Wine Park, this week organised a wine tasting of fine German Rieslings at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai. The young and ambitious Vishal Kadakia of Wine Park, a fast expanding distributor of well-ranked imported wines in India, invited Nikolaus (Nik) Weis, the owner of St.Urbans-Hof, a prestigious winery producing exemplary Rieslings, to present his wines in India, writes Sonal Holland. Right: Vishal Kadakia with Nik Weis.

"Though the wines of Bordeaux are world famous, I feel many wines of small wineries in southwest France produce good wines and offer good value," says Nathalie Turcon, Managing Director, A Drop of Wine. Vineyards in southwest France trace their origins to ancient times and owe their beginnings to the Romans who planted vines in the area writes Brinda Gill from Pune where the wines were launched.

FineWinesnMore organised a four-course dinner at the Hotel Leela Kempinski, Mumbai where fine wines from Germany, with special emphasis on the Rieslings, were paired with fine Indian cuisine at the Jamavar speciality restaurant. Sonal Holland reports.

At least that's what the American wine industry has charged New Delhi. Despite its commitment before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), India has "enacted highly protectionist trade policies" that negate concessions to the multi-lateral trade body, said James Gore of the JBClawson International before the US International Trade Commission's hearing on 'India: Effects of Tariffs and Non-Tariff Measures on US Agricultural Experts'. Press Trust of India has the story.

Mumbai-based Bacchus Bartending Academy (BBA) is planning to introduce new training centers across Mumbai. They will be in Navi Mumbai, Malad and a second in South Mumbai. Targeting both consumers and professionals, the academy educates its students on all facets of bartending with one day courses for amatuers to twelve week courses for professionals. The academy is also tying up with vineyards like Reveilo Vineyards in Nashik for tours as part of the curriculum.

The US is witnessing a slight increase in sales but for cheaper wines thanks to the economic downturn. Gomberg-Fredrikson research undertaken on behalf of the Wine Institute of California shows that the US Wine Market was worth $30 billion in 2008 or 1.3% less than 2007. American consumers are buying more cheaper wines but not enough to compensate for the value of the more expensive wines they have purchased in the past. Restaurant volume is down a full 10%. Are you drinking cheaper wines because of the recession?

Spencer's Retail Limited, one of India's largest multi-format food retailers, has launched a wide range of wines at its 75,000 sq. ft. flagship store in South City Mall in Kolkata. The wine and beer shop-in-shop is spread on 450 sq. ft (approx) and boasts of 180 brands of imported wine.

We're excited to introduce the Sommelier India Wines to Buy searchable listings. You can search Indian and foreign wines that are available in retail outlets. You can narrow your search based on the name, grape and producer country. Browse the listings for wine choices, tasting notes, prices and food pairing suggestions. Nearly 500 wins are listed. Please tell us about wines that should be listed and errors in the existing listings. Email us your suggestions.

Astonishingly at a well-known Delhi five-star, lunching with Stephen Spurrier the other day, the restaurant was out of stock with both the bottles of wine he ordered. The wines were Danzante Pinot Grigio which he remembered drinking at the restaurant during his previous stay and Tarapaca Sauvignon Blanc.

The restaurant was called Colonial, but the accent of the evening was definitely modern European. The evening of 1st April saw an unusual wine tasting initiated by old Bangalore boy Ash Rajan, back home on a trip from his high-powered job with Merril Lynch in the US, writes Ruma Singh. This was also an opportunity for him to indulge in his latest passion -- talking about wine.

Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded Maison Louis Jadot in 1859. But even before then, the story of Maison Jadot had its roots in the vineyards, with the Jadot family's purchase of the Clos des Ursules, a Beaune Premier Cru, in 1826. Pierre-Henry Gagey, the President of Maison Louis Jadot, comes from a long tradition of wine himself. His family, on both sides, has been in the wine business for 200 years. Gagey runs Jadot with a team of 70 people. He was in Delhi recently when he spoke to Sommelier India editor, Reva Singh about the House of Louis Jadot.

As the weather is getting hotter by the day and the spirit freer, it is time to see our wines with a whole new perspective. I am sure by now you must have figured out that those lovely woollens you wore these past months actually served only to hide accumulated layers of flab. Okay, maybe in some cases a little less than the others. Kulpreet Yadav shares his thoughts on how salads go with wines.

Here in India, we're still wrapping our heads around the different vintages. There's more than enough to learn about wine with the grapes, the regions, the tasting formats and the smells that the vintages get ignored. The fact of the matter is that a wine can differ dramatically year to year or with each vintage and as it ages. Shiv Singh comments on vintages and what they mean.

According to statistics released by the state excise department in Pune, revenue collection in terms of percentage growth over the last financial year (2007-08) for alcohol has gone down to 9% from 14%. Similarly, the sale of wine has recorded 19.52% growth -- from 3.55 lakh litres in 2007-08 to 4.24 lakh litres in 2008-09. Yet, the growth pales in comparison to the 52% registered last year over the 2.34 lakh litres wine sale in 2006-07.

International Wine Consulting (IWC) is organising a business tour, "Wine for & from India" in Bordeaux between June 20 and 25, 2009 during Vinexpo, the most important international Wine and Spirits exhibition in France. Wine for & from India has been specially conceived for players in the Indian wine sector to discover the latest trends, meet prominent decision makers and share business strategies.

