"Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome," gushed B. Shankaranarayan, Moderator, Pune Gourmet Club, as members and guests arrived at Trikaya restaurant, Pashan Road, Pune, to celebrate Pune Gourmet Club's third anniversary on Sunday, September 27, 2009.

Three welcomes he said were for the three enjoyable years gone by, and the fourth welcome was for the fourth year being ushered in! Left, above: Members of the Pune Gourmet Club celebrate their third Anniversary.

After France, Australia's wines make up the second largest category of wines imported into India. This category has been growing steadily over the last few years and presently represents a growth rate of just about 20% per annum. It seemed only logical then, to continue the education and awareness of the regional Australian wine.

To answer that extremely important and often overlooked question you need to first know the calories inherent in wine. A 4-oz glass of wine ranges from about 80 to 100 calories. Always keep that in mind. Secondly, lighter wines have fewer calories than heavier wines.

Sometimes fairy tales happen in the world of wine too. Jean-Charles Boisset, scion of France's third largest wine company, and Gina Gallo, granddaughter of Julio Gallo and the face of the E&J Gallo winery (America's largest) were married on September 26th in San Francisco. Gina Gallo was in Nashik last winter for the tastings at Sula Vineyards where the Sommelier India team met her. Separately, Ruma Singh of Sommelier India interviewed Jean-Charles Boisset in a recent issue.

Federico Ceretto was recently in India. Dynamic and charming and dedicated to his family wine business, Federico is a good ambassador for Ceretto Wines from Piedmont, Italy. Federico visited several cities during his trip to India to promote his wines. We met him at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi with Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, and Arun Kumar, Director, of Aspri Spirits who are the importers of Ceretto Wines. But first some background. Reva Singh fills you in.(Left: Federico Ceretto in India)

If you're a consumer wondering which wines to buy for a party or what to drink when you're at a fine dining establishment, help is on the way. The Sommelier India Wine Competition will tell you which are the best wines to drink. As a home grown competition with the top Indian palates tasting the wines, you will finally know which wines are most suitable for every occasion and setting.

And if you're a domestic or international producer or an importer, it is not too late to participate. Do not miss this opportunity. Entry is available to all wines being sold or imported into India whether they are high end wines served at the top hotels or everyday drinking labels. Each wine will be judged against its peers based on the category in which it falls.

With the release of its 2007 vintage, Château Brane-Cantenac has made a change in its legendary label. The question in the minds of everyone involved was, "Why change such a recognizable label that has seduced customers for so many years?" So, why, indeed, did they? asks Reva K. Singh

Austrian wine has not experienced as severe a backlash as some other wine markets in the current economic scenario. Indeed, Austrian exports saw a 10% rise in volume while earnings remained stable. "We were anticipating this development because of the big harvest in 2008," said Willi Klinger, general manager of Austrian Wine Marketing Board. "Also, the trend towards favourably priced wines during the economic crisis had been predicted."

Terroir - The Madras Wine Club organised its fourth event since its inauguration in January 2009 at the fashionable 10 Downing Street pub in Chennai with a tasting of UB's Four Seasons range of wines, on September 3, 2009, reports Chinmaya Arjun Raja.
Left: Members of Terroir - The Madras Wine Club

For an estate that has changed hands more times than a Premier League football team, Château Lagrange of St. Julien has certainly maintained its quality and philosophy of producing powerful, fruity yet elegant wines, writes Harshal Shah of Sommelier India - The Wine Magazine.
In the photo: Bruno Eynard of Château Lagrange

Co-publisher, Shiv Singh, appeared on the front page of Ad Age recognized as one of 16 Media Mavens in the marketing and advertising industry in the US. When Sommelier India was mentioned in the article we shared in the reflected glory fleetingly! Shiv who has also written Social Media Marketing For Dummies, brings his digital marketing expertise to Sommelier India. Continue reading for the complete profile.

The last few weeks saw the official launch of the Four Seasons range of wines by the United Spirits Ltd in two cities: Bangalore and Chennai, reports Ruma Singh. Pictured is Matthew Hayden with guests at the Chennai Launch. Click the photograph to enlarge.

