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February 2007 |
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| April 2007 »
 | An exclusive tasting of Leeuwin Estate wines was held at Baci in New Delhi on March 26th where Simone Horgan-Furlong presented her wines.
Back in 1972, legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi visited Australia looking for the best place to grow grapes. He identified a location in the Margaret River district. Denis and Tricia Horgan owned a cattle farm on that spot and rather than selling to Mondavi they convinced him to help them start a winery. |
The Wine Society of India hosted its second promotional wine tasting event in Mumbai recently. Their goals are to promote wine education, organize wine events and arrange the supply of good quality, great value wine direct to members through a licensed system.
The event was hosted at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai and was a packed affair. It was hard to tell the true wine enthusiasts from those that were there just for some free wine. Nevertheless, the wine industry was well represented and it served as a nice venue to meet friends and fellow wine enthusiasts.
| Last week we had the opportunity to meet the owner of Chateau D'Orschwihr and taste some of his wines at Nudeli restaurant in Delhi. Hubert Hartmann, earned a degree in oenology but worked in industry for a development bank for ten years before taking over his family business. The vineyards cover 23 hectares in the Alsace region of France and crop levels are kept 25-30% below the Alsace average. This yields wines with intense flavour and structure - something we noticed ourselves during the tasting. |  |
The Spanish Ambassador held a cocktail to launch a five day business visit of the Chamber of Commerce of the Rioja region which accompanied various Spanish companies that deal in food, olive oil and wine. The wine companies that visited included almazara Ecologica de la Rioja S.L, Bodegas Enanzo, Champdore Distribuciones S.A., Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco, S.A, Bordegas Franco - Espanolas, S.A, Luis Gurpegui Muga, Marques de Reinosa S Coop, Bodegas Roda S.A and Vina Iljalba S.A.
Imported liquor is all set to become cheaper with the government likely to bring in a Bill in Parliament next month to scrap additional customs duty on wines and spirits, a move that will also pacify the country's top trading partners - the US and EU.
"The finance ministry has agreed to the proposal which will soon be taken to the Cabinet for approval. The Bill is likely to come when Parliament meets after a three-week recess," highly placed official sources told the Press Trust of India.
 | Controversial guidelines that strongly discourage women to drink while pregnant are being planned by the UK government. These guidelines will mean warning labels being put on bottles of wines, spirits and beer. The guidelines are causing the wine industry significant consternation. The industry questions the link between alcohol in small amounts and foetal alcohol syndrome, which results in brain damage. |
They argue that the guidelines contradict the UK Department of Health's own official health advice to expectant mothers, which allows up to two units a day - the equivalent of a single glass of wine - once or twice a week. Visit The Guardian for the full story.
In an attempt to encourage grape cultivation and promote the wine industry, the Karnataka government has decided to establish two wine parks in the state. Financial subsidiaries will be offered to the farmers as well. About 9,700 hectares of area is under grape cultivation in the State and the estimated annual production is 1.67 lakh tonnes.
Bangalore has the third largest market for wines in India after Mumbai and Delhi. The city consumes around 31,000 cases per annum as against one lakh cases in Mumbai and around 54,000 cases in Delhi. Read The Hindu article for more information.
 | The International Herald Tribune discussed the Indian wine tariff issue in "Days of wine and roses, sobered by high tariffs in India" on March 15th, 2007. The EU and U.S representatives hope that the dispute can be resolved without a formal WTO dispute settlement. Reva Singh of Sommelier India was quoted discussing how high prices affect drinking habits across the India. |
Red and white wines can help combat various forms of cancer, according to research conducted in Greece, scientists said yesterday in Thessaloniki. Greek experts have been conducting tests over the last few years on the positive effects that a few glasses of local wine can have on the drinker’s health.
