Why has natural cork become discredited and why are so many wine producers opting for alternative stoppers such as screwcaps? Says Jamie Goode, "For the last decade the closures debate has been one of the most controversial areas of the world of wine, and although many words have been written on the topic, it’s still not any closer to being settled."

Jamie Goode discusses the subject in detail in his excellent article, "The Closures Debate". An extract follows – Read more...

What has 2008 taught the Indian wine industry and what does 2009 have to offer? As we talk to Indian wine consumers everyday and exchange notes with peers in the industry a few themes have bubbled to the surface. This look may be hard but is, we believe, a necessary one for the industry to grow and provide better wine, value and service to Indian consumers. Share your opinions as well. Your voice counts. Shiv Singh reports.

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In November SI was mentioned in Condé Nast Traveller magazine in a spacial feature on India. The Hindustan Times asked Sommelier India publisher, Reva Singh to recommend affordable wines for the winter season. The story appeared in November. And in late December, Reva Singh was also asked to recommend wines for Indian Express readers in Chennai. Based in New York, co-publisher Shiv Singh was in India last month catching up on the wine scene here while keeping the SI flag flying in the Big Apple. Needless to say, for our growing readership some of the best coverage and guidance on the world of wine and the culture surrounding it can be found in the packed pages of Sommelier India!

We're continuously looking for ways to make the magazine a more informative and pleasurable read for our subscribers. This also means looking at different formats of the magazine. With that in mind, we'd like your feedback. Read on for free limited access to all 56 pages of the November/December 2008 print issue.

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You may call me an ardent traveller. My travels in Europe and Africa have imprinted images of how quickly the appearance of places and people can change. Just book a window seat on a daylight flight on a plane and see how dramatically the panoramas of Mother Earth change within an hour. Well, I find the same variations in places and faces in wine.

Travelling around Europe, Stefan Gerber discovers afresh how diverse the world of wine is – and India is no exception.

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Here's wishing you, our wonderful readers, a new year filled with good fortune, health and happiness - and of course, fine wine and happy reading. See you in 2009!
The Sommelier India team.

Wondering what to give your family and friends for the festive season? Nothing beats a subscription to Sommelier India, the country's first and only specialist wine magazine. Each issue has a fabulous mix of articles and service information written by some of the best wine writers in the world. The magazine will open the doors to a whole new and exciting world of wine for whoever receives your gift.

For good measure add a bottle of wine with the first issue. Reveilo has a Christmas gift package with their wines in custom crafted jute bags, which are also filled with fine chocolates.

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is toasting the New Year with an exciting new collection of 11 Wine Series Voyages for 2009. Pick an itinerary of your choice on Silversea, an award-winning cruise line, and indulge your love for wine in luxury, Reva Singh advises.

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Here's a question : Does wine get better with age ? If you've answered 'Of course stupid!', here's some news for you. Wineries in China have started scientific trials using electric fields to speed up the process of ageing wine.

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Come November and the entire North India gets into an affectionate winter hug, while other parts run amok, no longer wary of the heat, writes Kulpreet Yadav. It is that time of the year when ambition is ripe with romantic escapades; the heart is aflutter with festive excitement, and the mouth, off course, salivates just at the thought of good food and great wines.

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The last thing you want to do is look clumsy when you're opening a bottle of Champagne this holiday season. Not only will your friends snicker but you may also lose a lot of good Champagne in the process. Here are the basic steps to remember when you have a bottle in your hand.

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The last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom saw a new king crowned on November 6. Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, 28, was proclaimed the next king by his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, 52, with the title Druk Gyalpo or Dragon King. The ceremony was richly redolent of the colourful traditional culture of the Himalayan mountain state.

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Three factors matter when determining whether a wine is worth collecting or not. Firstly, the wine must have a proven track record of holding well over time. Some wines due to their tannins age much better than others. Secondly, the wine must have a drinking window plateau that is many years long. The drinking window plateau is the period for maturity and approachability. And lastly, there must be a consensus among experts as to the quality of the wine.

If you're beginning to collect wines, look for ones that meet that criteria!

The Sommelier India team wishes all its readers a Happy Diwali and a prosperous New Year. Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being. Celebrate Diwali by opening a bottle of champagne and gift a friend or a family member a subscription to Sommelier India. The next issue will be hitting the newstands very soon. Don't miss it. Subscribe today. If you like the blog, you'll love the print publication. The next issue is our largest ever!

The Mandarin Oriental, Geneva, has added two new, world-class restaurants: 'Rasoi by Vineet' and 'Le Sud', which have already made a mark on the Geneva dining scene among Indian food afficionados and wine lovers. Both restaurants have been designed by the internationally acclaimed Adam D.Tihany – one a strikingly innovative Indian restaurant and the other a contemporary all day French-style brasserie.

For more on Michelin starred Indian restaurants in London including Rasoi, read SI-The Wine Magazine, November/December 2008 — Editor Read more...