The winemaker dinner hosted by the Leela and Paula De Martino and her son Sebastian De Martino from the Maipo valley was a gastronomically delightful and memorable affair thanks to the craftsmanship of Italian Chef Maximiliano Cotilli, writes Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

As many of you know, earlier this month Sommelier India celebrated its 4th Anniversary. We've come a long way in four short years publishing the country's first wine magazine (24 issues and 950 pages, and still counting), recruiting the best wine writers in India and the world as contributors, and published a wide range of articles (over 1100) online, in what has evolved into a vastly popular sister publication with an identity of its own.

The publication and the SI team have made it into the Limca Book of Records and been profiled on international television and in the international and domestic press. We wouldn't have gotten here without the support of our readers, the participation of the Indian wine industry and the advertisers who astutely saw how powerful an advertising medium the publication was. Many of these stakeholders were at the Anniversary Party. See their photographs in the gallery!

Forget your usual watering holes... Flavours? Diva? Smokehouse Grill? There's a new wine-loving restaurant in Delhi. Hotfoot your way to the Manor Hotel and discover Indian Accent. It's time to move on and experiment with wine and Indian food, writes Reva Singh.

The first edition of the India International Wine Fair (IIWF) organised by Informa was unveiled in Mumbai at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on 16 March, 2009. Set against the backdrop of what is perceived to be India's rapidly growing wine market supported by attractive demographics and rising incomes, this event was dedicated entirely to the wine industry. Sonal Holland reports. View the photo gallery.

Special guests, delegates and visitors to the first India International Wine Fair were treated to exclusive 2004 vintages from 12 Grands Crus Classés and major Bordeaux vineyards at an elegant wine dinner at Taj Land's End, hosted by General Manager Rohit Khosla. Sommelier India was among the guests invited.

Aspri Spirits has added domestic wine producer Indus Vineyards to its portfolio and will be doing marketing and distribution for it. The contract is on a mutual exclusivity basis and Aspri holds the rights to distribute and market the wines of the producer in the country and internationally.

A 1727 English text about winemaking in Burgundy reveals how French winemakers simultaneously reduced their labor and day-care costs, by "putting little Children into the Tubs to tread the Grapes to Pieces, who by running about in these large Tubs, as the Grapes are throwing in, tread them under their Feet, which more effectually bruises and heats them, than 'tis possible to do by beating with Sticks or Battoons." Is that really child labor? It sounds like a lot of fun!

The EU and Italian government focus on F&B promotion in India.
EAT (European Art of Taste) is a programme supported by the European Union and Italian Government that promotes the best of European food and wine. By lending its support, the European Union guarantees the quality, authenticity and safety of the products.

New York is one of those strange cities where you can only buy wine in a licensed liquor store or winery. On your way home from work you cannot walk into a grocery store or a supermarket and pick up a bottle or two. A debate is raging over whether to turn over this prohibition era law. Regardless of the outcome, we in the Indian wine world can learn from the New Yorkers. Shiv Singh discusses how.

Following on the heels of its successful second mission to India, which included a series of promotional food events in November and culminated in two familiarisation tours in December 2008 and February 2009 to Italy, Opera announces a further series of programmes in May as a part of its third mission to India.

The Sommelier India anniversary party held earlier this month was covered by the Hindustan Times among other mainstream media outlets. Describing the evening, the HT noted, " a very cosmopolitan gathering tasted some French and Spanish wines on one of the balmiest evenings the city has seen this season." View our photo gallery.

Sommelier India - The Wine Magazine, March/April 2009 - now on the news stands - celebrates four years in print with a feast of articles, with Jancis Robinson discussing some of the world's most admired producers, Raghu Bahadur casting a quizzical eye on the problems of wine storage in India and Harshal Shah educating us about indigeneous Spanish grapes as the Sommelier India Tasting Panel picks their favourite wines from Murcia. Devesh Agarwal describes what it takes to be a qualified sommelier and Sonal Holland tells readers which wine shops in Mumbai to frequent after a firsthand survey. This issue is definitely an inviting read.

Fulfillment is the word best used to describe the Spanish Wines evening hosted by Ravish Ahuja, Chairman, Kiara Wines, at the ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai, notes Suneeta Kanga. Ravish is looking to further increase and enrich the Indian wine basket with a spectacular bouquet of the most elegant wines from the Toro region of Spain. Pictured are Nicola Thornton from Farina wines, Ravish Ahuja, Chairman, Kiara Wines, Consul General of Spain Cesar Alba with Suneeta Kanga.

