A true revelation for me at this year's Vinexpo was a (re) introduction to the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, says Harshal Shah.There is still a slight misconception amongst wine-drinkers that these sweet wines are best served either with foie-gras or with dessert, making them wines that are locked away in a cupboard until a 'special occasion.' But, as my eyes and palate were opened by the ebullient Bérénice Lurton of Château Climens in Barsac, what truly makes these sweet wines so special is their ability to marry a host of cuisines.

For over 25 years, the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855 (Médoc & Sauternes) has organized a dinner honoring the international press on the first evening of Vinexpo-Bordeaux, the world's premier wine and spirits trade fair, said Sylvain Boivert - Directeur
CONSEIL des GRANDS CRUS CLASSES en 1855. This dinner is always held at a first growth, and this year the tradition continued as more than 300 people came together at Château Lafite-Rothschild on Sunday, June 21, 2009.

With temperatures rising across India, it is imperative that you keep your wines appropriately cooled so that they taste their very best when you open them. Keeping them in a dark corner or just stashing them in your fridge amid your raitas and left-over chicken curry may not be good enough. A wine fridge maybe needed. Here are some temperature recommendations.

There's good news for wine lovers with the introduction of Oz Wine Bars into the country. These devices which are being imported by Amfora Wines allow restaurants to preserve open bottles of wine for longer periods. Restaurants with these devices can serve more wines by the glass at more affordable prices without the wines going bad too quickly. The first restaurant to get the Oz Wine Bar is Lodhi Garden Restaurant in Delhi. A definite win for consumers.

One sign that the Indian wine market is getting more competitive is in how ownership stakes in major wine makers change. Indage Vintners is giving 40.28% of its company to four investors - Anam Transport Pvt. Ltd, Sanjivani Horticulture Pvt. Ltd, Arsh Advisors and Owners Ltd and Asian Sirius Energy Ltd for Rs. 90.6 crore. IVL will use the money raised from the investors to reduce debt, fund existing operations, meet long-term working capital requirements and other corporate purposes, it said. Shiv Singh reports.

Chilean wine is not unfamiliar with partnerships and Almaviva is the product of one. Just over a decade ago, in 1997 Baroness Philppine de Rothschild and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle of Concho y Toro formed a Franco - Chilean partnership. Prior to that the Baroness had sent Patrick Lyon to Chile in search of a suitable parcel of land to grow grapes in the French tradition. Last week Rahoul B Singh met export manager, Diego Goray who was visiting India as part of a whirlwind tour.

Brindco Limited, leading importer and distributor in India and part owner of Grover Vineyards, has appointed Christophe Orlarei as General Manager, Marketing with effect from July 7th, 2009. In other news, Dr. Ariff Jamal who was the CEO of Grover Vineyards is returning to France after having completed his one year assignment. He had earlier helped build Brindco Sales and was instrumental in the exponential growth of its imported wine portfolio in India.

Indian wine enthusiasts had the opportunity to taste Nine Hills wines and chat with winemaker Jean-Manuel Jacquinot at events held in Juhu Gymkhana and The Park in Navi Mumbai, recently, writes Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

After two mandates and a complete reorganization of the group since his appointment in 1997, Dominique Chardon has stepped down as chairman of Sopexa. He is succeeded by Jean-Michel Lemetayer.

In his capacity as chairman, Chardon implemented several projects to improve the competitiveness of the company, paving the way for buying back the State's holding, which was around 20% of the capital.

I've just discovered a wonderful new application for my iPhone that helps me choose a wine match wherever I may be - shopping for wine before a dinner party or dining out at a restaurant. It's like having a personal sommelier at my beck and call!

Greetings from what is being heralded as 'The Signature Business Event' for the wine world. Bordeaux is teeming with visitors from all around the world. Over 41,000 square metres have been allocated to exhibitors representing 48 different countries. Harshal Shah reports.

If you are in Pune on Wednesday, 24 June 2009 you can look forward to a very special Pan-Asian dinner at Silk Route, Brinda Gill writes. Rita and Nainpal Sawhney, owners of Silk Route, Pune's popular Oriental restaurant, are hosting a wine dinner on 24 June 2009 with an elaborate menu.

It was a champagne and foie gras experience for the Bangalore Wine Club at L'Experience du Vin, their sit-down dinner at the Taj Residency on Saturday, 13 June 2009. The dinner which combined fine dining in a candlelit ambience with a comparison of New World and Old World wines, proved to be enjoyable as well as educational.

The wines of Austria are a national treasure that we, in India, are barely aware of. However, Willi Klinger, Managing Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, along with his dedicated team, is going all out to spread the good word, writes Reva K Singh.
At the Austrian Wine Summit 2009, Klinger announced with almost evangelical zeal, "We have one goal to fight for - and that is good wine and good food to make the world better."

