The leading lights of the wine world were gathered together at the lovely hamlet of Le Crestet in early June for a symposium to discuss the future of Grenache. The grape is the world's fourth most planted grape varietal, but is barely known to consumers, especially in new wine markets like India, writes Reva K. Singh. Organised by Nicole Folet of Domaine de la Verrière and Walter McKinlay of Domaine de Mourchon, the Grenache Symposium was led by international wine experts, Steven Spurrier and Michel Bettane.

The goal of the first ever Mondial du Sauvignon Blanc Concourse that took place in Bordeaux was to encourage the promotion of good quality wines from the Sauvignon vine and to familiarise the public its richness and diversity, according to the organizers, who are based in Belgium, writes Harshal Shah of Sommelier India who was a member of the international judging panel.

The Wine Society recently took its much anticipated day-trip up to Nashik, to wander around a few of its finer vineyards, and learn more about the winemaking process. The four-hour journey to Nashik from Mumbai is best covered by train, being more reliable than the roads, which are prone to accidents, traffic jams and delays, writes Piyush Gadkari.
Above:The Wine Society of India team

Bordeaux is abuzz - the sun is out, the coats, jumpers and gloves have been put away and everyone is at their sexy best as the temperature heads towards 30° C. Mouths are buzzing too over the ongoing release of the 2009 vintage of Bordeaux wines, comments Harshal Shah.

There is a tremendous need for wine education in India but how many strong wine education options do we have? The earliest formal programme was probably the KBR School of Wine which runs courses in association with The Wine and Spirits Trust of London. Hotels, wine clubs and societies around the country frequently run courses of their own, some of which are very good although limited. But now there's an international wine course option available in the heart of the Austrian wine region, which is head and shoulders above the rest, and for the first time the teaching medium is English.

The Bangalore Wine Club kick started its post-summer programme of wine events in June with a very well attended brunch event, the Indian Wine Village. The BWC holds this Indian wine-centric event every year, usually over a Sunday brunch, in a bid to encourage wine lovers to taste and try the best of Indian wine available each year reports Ruma Singh. Left: Four Seasons table at the Wine Village

Donnafugata is the name of a leading winemaker from Sicily. A family enterprise since 1851, they are rapidly finding markets for their wines all over the world. In India they have appointed Aspri Spirits and
distribute in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi through them, reports IP Singh who tasted the wines at a recent wine dinner organised by the Wine Society of Delhi. Left: A bottle of Donnafugata Anthilia

It was time for Bangalore's wine lovers to taste some of the best from Sicily. Donnafugata wines, owned by the Rallo family and distributed in India by Aspri, came to Bangalore and showcased four of their labels at the Park Hotel's well-known iTalia restaurant at an exclusive wine dinner for 30 wine lovers and Ruma Singh was one of them.
Left: Bottles of Donnafugata wines served

Sommelier India Wine Magazine Co-Publisher based in New York, Shiv Singh, makes a career shift run digital marketing for PepsiCo NA Beverages. A consummate digital social media strategist and author of Social Media Marketing for Dummies, Shiv remains committed to the development of India's first magazine on wine. Read more about his move in Advertising Age and Adweek. In addition to co-publishing Sommelier India, Shiv had been an executive at Razorfish Inc., part of the Publicis Groupe.

If you miss your Indian wines with Indian food when travelling overseas, here's good news for you. One of India's premier wine producers, Grover Vineyards, has joined forces with Bibendum, UK's foremost wine company, to distribute their wines on an exclusive basis in the UK. Initially, three wines will be represented - Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet-Shiraz and the award-winning La Reserve.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) increased the number of wine buyers visiting its biennial Vienna wine show for the first time by about 100, with a fair representation from new markets such as India. According to Willi Klinger, managing director of The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB), the objective of VieVinum, which takes place every alternate year, is to expand trade.

Just in the mood for a cup of coffee? Or would you prefer a glass of wine as you chat with friends or talk business with colleagues? Now you can have either, or even both, at your friendly neighbourhood coffee bar, says Ruma Singh. Left: Sanjay Coutinho of Barista with Abhay Kewadkar of UB at the launch

The night of June 3 saw the seventh edition of Apèritif à la Française, a celebration of the French heritage of food and drink, lifestyle and culture. The theme for this year's festival was 'Celebrating Conoisseurship' and by the spread of quality cheese, chocolate, pastries and wines, it seemed that no expense had been spared to ensure that everyone who attended did indeed celebrate. Harshal Shah has the story.

The most important wine fair in Austria, Vievinum is a wine summit for wine lovers and gastronomes. And the buzz surrounding it is a clear reflection of the vibrant market for wine that Austria has become. As Austria's biggest wine festival, it provided the opportunity to taste 3000 wines from more than 500 winemakers. Reva Singh of Sommelier India WINE magazine reports from Vienna.

Vinexpo Asia recently concluded, it ran from the 25th of May to the 27th of May. Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Wan Chai, the city with the highest per capita wine consumption in Asia - 3.5 liters of wine per person per year according to the International Wine and Spirits Report (IWSR), saw over 800 exhibitors from 32 countries and close to 9,500 wine professionals exchange notes over seminars and tastings. Rahoul Singh who was on location in Hong Kong at Vinexpo for Sommelier India WINE magazine reports.