Cognac (named after the town of Cognac in France), is savoured by connoisseurs as an 'after dinner' drink (particularly on cold winter evenings) and is often enjoyed with a good Cuban cigar, although it is now commonly drunk as an aperitif, as a mixer as well as by itself. And it must be said that the new rich in China, drink it at all times! writes Arjun Sawhny.
Right: Arjun Sawhny with his wife and Brand Ambassador, Chian Mei

The Sommelier India Panel tastes a selection of Rosé wines

(Right: Empty bottles of rosé after the Tasting)
You heard it first from Sommelier India: rosé is making a comeback and will be the wine to be seen sipping next summer. At least we at the magazine can call it our
mission to get you to drink more rosé. The Tasting Panel, now nicely established with a healthy mix of sommeliers and wine professionals, decided to try out the handful of rosé's available in India. On the whole, the wines appeared exactly as rosés should - unpretentious, delightfully fresh, and easy to drink.

My friend Reva - editor and publisher of Sommelier India, the country's first and, so far only, wine magazine - is puzzled. So, presumably, is Sharad Pawar who, according to popular report, owns acres and acres of grape-producing vineyards in the Nashik region. Jug Suraiya proceeds to answer the question himself with unfailing wit. Excerpted from the magazine.

In line with its promise and commitment to create signature and innovative events involving wine and related lifestyle experiences, W3 - the revolutionary all women's club in India paired up with Lancome, the world's leading make-up and skincare brand, for an afternoon weaving the magic of 'Wine and Beauty', reports Sonal Holland. Pictured from left to right: Chandni Dhall, Dharti Desai, Gul Panag, Craig Wedge, Kiran Patil, Sonal Holland and Dinesh Dayal

We've been in settings where we've seen wine being spilt on a gorgeous Kashmiri carpet. Sometimes it may have even our own carpets as a dinner guest swayed a bit too fluidly to the music while holding his glass. Those carpet disasters are always bound to happen. The question is what can be done to limit their damage to your carpet. Here are some tips for red wine spills.

In 1997, an unassuming young viticulturalist and winemaker, Andrew Nugent, chanced his arm in the emerging wine region of the Adelaide Hills and planted vineyards and an olive grove on 100 acres in Woodside, Australia. Andrew dreamed of becoming a wine maker since his school days. Today "Bird in Hand" is the largest privately owned Wine group of Australia and has innumerable awards to its credit.
Right: Sumedh Singh Mandla, Jackie Mattai, Suneeta Sodhi Kanga and Justine Nugent

Spain is a wonderful country with so much to recommend it, from its people (who don't always speak English) to its incredible, avant-garde cuisine. Indeed, it is home to many of the founders of molecular gastronomy - chefs like Juan Mari Arzak and Ferran Adriá. And of course, there's the wine. Harshal Shah reports.

Sixteen of the Wine Society's luckiest members had the privilege of dining with Bernadette Thienpont - the maker of our Bordeaux Private Label - this past week at Valhalla Restaurant, Churchgate (Mumbai), writes Piyush Gadkari. The Wine Circle dinner - hosted by WSI Wine buyer and educator Myles Mayall - kicked off with some delicious Piper Heidsieck Champagne, a welcome drink for arriving members. Left: Bernadette Thienpont

Interesting conversation and commendable Australian wines come together at The Tasting Room in Mumbai on 11 February 2010. De Bortoli Wines from the Yarra Valley, in the country since four years now, organized the tasting in collaboration with FineWinesnMore. Vivacious Nikki Palun, Marketing & Trade Manager for Asia Pacific from De Bortoli Wines tells Naina Hiranandani what makes her wines so special.
Pictured left: Senior VP FineWinesnMore, Craig Wedge, CEO FineWinesnMore, Dharti Desai and Nikki Palun

Another year and another harvest season for most wine producers in India with one exception. 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of Sula Vineyards and its putting on a special Sulafest 2010 celebration on February 20th, 2010 in Nasik, Maharasthra. Don't miss it!

