Sydney one weekend, Neustadt, Germany the next. And it seems the rain has followed me from Sydney, via Delhi to Neustadt. It has not, however, put a dampener on the tenth anniversary of MundusVini, among the largest wine competitions in the world, writes Sommelier India correspondent, Harshal Shah.

The momentum is picking up for IFDE 2010 which is scheduled to take place at the end of this year in Delhi with another leading international Government Body confirming their support. Austrade, the Australian Government's trade and investment development agency have announced their commitment to the show and the official endorsement of the Australian Pavilion.

The 3rd International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine will take place in Hong Kong, a foodie paradise and now also an international centre for wine in Asia.
Left: Ming Court at the Langham Place, Hong Kong, which will cater the ICCCW Farewell Dinner

Sydney has certainly changed, even in the 12 months since I last visited. What is really exciting is that there is a host of wine bar-like venues that are quickly making this beautiful city an exciting venue for wine-lovers, a mantle previously (and in some cases still) held by Melbourne, reports peripatetic SI correspondent, Harshal Shah from Australia. Pictured: The wine list at Bentley Restaurant and Bar

Austrian Pinot Noirs showed their impressive top class status at an international blind tasting held in Singapore on August 4th. The tasting, which was organised by Michael Thurner, the former general manager of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, comprised a total of 34 international wines from the vintages 2001-2008. Pictured: Bottles of Austrian Pinot Noir

Sommelier India wishes all its readers a Happy Independence Day for August 15th. As we think about India's independence, we can't but help reflect on our own growth. We've published over 28 issues of the print magazine with hundreds of articles by some of the best wine writers in the world. This blog too has been extremely popular. Over 1,850 blog posts all since 2005. Thank you for your continued interest.

Now back to the celebration - wondering what to drink today to mark India's independence? Nothing can be more celebratory than one of these Sommelier India Wine Competition winners. Today though, we're only pointing you to the Indian winners!

This is probably one of the most unusual and some would argue illegitimate ways to have fun with wine. I introduce the concept rather hesitantly as wine makers roll their eyes in disgust whenever they hear about it. But it is fun and does warrant trying at least once even though it may result in some rather strange concoctions. Called the Wine Blending Party - it is all about putting yourself in the wine maker's shoes. Shiv Singh explains the idea and dares you to try it.

The launch of York wines in Le Royce Hotel, Pune, on August 6, 2010, was an eclectic mix of live band playing Jazz and Sufi music along with some great food and wines. Adarsh Hegde, Managing Director Le Royce, Ravi Gurnani, Director York Winery (pictured) and food writer Jyoti Balani played hosts to guests such as Amrita Thapar, Ashwin Deo, Sandhya Gokhale, Gauri and Hemant Naiknavare.

There are two new premium wines to try this summer. Big Banyan (owned by John Distilleries Limited) has recently launched Rosa Rossa (which means "pink rose" in Italian) and Bellissima (meaning "beautiful"). The first is a Zinfandel Rosé and the latter a Late Harvest Muscat Dessert wine. The launches are timed for the summer. In fact, Rosé was recently declared the official wine of summer according to Bon Appétit magazine.

The other day I had the opportunity to taste what was in effect the first introduction of Mexican wines to India at the residence of Ambassador Jaime Nualart of Mexico. And if these examples are anything to go by, I hope we'll see more of them in future, says Reva K. Singh.

Have you heard of Grenache? If not, you'll be hearing a lot more in future. Often referred to as the unsung hero of the wine world, it's a grape variety that has not received its due. In early June I attended the world's first symposium dedicated exclusively to Grenache. Read on for Reva Singh's Editor's Note and subscribe to the latest issue of Sommelier India WINE Magazine.