You are entertaining a colleague. It's a publisher's lunch. Or perhaps you belong to the Ladies Who Lunch set. There are many palates to please, but you don't fancy a buffet. What could be better than the Korean set menu at India Jones? They say it's vibrant, it's delicious, it's spicy. If you want a good lunch with time enough to talk, a fixed menu is the answer. There's no dithering over what to order.

We've all extolled the virtues of drinking wine especially as a healthier drink compared to other alcoholic beverages. In fact, the wine industry, quoting reliable academic research has encouraged the general population to choose wine as a healthy drink when consumed in moderation. But recent press reports have brought into question the health benefits of wine which for centuries has been regarded as a healthier alcoholic beverage than most others. Can drinking wine really put Indian women at increased risk of getting breast cancer? Not in itself, no.

Sommelier India's wine reception at the Shangri-La Hotel on Saturday, March 7th, certainly turned out to be an evening worth remembering. Organised alfresco, the lovely Delhi weather in March with a light breeze blowing across the lawns of the Shangri-La, made for an ideal ambience as the magazine celebrated its fourth anniversary, writes Kulpreet Yadav. Pictured here are Parmeet Nayar and Andrew Steele of Shangri-La with Reva and Bunty Singh.

A question Sommelier India often gets asked is which wines to serve at a party and our advice is, serve a wine that's appropriate for the kind of event you are planning and the number of guests invited. "Trophy wines will not do well at a large gathering. In fact, you would be doing the wines a disservice," says Reva Singh.

Arguably, a vineyard is always a reflection of its proprietor and the Indian vineyards are no exception. In the case of Sula Vineyards, Rajeev Samant's personal style, California influence (as much in outlook as in the wine) and marketing acumen is visible everywhere. And as Sula celebrates its 10th anniversary on March 14th with a day-long concert at the beautiful, open-air amphitheater set in the middle of Sula's estate vineyards wine culture at its best will be on display.

Last week I was at an evening engagement here in New York where one of the guests (an Indian bonds trader) extolled the virtues of Zinfandels. It got me thinking about Zinfandels, writes Shiv Singh. What are they like and do they make sense for Indian wine lovers?

Soon after its successful launch in Pune, Four Seasons wines were launched in Bangalore. The launch by USL of the Four Seasons range was done in style at the Blue Bar at the Taj West End, Bangalore, on Sunday, March 1, writes Ruma Singh.Members of the Bangalore Wine Club, the exclusive invitees to the event, got a chance to sip, swirl and savour not just a couple, but six wines from its newly launched range.

One of the last traditional poster artists from France, Jean-Pierre Got
creates, paints and prints advertisement posters for vineyards, wine firms and wine events on-commission around the world. For almost seventy years, "Les Caves Fleury", one of the oldest wine merchants in Bordeaux had a large painting adorning their outdoor cellar walls. The mural was painted in the 1930s by famous French art deco poster artist, Jean Dupas (1882-1964).

The inaugural Distil Awards will be held on Wednesday, 13th May at Café de Paris, London, by Distil, the three-day specialist spirit show, which runs alongside the London International Wine Fair. Going by Event Manager Jo Sturdy's comments, it should be a fun evening. And having attended the London International Wine Fair in the past, we know that to be a fact. So if you happen to be in London take yourself to Café de Paris!

A special wine dinner is being held the Taj Lands End in association with IIWF and Brindco - the 'Grand Cru de Bordeaux' presented by Mr. David Wrigley - Master of Wine, WSET on March 17th at 7:45pm. Twelve Bordeaux wines of the 2004 vintage will be presented at a six course dinner with Perigord Truffles, Artisanal Cheese, Welsh Lamb and Singe Origin Chocolate. The dinner is priced at Rs 5000 per person inclusive of tax. The dress code is semi formal.

Sopexa India, the Indian arm of the food and beverage marketing promotion board of France plans to conduct several engagement programmes with the hospitality industry in Mumbai over the next few months according to Hospitality Biz. It is also planning a familiarisation trip for prime Indian importers to various Chateaus in France.

Barokes has achieved a gold medal for wine in a can, something that has never been done in the history of wine judging! Following Barokes' significant win at the European Patent Office in mid February where its European patent for wine in a can was confirmed, this innovative Australian wine producer has now been awarded a Gold Medal for its Cabernet Shiraz Merlot.