during his exile for 14 years.
Sula wines has entered the Hungary market home to the famous and historic Tokaj wine region located in northeastern parts of the country. Sula will begin selling its wines in Budapet first. Congratulations! Each time an Indian winemaker enters a new foreign market it benefits all the other winemakers and of course all the nostalgic Indian wine drinkers in that country.
To learn more about Tokaji wines visit the Tokaj Renaissance website.
 | Since 1996 Good Earth has been a style-driven retail pioneer in India, a trend-setter of sorts. Luxury here means an ensured purity of products and a range where shelf space is shared equally by a L’Occitane and a Forest Essentials as well as home made spa creations. Good Earth is today considered as a trend setting design house and an ideal place to buy fabric.
Interestingly, some of the stores thoughtfully include wine and snack bars for those who are able to think about curtains only after having sipped some wine. |
Is this going to be a retail trend? Will we see more wine bars in high end stores? As oenophiles we hope for such heavenly times. In our opinion, it will certainly making shopping easier.
Wine Enthusiast announced its 2006 Wine Stars winners. The American Winery of the Year is Harlan Estate while the European Winery is Torres. The New World Winery of the Year is Clarendon Hills, Australia, the Wine Region of the Year is Alexander Valley, Sonoma, California and the Importer of the Year is Moet Hennessy USA.
India doesn't feature anywhere but the truth is we're still a very young country in the world of wine. However, it is a good sign that both Moet Hennessy and Torres bottles are available in India. We believe that it is is only a matter of time before one of our vineyards win an award. After all, Wine Enthusiast considers India important enough to put it on its magazine cover.
One of our favourite wine blogs is The Pour written by Eric Asimov of the New York Times. Every few days he pens his experiences in the world of wine. You hear about his wine holidays, his wine adventures (and misadventures!) and how the world of wine is evolving through his personal experiences in it.
The other day he wrote about Michel Rolland whom he considers the world's most famous (or only famous) wine consultant. Some of you may remember as Asimov points out that Michel Rolland advises Grover Vineyards along with a hundred other winemakers. But Rolland was also depicted as a "villian" in Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary “Mondovino” last year. His crime? He advises his clients to make wines that sell which are invariably rich, full bodied and with high alcohol levels. Do you think there's good for the wine industry? Take a look at the interview and tell us what you think..
On a side note, when we met Michel Rolland last year, he told us that there was enough material for 1,000 issues of Sommelier India! Like him or hate him, you certainly cannot question his passion for wine.
Rumor has it that Diageo India could acquire a 26% stake in Sula wines. The world's largest drinks company is in talks with a few domestic wine companies, including the Nasik-based Sula Vineyards, to buy a strategic stake. Sula Vineyards is projected to sell 1.25 lakh cases of wine in 2007 fiscal year. They sold 90,000 cases in 2006 for a topline of Rs.25-30 crore.
Francisco Javier Leon de la Riva, the Mayor of Valladolid — the former Spanish imperial capital that is home to Cervantes’ only surviving house — recently visited New Delhi and serenaded Indians, not with the legend of Don Quixote, but eno tourism says Sushmita Bose in the Hindustan Times.
Indians are increasingly traveling abroad to countries like France and Australia but to the Indian vineyards as well. So when you next plan a holiday whether it is India or abroad, include a visit to a winery as well.
Tamil Nadu is apparently not a very oenophile friendly state. The state's liquor policies coupled with the surprise checks by the Enforcement Wing of the Excise & Prohibition department trouble the hospitality industry to no end.
For starters independent restaurants are simply not allowed to serve beer or wine. A hotel must have a minimum of 20 rooms and 40 beds, with an attached restaurant and a well built bar with a good number of covers. The alcohol is strictly meant for guests staying at the hotel only. And all bars have to down their shutters by 12 am in Chennai.
There is hope though as the South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA) is petitioning the government to change the laws. In the meantime, don't expect to do too much wine drinking if you find yourself in Tamil Nadu
 | Pope Benedict XVI has been awarded the title of honorary sommelier by the Italian Sommelier Association of Rome according to Decanter magazine. This honor was conferred on the spiritual leader of the Catholic world after he described himself as the "humble servant in the vineyard of the Lord" and attended a ceremony for the aforementioned society of sommeliers. |
Fellow wine lovers, you are definitely in good company when you drink wine!
