A true revelation for me at this year's Vinexpo was a (re) introduction to the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, says Harshal Shah.There is still a slight misconception amongst wine-drinkers that these sweet wines are best served either with foie-gras or with dessert, making them wines that are locked away in a cupboard until a 'special occasion.' But, as my eyes and palate were opened by the ebullient Bérénice Lurton of Château Climens in Barsac, what truly makes these sweet wines so special is their ability to marry a host of cuisines.

With temperatures rising across India, it is imperative that you keep your wines appropriately cooled so that they taste their very best when you open them. Keeping them in a dark corner or just stashing them in your fridge amid your raitas and left-over chicken curry may not be good enough. A wine fridge maybe needed. Here are some temperature recommendations.

As India stands poised as one of the world's fastest growing wine markets in the world, with the potential to raise the per capita annual consumption from one tablespoon to a bottle the subject of "Pairing wine with Indian Spice" gains considerable relevance. It's only when we can match wine with our national, regional, and local cuisine, that we can hope for this fascinating drink to make it to our dining tables on a daily basis says Sonal Holland as she recommends pairings in the latest issue of Sommelier India. Subscribe today to read the whole story.

Sometimes it takes a visiting journalist to capture the essence of a city's nightlife better than anyone else. This time it was a Wall Street Journal reporter's turn who covered the nightlife in South Mumbai (SOBO) and in North Mumbai (NOBO) and discussed the best places for wine. First on the list was one of our own favorites - Indigo (4 Mandlik Rd., Colaba; 91-22-6636-8985) as a place with a large list (old news to us!) and a great place to start an evening.

Gurgaon finally takes a lead over Delhi, if only in the realm of liquor retailing. Haryana, and by extension Gurgaon, has allowed the setting up of a shop-in-a-shop, by which a liquor store can be located in a large supermarket. It's a good, user friendly concept, says Raghu Bahadur, which will be welcomed by both the trade and the shopper.

Wines, and the names they go by, has a bemused Raghu Bahadur wondering how vintners name their wines. How do you choose a name for your wine? It's in the New World (including India) that the question really becomes relevant for vintners. Starting from scratch and without benefit of a venerable tradition of wine production to draw upon when christening their wines, New World producers hit upon catchy and colloquial names to suit the zeitgeist of the times. Read the full article in the latest issue of Sommelier India.

Wine and classical music have a great deal in common. Just look at the vocabulary alone: words used to describe a good wine are strikingly similar to those used to characterise musical compositions - vivacious, effervescent, elegant, rich...

They say the best way to remove red wine stains is to douse the stain immediately with white wine. Other schools of thought recommend soaking the stained item with soda water. The trick is to apply the 'remedy' as soon as possible says Harshal Shah. First blot the stain with a clean, damp cloth until no more of the red wine can be lifted. Whatever you do, don't frantically rub the stain. It'll spread. Pour white wine over it. You can also use vinegar or salt instead.

Why make a wine tasting a stiff affair where you frown at your glass as if your life depended on it and sniff wine ostentatiously? Why not make it fun, friendly, approachable--the social glue it was before we all started taking it a bit too seriously? Shiv Singh provides guidance on how to organize and conduct a successful wine tasting for wine lovers and friends at home.

Pouilly-Fuissé (poo-ee fwee-say): a village (actually 2 villages, Pouilly and Fuisse) and white wine-producing region in the Maconnais ares of south-eastern Burgundy, close to northern Beaujolais. The grape in Pouilly-Fuissé is 100% Chardonnay. Pouilly-Fuissé wines are typically appley, slightly minerally (flinty) and often honeyed in aroma.

We're excited to introduce the Sommelier India Wines to Buy searchable listings. You can search Indian and foreign wines that are available in retail outlets. You can narrow your search based on the name, grape and producer country. Browse the listings for wine choices, tasting notes, prices and food pairing suggestions. Nearly 500 wins are listed. Please tell us about wines that should be listed and errors in the existing listings. Email us your suggestions.

Astonishingly at a well-known Delhi five-star, lunching with Stephen Spurrier the other day, the restaurant was out of stock with both the bottles of wine he ordered. The wines were Danzante Pinot Grigio which he remembered drinking at the restaurant during his previous stay and Tarapaca Sauvignon Blanc.

As the weather is getting hotter by the day and the spirit freer, it is time to see our wines with a whole new perspective. I am sure by now you must have figured out that those lovely woollens you wore these past months actually served only to hide accumulated layers of flab. Okay, maybe in some cases a little less than the others. Kulpreet Yadav shares his thoughts on how salads go with wines.

Here in India, we're still wrapping our heads around the different vintages. There's more than enough to learn about wine with the grapes, the regions, the tasting formats and the smells that the vintages get ignored. The fact of the matter is that a wine can differ dramatically year to year or with each vintage and as it ages. Shiv Singh comments on vintages and what they mean.

Forget your usual watering holes... Flavours? Diva? Smokehouse Grill? There's a new wine-loving restaurant in Delhi. Hotfoot your way to the Manor Hotel and discover Indian Accent. It's time to move on and experiment with wine and Indian food, writes Reva Singh.