March 2009 saw the launch of chef Manish Mehrotra's new summer menu along with renowned wine consultant, Charles Metcalfe's first wine list for the glamorous pan-Asian restaurant, Tamarai, in Covent Garden, which opened in September 2006. Tamarai's summer 2009 menu introduces new dishes such as a tangy mango and green papaya salad with banana blossom and pandana dressing, as well as dishes which were created for its recently opened sibling in Delhi, Indian Accent. See previous blog post and read the review of the Delhi restaurant in SI May/June 2009.

Calcutta Wine Club was set up on 16th July 2008 with 12 founder members from diverse walks of life. They were a mixed group, constituting people from the hospitality sector and liquour industry, media and marketing professionals, a film maker and a professional tea-taster - the common link being a genuine interest and passion for wine.

Calcutta Wine Club in association with UB Wines hosted an exclusive evening of Wine Appreciation, marking the launch of its Four Seasons Wine in Kolkata on the 20th of March at The Park. Abhay Kewadkar, Chief Wine Maker and Business Head (USL Wines) who graced the occasion, participated in a freewheeling tête-à-tête with the members of the Club and other wine afficionados present at the event.

Gourmet enthusiasts in Mumbai were treated to Australian cuisine and premium wines at M Bar, writes Naina Hiranandani. The Australian Trade Commission and Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, in partnership with Tourism New South Wales and Singapore Airlines hosted an enjoyable dinner to mark the launch of their Australian food and wine festival that went on until 6th April at Celini, the Italian restaurant. Pictured is Chef Alessandro Pavoni, Executive Chef of the Park Hyatt Sydney.

Long after the excitement of the Lakme Fashion Week was over what lingered on was the honey smooth taste of the Zampa Chenin Blanc 2008 or, if you were a red wine buff, the Zampa Syrah 2007 with its explosion of red berries and spice, with toasty overtones on the palate, says Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

With the En Primeur week just ending, Bordeaux 2008 has turned out to be a surprisingly stronger vintage than most thought it would be. Many wine experts believe that the Right Bank has been especially strong with good structure and tannins suggesting a lot of potential for aging. Shiv Singh comments on the En Primeur.

It gives us great pleasure to announce that Michele Shah was named Best International Journalist at Vinitaly a few days ago. "I had a very moving experience yesterday, being awarded the Best International Journalist prize by Italy's Grand Cru committee, with a really warm standing ovation from the 130 producers! I think it was one of the highlights of my working career!" writes Michele.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit Vinitaly this year as planned. However, I was more than ably represented by Sommelier India correspondent, Harshal Shah, whose report from Verona appears below. Reva K Singh
Well, it certainly has been a busy 10 days in Europe, particuarly if you are in the wine world. In addition to the En Primeur tastings which kicked off two weeks ago or so, Prowein, Germany's largest wine trade fair was held in Duesseldorf from the 29th to the 31st of March. Pictured are Angelo Gaja and his daughter Gaia who were celebrating 150 years of Gaja wines at Vinitaly

In a landmark decision the latest State of New York budget does not allow for grocery stores and supermarkets. The Albany agreement eliminated a proposal to allow the sale of wine in supermarkets and other stores, a measure intended to help close the mounting state deficit. Shiv Singh reports from New York on what this means for consumers. Pictured is a petition hanging in the window of a NY wine store. Click on the image to view it enlarged.

Every day more and more people subscribe to Sommelier India, The Wine Magazine across India and around the world. Many also buy the magazine in retail at hotel and independent book stores in the major Indian cities. And most wine clubs in India have taken bulk subscriptions for its members. As a result, we're happy to announce that The Wine Society of India led by David Banford also offers Sommelier India to all its members across the country as a part of their member benefits.This means more Indians are reading Sommelier India with more visibility for our advertisers. Renowned wine personality, Steven Spurrier is chairman of the Board of Wine Advisors of The Wine Society of India of which SI editor, Reva Singh is also a member. The Wine Society of India offers a variety of specialised programmes and is one of the best ways to receive exceptional quality wines at modest prices in India.

With IFE and InterAds dissolving their joint venture, IFE India 2009 has been cancelled. Neither party is willing to comment on whether there will be an IFE-India 2010. While IFE-India has had mixed results, the bigger loss in this is the India Wine Challenge which has gone from strength to strength each year. We hope that the India Wine Challenge will find a new home. Maybe with IFOWS or possibly with the India International Wine Fair?

For guests of The Wine Society of India. Come compare, contrast and savour fine wines from across the world at a special evening of wine tasting on April 17, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Delhi. Hosted by Steven Spurrier and The Wine Society of India for its members in Delhi and other guests including Sommelier India subscribers, the Wine Village is a wonderful way to meet and mingle with other wine enthusiasts over wine and light canapés rounded off with dark chocolate paired with red wine.

Boldly spiced food and a passionate wine maker were the featured pairing of The Wine Society's March 27 wine dinner at Yum Yum Tree, writes Jyoti Thottam of Time magazine. The evening started out with a sparkler, Bouvet-Ladubay's Bouvet Brut, served in the grill area of the restaurant, a favorite in New Friends Colony.

Don't let the economy push you into drinking bad wine, says Reva Singh. Instead, drink better for less money! You may already have a favourite wine that is easy on the wallet, but UB's newly released Four Seasons 100% varietals score well in the quality-to-price-ratio scale. The wines were introduced to members of The Wine Society, Delhi, at a dinner last week.

The news of wine from other fruits comes at a time when the 58 grape wineries in north and western Maharashtra are in crisis due to a drop in demand, with many brands apparently dishonouring contracts with grape growers.