Gourmet enthusiasts in Mumbai were treated to Australian cuisine and premium wines at M Bar, writes Naina Hiranandani. The Australian Trade Commission and Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, in partnership with Tourism New South Wales and Singapore Airlines hosted an enjoyable dinner to mark the launch of their Australian food and wine festival that went on until 6th April at Celini, the Italian restaurant. Pictured is Chef Alessandro Pavoni, Executive Chef of the Park Hyatt Sydney.

Long after the excitement of the Lakme Fashion Week was over what lingered on was the honey smooth taste of the Zampa Chenin Blanc 2008 or, if you were a red wine buff, the Zampa Syrah 2007 with its explosion of red berries and spice, with toasty overtones on the palate, says Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit Vinitaly this year as planned. However, I was more than ably represented by Sommelier India correspondent, Harshal Shah, whose report from Verona appears below. Reva K Singh
Well, it certainly has been a busy 10 days in Europe, particuarly if you are in the wine world. In addition to the En Primeur tastings which kicked off two weeks ago or so, Prowein, Germany's largest wine trade fair was held in Duesseldorf from the 29th to the 31st of March. Pictured are Angelo Gaja and his daughter Gaia who were celebrating 150 years of Gaja wines at Vinitaly

For guests of The Wine Society of India. Come compare, contrast and savour fine wines from across the world at a special evening of wine tasting on April 17, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Delhi. Hosted by Steven Spurrier and The Wine Society of India for its members in Delhi and other guests including Sommelier India subscribers, the Wine Village is a wonderful way to meet and mingle with other wine enthusiasts over wine and light canapés rounded off with dark chocolate paired with red wine.

Boldly spiced food and a passionate wine maker were the featured pairing of The Wine Society's March 27 wine dinner at Yum Yum Tree, writes Jyoti Thottam of Time magazine. The evening started out with a sparkler, Bouvet-Ladubay's Bouvet Brut, served in the grill area of the restaurant, a favorite in New Friends Colony.

The winemaker dinner hosted by the Leela and Paula De Martino and her son Sebastian De Martino from the Maipo valley was a gastronomically delightful and memorable affair thanks to the craftsmanship of Italian Chef Maximiliano Cotilli, writes Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

As many of you know, earlier this month Sommelier India celebrated its 4th Anniversary. We've come a long way in four short years publishing the country's first wine magazine (24 issues and 950 pages, and still counting), recruiting the best wine writers in India and the world as contributors, and published a wide range of articles (over 1100) online, in what has evolved into a vastly popular sister publication with an identity of its own.

The publication and the SI team have made it into the Limca Book of Records and been profiled on international television and in the international and domestic press. We wouldn't have gotten here without the support of our readers, the participation of the Indian wine industry and the advertisers who astutely saw how powerful an advertising medium the publication was. Many of these stakeholders were at the Anniversary Party. See their photographs in the gallery!

The first edition of the India International Wine Fair (IIWF) organised by Informa was unveiled in Mumbai at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on 16 March, 2009. Set against the backdrop of what is perceived to be India's rapidly growing wine market supported by attractive demographics and rising incomes, this event was dedicated entirely to the wine industry. Sonal Holland reports. View the photo gallery.

Special guests, delegates and visitors to the first India International Wine Fair were treated to exclusive 2004 vintages from 12 Grands Crus Classés and major Bordeaux vineyards at an elegant wine dinner at Taj Land's End, hosted by General Manager Rohit Khosla. Sommelier India was among the guests invited.

The Sommelier India anniversary party held earlier this month was covered by the Hindustan Times among other mainstream media outlets. Describing the evening, the HT noted, " a very cosmopolitan gathering tasted some French and Spanish wines on one of the balmiest evenings the city has seen this season." View our photo gallery.

Fulfillment is the word best used to describe the Spanish Wines evening hosted by Ravish Ahuja, Chairman, Kiara Wines, at the ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai, notes Suneeta Kanga. Ravish is looking to further increase and enrich the Indian wine basket with a spectacular bouquet of the most elegant wines from the Toro region of Spain. Pictured are Nicola Thornton from Farina wines, Ravish Ahuja, Chairman, Kiara Wines, Consul General of Spain Cesar Alba with Suneeta Kanga.

Sommelier India's wine reception at the Shangri-La Hotel on Saturday, March 7th, certainly turned out to be an evening worth remembering. Organised alfresco, the lovely Delhi weather in March with a light breeze blowing across the lawns of the Shangri-La, made for an ideal ambience as the magazine celebrated its fourth anniversary, writes Kulpreet Yadav. Pictured here are Parmeet Nayar and Andrew Steele of Shangri-La with Reva and Bunty Singh.

A question Sommelier India often gets asked is which wines to serve at a party and our advice is, serve a wine that's appropriate for the kind of event you are planning and the number of guests invited. "Trophy wines will not do well at a large gathering. In fact, you would be doing the wines a disservice," says Reva Singh.

Arguably, a vineyard is always a reflection of its proprietor and the Indian vineyards are no exception. In the case of Sula Vineyards, Rajeev Samant's personal style, California influence (as much in outlook as in the wine) and marketing acumen is visible everywhere. And as Sula celebrates its 10th anniversary on March 14th with a day-long concert at the beautiful, open-air amphitheater set in the middle of Sula's estate vineyards wine culture at its best will be on display.

Soon after its successful launch in Pune, Four Seasons wines were launched in Bangalore. The launch by USL of the Four Seasons range was done in style at the Blue Bar at the Taj West End, Bangalore, on Sunday, March 1, writes Ruma Singh.Members of the Bangalore Wine Club, the exclusive invitees to the event, got a chance to sip, swirl and savour not just a couple, but six wines from its newly launched range.