Architecture and wine have a deep, historic relationship. And sometimes, that relationship gets manifested in an unusual way. As it happens, a new road bridge that's being proposed will slice right through some of Mosel Valley's most famous vineyards in Germany. One wine writer is up in arms about it and justifiably so.

Judging wines for almost as long as she has been a Master of Wine, Rosemary George believes that wine competitions serve a useful purpose. Continue reading for the extract of this article. The full article appears in the September/October issue of Sommelier India. The Sommelier India Wine Competition will be held on November 19th and 20th, 2009 in Mumbai.

If trade reports are to be believed, consumers may find wine being sold in departmental stores and other locations across Delhi. The Wine & Beer shops and the private wine outlets (some of which are very good) won't be the only ones carrying wines in the future.

We assume that more expensive wines are better. And while that is often the case, it isn't always. Reputation, brand, history, vintage, production volume and where you're drinking all influence the price. If you're new to wine, there's another reason to consider cheaper wines. It is only when you drink wines at different price points and of different regions and styles do you learn how to appreciate the finer wines. Drinking widely so that you build your memory bank of wine styles will allow you to learn what you really like too.

Earlier today while meandering my way through the heart of Brooklyn, I stumbled upon Cocoa bar which I believe could serve as the model for Barista's foray into the Indian wine scene. Read on to discover how wine has already successfully found a place in a luxurious coffee shop in a little corner of New York. Shiv Singh reports.

It is probably too early to assume that Indage Vintners is on the mend but it has taken important steps in that direction. Most recently, it came to a settlement with Australian Vintage Ltd over the failure to complete the purchase of the Loxton winery. Both cash and wine were involved in the settlement.

The latest issue of Sommelier India has just hit the newsstands and this is one you definitely don't want to miss. The Sommelier India Tasting Panel tastes a selection of Rosé wines available in India and chooses their favorites. A judge at many international wine competitions, Rosemary George believes they serve a purpose. Chad Arnold answers your questions about Sherry, Rex Weiner explains how a family from South India is involved in launching a Californian wine while Sonal Holland shares her impressions of Californian wines. Alok Chandra comments on the taxation saga, Ruma Singh interviews Lucio Matricardi of Château de Banyan and Neethu Sheth talks to Naina Hiranandani about her love for South African wine.

With 66 pages packed with stories on wine and the wine lifestyle, this is our largest issue yet! If you're not a subscriber, visit the subscriptions page to subscribe today. You'll receive this latest issue in no time

Now the European Union is concerned about the wine taxation across India. The European commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Mariann Fischer Boel, said the state variations in taxes was unacceptable to them when talking to the press in Delhi.

Can you imagine a world in which you walk into your local Barista coffee shop and order a glass of wine instead of a coffee? According to the COO of Barista, that world may not be too far in the distant future. The company intends to invest Rs. 40 crore in opening new outlets and plans to sell wine and beer too. One can only imagine what that would do for the growth of wine in India and for the producers who appear on the menus. But questions remain. Shiv Singh reports.

The International Food & Drink Expo India 2009 is taking place between 2 - 4 December 2009, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. This is a great way to get a foothold in India and build your brand. Every business will have their own individual reasons for participating but here for your consideration is what the Organisers have to say.

The event on the 22 August 2009 organised by the Bombay Wine Club at the Four Seasons Hotel, Worli, was not your typical wine tasting night. It was more of a get-together for members and an opportunity to showcase four new wines available in the country coupled with interesting hors d'eouvres, writes Suneeta Kanga.
(In the photo:Vishal Kadakia, Suneeta Kanga, Hemant, Parul, Nirav Desai and Ashu Kadakia)

On the 28 August, Godrej Nature's Basket and Sopexa launched Savour France, a promotion to acquaint consumers with French wines and cheeses at Nature's Basket outlets. Savour France will run till 6 September 2009, reports Naina Hiranandani.