Sunday! Traditionally it's a day of rest and recreation, where one can, without any degree of guilt or concern, sequester themselves as far away from the trials and tribulations often associated with the machinations of life in Mumbai town. Trust the pioneering spirit of the team from W3 to throw a spanner in the works. A brunch centered around a wine tutorial?? Now there is a new level of wine entertainment to be admired....
Left: Dharti Desai Founder W3, Nikki Palun of De Bortoli Wines, Chandni Dhall Partner W3

There's no better way to taste and judge medal-winning wine than to sit down in exclusive company over a 4-course gourmet meal paired with the wines. So when 50 wine lovers got the invitation to be present to try out the Nine Hills range of Reserve wines by Pernod-Ricard and have the first official tasting of the SIWC Gold medal winning Nine Hills Reserve Shiraz, few could refuse the offer.

Sometimes our wine industry is done a disservice by how it is represented in the media - whether that be the mainstream or the trade press. Recently in a trade consultant's newsletter, the Sommelier India Wine Competition results were misinterpreted and did an injustice to the winners. The record needs to be set straight as sloppy journalism drives uninformed opinions. Shiv Singh takes umbrage at the report.

In ancient Greece, a dinner host would take the first sip of wine to assure guests the wine was not poisoned, hence the phrase "drinking to one's health." And "toasting" specifically started in ancient Rome when the Romans continued the Greek tradition but localized it by dropping a piece of toasted bread into each wine glass to temper undesirable tastes or excessive acidity. Here's some toasting etiquette for the modern world.

A select guest list of wine lovers in Bangalore enjoyed a Riesling treat recently with a tasting of nine wines from MO-RHE-NA Wine Exports from Germany, led by well-known winemaker Ulrich Langguth and his son, Patrick, writes Ruma Singh. Guests savoured every sip of a remarkable selection of wines from boutique German wineries. Pictured above, from left to right: Anna Minocher, Patrick Langguth, Ruma Singh, Ulrich Langguth and Rishad Minocher

"In the old days royalty travelled long distances with great fanfare and style. We would like to carry on the tradition and invite you to a luxurious afternoon in Mandwa (Alibaug). Ocean Blue will whisk you across the harbor to Ccaza Ccomodore for a lavish Miazma BBQ brunch." Sommelier India's Suneeta Sodhi Kanga found this invitation irresistible

Wine tastings in themselves can be, after a tipping point, a heady experience. Swirl, sniff, sip and smile, reports Rahoul B Singh. The much practiced routine is followed either by an inconsequential opinion or a much valued insight even in the Indian wine scene. Left to right: Gildas d'Ollone of Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Reva K Singh of Sommelier India WINE magazine, Aman Dhall of Brindco and Al Portney of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

The knights of von Kesselstatt may have first arrived in the region as early as the 14th century, but this time around we had double Michelin star chef, Gerhard Gartner and his wife Annegret Reh-Gartner, who together run one of the most prestigious Riesling estates in the Mosel, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, visit us in India. Suneeta Sodhi Kanga attended a wine dinner in Mumbai which showcased their excellent culinary and winemaking skills. Pictured are Chef Gerhartd Gartner, Suneeta Kanga of Sommelier India, Annegret Reh-Gartner and Chef Enrico Luise.

Over 450 wine enthusiasts welcomed the upcoming harvest season on the 31st January in Zampa Vineyards in Nasik. 'Do the Twist and crush the grapes to the music!' - was the mantra that was chanted at the Zampa Crush festival as visitors celebrated the grape crushing, writes Jyoti Balani.

When Spanish wine producer and journalist Victor de la Serna told me how much less his 2008 production would weigh after he switched to lighter bottles, I thought he had put a decimal point in the wrong place. Jancis Robinson pulls no punches in her impassioned appeal to the wine industry's 'green' conscience, in this extract from her column in Sommelier India WINE magazine, January/February 2010.

The first event of 2010 at Terroir - The Madras Wine Club was a private screening of the movie "Sideways" at a small auditorium in a hotel open exclusively for Terroir members and spouses on 24th January. It was a Bring Your Own Wine event.

Steven Spurrier analyses the results of the Sommelier India Wine Competition which was conducted along the lines of international competitions and endorses their validity. Editor's Note: This article appears in the current issue of Sommelier India WINE magazine which was mailed in early January to subscribers.