A frisson of pleasure ran through me as we stepped into the Asiate restaurant on the 35th floor of the New York Mandarin Oriental hotel with its sweeping views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline from 16-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows. Waiting to be seated my eyes travelled to a dramatic 'wall of wine' at the entrance with wine bottles displayed in glass cabinets that house over 1,300 bottles of the restaurant's wine collection. Despite these eye-catching features and designer Tony Chi's glittering sculpture of tree branches in winter in the middle of the ceiling, the 90-seat restaurant is striking in its elegance and simplicity. Left: Restaurant Asiate's Wine Wall

The aftermath of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ has brought definite benefits for the wine industry in South Africa. As Su Birch, CEO, Wines of South Africa (WOSA), noted, "For the most part there has been a marked increase in sales volumes amongst those countries with a high level of interest in soccer."

Good Earth Winery recently launched a Cabernet-Shiraz blend, Antaraa, to their portfolio of wines. "We wanted to include a red wine to the easy drinking Raga Collection," Girish Mhatre told Sommelier India correspondent, Brinda Gill. Good Earth already has the Concerto Collection comprising the reserve wines, Basso which is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Brio, a Shiraz, while the Raga Collection has Aarohi, a Sauvignon Blanc.

A recent wine tasting at The Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon, arranged by Gianander Dua, Director De Vine and Hops Marketing, saw the launch of a range of red and white wines from Château St. Jacques d'Albas and Ferrandière Estate in the south of France. Not having been to The Leela for a wine tasting before this event, I was impressed by the wine service and quality of glasses, writes Isheeta Gupta who was present at the Tasting. Unsuitable stemware being one of my pet peeves, it put me in a good mood even before I tasted the wine.
Above: Jacques Gau, Gyanendra Dua and Graham Nutter

A new issue of Sommelier India Wine Magazine is out! July/August 2010 is another content rich edition covering a host of subjects to inform and entertain the reader. Along with our regular sections like On the Grapevine, Restaurants That Love Wine, Wine Basics, Partners in Wine and SI Tasting Panel Recommendations, we've added a new series called Ask Our Expert in which Dr Ariff Jamal will take questions on matters pertaining to wine. With his vast knowledge of wine and firsthand experience of life in India, Dr Jamal is particularly well-equipped to provide you with the best answers and clear your doubts. Write to us at info@sommelierindia.com and we'll pass the questions on to him. Finally, the current issue also includes the SIWC award-winning wines, the best wines to drink in India, listed by grape for easy selection. The magazine is available for sale via subscription and is stocked at high-end retail outlets across the country. Don't miss it.

The Sommelier India Tasting Panel tastes a selection of Indian and International Viognier. Left to right: Rukn Luthra, Rovina Sabnani, Harshal Shah, Reva K Singh and visiting SI co-publisher, Shiv Singh. British wine writer and broadcaster, Oz Clarke says of Viognier that you should imagine all the aromatic flowers and fruit that you can, and then throw them into a glass and you'll have Viognier. And certainly, the examples that we tried were wonderfully aromatic.

The first ever tasting of Bordeaux Blends from the Gimblett Gravels region of New Zealand took place recently in Bordeaux. Hosted jointly by Henri Lurton, Proprietor of Château Brane-Cantenac, Steve Smith MW of Craggy Range Winery and CH'NG Poh Tiong, Publisher of Chinese Bordeaux Guide and The Wine Review, on 28 June 2010, the walk-around tasting followed by a buffet lunch in the cellar of this fine Margaux Second Growth château was a historic confluence of the fine wines of New Zealand in Bordeaux, writes Reva K. Singh. Pictured above: Steve Smith and Henri Lurton

The Masters of Wine remain the most elite professionals within the world of wine, with currently only 280 MWs scattered around 23 different countries none of whom are India based. But with applications opening this week, maybe it is time to ask yourselves if you're ready for the challenge.

Globus Wines is now selling its Miazma brand of wines to select Indian restaurants and the UK consumer via its website www.finewineofindia.com. By opening an internet channel, Miazma has become the first Indian wine company to set up online sales in the UK and take the Indian wine experience direct to consumers.

We all know what it's like to be handed a wine list at a business dinner and not know how to make a suitable selection. It can be downright embarrassing. Understanding wine is essential in today's world. You can start by reading about wine and developing a taste memory of all the wines you drink. You can also go to wine school. But if you are looking to immerse yourself in a short but extreme wine experience, writes Reva K. Singh, La Verrière (pictured) is the place for you.

Elizabetta Nonino, third generation of the Nonino family, was recently in India to launch her family's eponymous grappa and introduce us to this alcoholic by-product of wine. Grappa is an Italian alcohol which is made by distilling pomace, a by-product of the winemaking process. Suneeta Sodhi Kanga has a grip on grappa, in case you are wondering what it is. Left: Elisabetta Nonino, daughter of Giannola Nonino, founder of Orazio Nonino