The roses that decorate the ends of vine rows were not originally planted for aesthetic reasons believe it or not. Rose plants are highly susceptible to vine diseases and are usually affected earlier than the vineyard. Thus, roses were originally used to help winegrowers take quick action to protect their vines. They'd serve as an important early warning system for the winegrowers.

The Indian wine industry seems to have been getting a lot of press recently. First appeared a cover story in Lounge, the Sunday magazine of Delhi's Mint, then there was an article in the Toronto Globe and Mail, and finally, the Financial Times of London published a report on Sunday which we have already shared with you. Here are the other two stories.

The Istituto Regionale della Vite e del Vino (IRVV) organized a master class titled "Sicily - Soil, Terroir and Wines" at the Hyatt Regency Pune on January 14, 2012 reports Brinda Gill who was at the tasting. Pictured left: Michèle Shah, wine consultant and Sommelier India's correspondent for Italy

At a small, Italian-style restaurant on the fringes of south Delhi, a wine tasting is under way. Within earshot is the drone of traffic on a four-lane highway and the noisy building site of an overland metro - reminders of India's growing economy. Led by Kulbir Singh, president of the Indian Wine Society, the group of professionals and executives from the beverages industry are sipping from long-stemmed glasses of Piper-Heidsieck champagne.

This piece by James Lamont originally appeared in the Financial Times of London on January 22nd, 2012.

You are at an upmarket restaurant and have ordered an expensive wine. As you taste the wine, both you and your companion are disappointed with the way it tastes, to the point that you suspect that it is not sound. The sommelier, hovering within earshot, has overheard you, or has read your body language, because he comes up to you and himself has tasted it.

Kings of old had people taste their food before they ate, but Raghu Bahadur wonders if it's a good idea for a sommelier to taste the wine before its drunk?

An excellent wine dinner at Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi provided an opportunity to know more about the magnificent Edmond de Rothschild universe of wines, writes Romain Bonnaud. Organized within the spacious lounges of The Chambers, this event shed light on Château Clarke and Château Malmaison with an expert commentary by Florent Mougin, Asia Pacific Export Manager. Pictured left. We were welcomed by a glass of Champagne Pommery Brut Royal in which seductive liveliness turned out to be the perfect mouth-watering starter with a selection of finger food.

The beautifully laid tables and upbeat salsa music made for the perfect ambience for the launch of Cono Sur, Chile's second-largest wine producer, exporter and one of its most recognized wineries, writes Suneeta Sodhi Kanga, who was present at the launch. Cono Sur's wines are exclusively imported by Sula Selections, the import arm of Sula Vineyards. A degustation dinner was hosted to launch these wines in India at Pali Village Café, Bandra, Mumbai last November.

Rajeev Samant, Founder and CEO of Sula Vineyards pictured at the launch of Cono Sur Wines in India

Bordeaux. The name itself evokes images of grand châteaus, vast expanses of vineyards, expensive vintages and, of course, a beautiful city that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding urban and architectural ensemble", writes Rohan Jelkie who was there recently on a wine course at École du Vin. Pictured: LaBRI, Université Bordeaux

According to a new study, women who drink two glasses of wine every day say they're having better sex than their teetotaling counterparts. The University of Florence, Italy study assessed sexual satisfaction of 800 women between age 18 and 50 in its research study.

The best way to know, understand and enjoy wine is to taste and drink it. The Oberoi New Delhi, offers wine lovers a wonderful opportunity with its Enoteca Wine Programme to sample wines that you may have only heard the name of or read about. Don't overlook the chance to discover wines from estates such as Gaja, Allegrini and Marchesi di Barolo. Click for more info

Here's wishing you dear readers, a new year filled with good fortune, health and happiness - and of course, many good bottles and happy reading!

2011 was another rewarding year for Sommelier India. We covered more wine news and happenings, tasted a greater number of wines, published richer stories, produced bigger issues and hosted exciting wine events throughout the year for the benefit of our growing readership. Thanks to your lively interest, contributions, participation and loyalty, Sommelier India's reach has grown exponentially. With your continued involvement, we hope 2012 will be even more satisfying and fun-filled in our wine journey together.

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