According to research presented at the Detrop food and drink exhibition by Dimitris Kouretas, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Thessaly, plant polyphenols that are found in grapes can have an effect on human cells, bacteria and enzymes, thereby preventing cancer – including breast, lung and gastric – from breaking out or can fight tumors.
| The Times of London covered the tariff issue on March 10th, 2007 and quoted Reva Singh of Sommelier India. The article titled, "India’s emerging taste for wine provokes tariffs row" also included some statistics on Indian wine consumption. For example, did you know that imported wines have a 15% market share of all wines sold in the country? |  |
Realising that Indian wine is slowly but surely catching the taste buds of the western world, the Indian ministry of food processing industries is looking at setting up a National Wine Board (NWB) to develop standards and generally promote the wine industry in the country. Read more at The Economic Times.
Chateau d'Yquem is bottling its wine in nebuchadnezzars for the first time in its history. These bottles hold 15 litres of wine or the equivalent of 20 regular bottles. Each bottle will cost €12,850 and only 120 such bottles are being put on the market. The bottle is named after Nebuchadnezzar II, the King of Babylon mentioned in the Bible
 | Ernest Gallo's death, just shy of his 98th birthday, leaves E&J Gallo number two worldwide in volume terms. Through the decades and with sheer hard work and commitment, the two brothers Ernest and Jullio (who died in 1993) established one of the most dominating wine empires in the world. Unlike many other large wine families, they were not born into wealth. Their father had started a winery but died a pauper. |
As a result, the brothers' early motivation was to bring back honor to their family name and pay off family debts. They did that and much more not just for themselves but for the world of wine too. Today, E&J Gallo is recognized for bringing wine to the American masses. E&J Gallo wines are distributed by Radico Khaitan in India.
Read Ernest Gallo's obituary on the E&J Gallo website and Wine Enthusiast Magazine's coverage too.
The debate over wine tariffs continues. On Wednesday, the Indian government said it was considering a cut in tariffs on imported wines and spirits, shortly after the US complained to the WTO saying Indian duties unfairly restricted exports by US producers. Kamal Nath said a reduction in duties could have been announced in India's budget last week, but this could be done later on as well, the PTI news agency reported. With pressure mounting, it seems only a matter of time before the tariffs are reduced.
For more on the story, read CNN-IBN's and The International Herald Tribune's coverage. And don't miss this Reuters story which includes the important perspectives of the Indian wine producers.
Did you know that there are about 400 species of oak, but only about 20 are used in making oak barrels? Of the trees that are used, only 5% is suitable for making high grade wine barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years! So the next time you drink wine that has been kept in French oak, sip carefully and savor the taste all the more!
 | A few days ago The Wine Society had a "Wine Appreciation Dinner" in The Royal Room of the Intercontinental The Grand, New Delhi. Jeff Cook, General Manger Asia/Japan, Jackson Estates International, owners of the Kendall Jackson label was visiting and it served as a great opportunity to try out their wines. Kendall Jackson wines are imported by Brindco Ltd. |
| While many in the wine industry were hoping that the Indian government would reduce the high taxes on the import of wine and beer in the new budget, there was no such luck. Indian Finance Minster P. Chidambaram decided to keep the taxes at 150% even while under pressure from the EU. Hotels are the only exception as they do not have to pay duty on wine, beer and other liquor. |  |
 | Did you know what French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte thought of champagne? Here's what he said, "In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it." Napoleon first met Champagne maker Jean-Remy Moët while at French military school. The friendship of these two men would have lasting impact on the history of the Champagne region and on the beverage itself as Napoleon actively supported his friend and stopped by his Chateau often even after becoming emperor. |
In the last Sunday Observer magazine, Tim Atkins chose a selection of wines from unusual destinations, and he recommended the 2006 Sula Sauvignon Blanc from India (£7.99, Novum Wines). "By far the best Indian white wine I've ever had (and that's not faint praise), this is an attractive, nettley white with a vibrant, palate-tingling acidity."
It was one of 12 selected, and featured alongside an ice wine from Canada (2004 Jackson Triggs Vidal Icewine, Niagara) and a white 2005 Santorini , Hatzidakis, Greece. Our congratulations to Sula!
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