Introducing the programme, "Discover Wine Wonderland Austria", Klinger was addressing a large gathering of members of the press and wine trade from 36 countries.

In a move that's sure to cause a lot of angst within the Indian wine community, the Delhi government has changed its taxation policy from a flat fee of Rs. 150 on imported wine to 30% of the price. A bottle of Louis Roederer champagne will jump from Rs 5,890 to Rs 7,500, while Moet & Chandon, currently priced at Rs 3,950, could be priced over Rs 5,000 at retail, said industry sources. Shiv Singh reports on the latest episode of the Indian wine tax saga.

After completing his two-year contract, Stephane Soret has decided to return to France and will be leaving for Paris on June 25th. During his tenure as Head Sommelier at The Imperial, Soret managed and grew the wine programme of the hotel. He sourced wines from well known producers around the world, as well as little-known wineries making excellent wine.

Vishal Kadakia of Wine Park, Martin Kronenberg of Casa Brancaia and Antonio Colaianni of the Michelin starred restaurant, Il Casale were in New Delhi to talk about and introduce their wines and food to the Indian palate. Rahoul Singh was present at the tasting at Rick's Bar at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi.

As India stands poised as one of the world's fastest growing wine markets in the world, with the potential to raise the per capita annual consumption from one tablespoon to a bottle the subject of "Pairing wine with Indian Spice" gains considerable relevance. It's only when we can match wine with our national, regional, and local cuisine, that we can hope for this fascinating drink to make it to our dining tables on a daily basis says Sonal Holland as she recommends pairings in the latest issue of Sommelier India. Subscribe today to read the whole story.

Sometimes it takes a visiting journalist to capture the essence of a city's nightlife better than anyone else. This time it was a Wall Street Journal reporter's turn who covered the nightlife in South Mumbai (SOBO) and in North Mumbai (NOBO) and discussed the best places for wine. First on the list was one of our own favorites - Indigo (4 Mandlik Rd., Colaba; 91-22-6636-8985) as a place with a large list (old news to us!) and a great place to start an evening.

"Cosmetics to make people beautiful, Wine to make them seem even more so and Food to help absorb and refine your senses greatly." - This was the message from His Excellency Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont, Ambassador of France in India - and was the package that the French were looking to present to India. And what a presentation it was! writes Sommelier India's Suneeta Sodhi Kanga from Mumbai. Pictured is Doctor Vijay Mallya & H.E. Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont.

Guess what, Decanter's bi-annual Power List 2009 is out and we're proud to report that it includes one of our own - Sanjay Menon, occasional SI contributor, wine importer, proprietor of Sonary's, and founder of the KBR School of Wine that runs WSET courses around the country.

At the Sommelier India-Brindco Vertical on 3 June 2009, members of the press and hospitality trade were treated to seven vintages of Château Brane-Cantenac, Second Grand Cru Classé from Margaux. A handsome, hardbound booklet inscribed in gold lettering gave a historical background of the estate and provided tasting notes from 2000 to 2006, reports Reva K Singh.

If you are seeking in depth information on the Indian wine industry, you may find the new report released by Companiesandmarkets.com of interest. This is a unique website providing market reports and company specific information to market research buyers worldwide, across 27 vertical industry sectors. Detailed market reports are available to purchase on this website, from a wide range of specialist market research publishers. The Wine in India report costs £560.00.

You probably may know Hello Kitty as the Japanese fictional character around whom is a line of accessories that generates $1 billion in sales each year. From dolls, stickers and greeting cards to clothes, accessories, school supplies, dishes and home appliances, Hello Kitty is nearly everywhere (there's even an airplane with the character on it). And now that list includes wine too! Italian luxury good manufacturer has partnered with winemaker Tenimenti Castelrotto to market four wines featuring Hello Kitty in its packaging. The wines will be available in the US and European markets.

On 3 June, Sommelier India and Brindco organized an exclusive dinner at threesixty° in the Oberoi to coincide with the first visit of Henri Lurton of Château Brane-Cantenac, to India, reports IP Singh. Henri is the fourth generation owner of the Château Brane-Cantenac, Second Growth, Cru Classé, Margaux, in the Bordeaux region of France. Mr. Henri Lurton at the Wine Appreciation dinner with invited guests on either side of him.

The Leela Kempinsky, Mumbai along with Prestige Wines and Spirits, hosted an exquisite winemaker's buffet dinner to present the Torres wines from Spain, writes Suneeta Kanga. The grand Leela ballroom was primped for this special occasion. Christopher Newbery, the General Manager, Leela and Mark Perello from Prestige, extended a warm welcome to guests who had the privilege of meeting Miguel A. Torres, president of Torres S.A.