In a Financial Times article two days ago, Rajiv Singhal of Sopexa talked about how he first got into wine while in college at Yale. Since he wasn't a good cook, he made a deal with his friends living off campus. They would provide food and he would take care of the wine. He then got lucky when he made friends with a New Haven store keeper who taught him the basics of wine.
We all have different introductions to wine - some while in college, others at business dinners or even on foreign holidays. Each one's experience is unique and for the true wine lovers, the first experience is never forgotten. What's your first wine drinking experience?
 | Along with his numerous other involvements and professional commitments, Mr Dhruv Sawhney of Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd has agreed to join the Advisory Council of Sommelier India, India’s first and only publication dedicated to wine. |
At a time when the wine industry is growing by leaps and bounds and the consumption of Indian and imported wines is increasing, we are privileged, indeed, to have Mr Sawhney, who is a wine aficionado in the truest sense of the word, join our Advisory Council.
Warburn Estate from Australia is entering the Indian domestic wine market. Warburn is one of New South Wales' largest wine producers with more than 1000 hectares under vine, a crush capacity of 40,000 tonnes and an annual turnover of $40 million. They are participating in the India Food Exhibition 2006 and will be at the Australian pavalion.
Health warnings on bottles of wine urging pregnant women not to drink alcohol are to be made compulsory in France according to Decanter magazine. All bottles imported and sold in France will need to display the warning. Producers can print the warning in writing or feature a government approved picture.
India should enact sensible health safety laws when it comes to alcohol. In the absence of laws like these, it is important for wine drinkers, producers, distributors, hoteliers and restaurateurs to constantly inform the general public not only about the health benefits but also about the risks of drinking wine.
So the next time you are attending a wine tasting whether it is being conducted by a Sommelier at a hotel or by a friend at a dinner party, please ask the speaker to talk about the health questions related to wine as well. It will help spread awareness about when to drink and when not to drink wine.
Kyndal India, the fully owned Indian subsidiary of UK-based Whyte & Mackay said it plans to export Indian wine to the global market. Kyndal India has been holding talks with the major wine producers. Three India-made wine brands 30 Latt, Flemingo and Trinity will be distributed by the company starting next month. Their prices would be Rs 450 to Rs 550 a bottle. Kyndal also plans to distribute foreign wines domestically.
Jean-Marie Winter of Domaine Schlumberger will be visiting India between October 9th and the 14th to present wines from the Domaine Schlumberger porfolio. Domaine Schlumberger produces classified Grand Crus in the Alsace region of France.
The Cabernet Sauvignon Selecti vintage 2000 of Moletto recently was given 92 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine. The Moletto Italian wines are imported into India and are available at hotels and restaurants in the major Indian cities.
Valladolid (Spain) wines are being launched in a series of events in Delhi on the 11th and 12th of October including one at the Spanish embassy. Watch for more information about these events.
The Valladolid province includes parts of the famous Ribera del Duero wine growing region. The oldest reference to wine in this region is more than 2,000 years old. Wine production in this region was consolidated in the 10th and 11th century and in the 13th century the first underground wine cellars appeared.
The Nasik Valley Wine Producers Association held the first 'Nasik Valley Food & Wine Festival' at Hotel Quality Inn Hotel from September 15 to 17, 2006. The three-day festival was supported by 15 local wineries and was an opportunity for many of the smaller wineries to showcase their wines. The current President of the association is Pradeep Pachpatil, GM (Winery) at Sula Vineyards.
Copies of Sommelier India are available at select retail stores in Delhi and Mumbai. You'll find copies in Khan Market at the two major magazine stalls outside Bahri Sons and the music shop opposite the main entrance. The magazine is also for sale in Jor Bagh market at the Steakhouse. Copies can be bought at the Indigo Deli in Mumbai too. Email us if you are a retailer outlet who would like to stock Sommelier India copies.
© Copyright 2008. Consolidated Media Intl. All rights reserved.
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