Bordeaux & Aquitaine Wine, India 2007 will be held in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore between November 13th and 17th this year. The event will showcase Bordeaux and Aquitaine wines from France through the Proximum Group which has offices in Paris, Beijing and Torino. The trade event is supported by Le Conseil Régional des Vins d'Aquitaine (CRVA) and AAPrA (Association Aquitaine de Promotion Agroalimentaire).

The event is going to feature 40 wine producers from the two regions of France showcasing three to four wines from each producer. The major hotels and restaurants in India are expected to participate in the events.

The French Embassy in New Delhi celebrated the 218th National Day of France on July 14th, 2007. Wine from Alsace was served with French delicacies like Escargo and Legumes. The guests included Delhi based actor Nandita Das and the fashion designer duo, Hemant and Lecoanet.

Wine Park launched its wines last month at Ozone at the Marriot Goa. Members of the trade from the major hotel and restaurant properties got to sample 16 different wines from various regions around the world. Some of the wines represented by The Wine Park include Saint Clair from New Zealand, Brancaia and Querciabella from Italy, Fox Gordon from Australia and Paul Hobb from the USA.

The 14th Vinexpo in Bordeaux (the world’s largest wine and spirits fair,) was once again an excellent meeting ground and business forum for international professionals and businessmen. The exhibition is also a useful platform for sharing knowledge and expertise in the constantly evolving business of wine and spirits. Pictured here is the Château Mouton Rothschild logo at the Club du Lac.

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With sparkling wine, white sangria and a new anniversary menu, Indigo Deli plans to celebrate its second anniversary on Saturday, June 30th and Sunday, July 1st, 2007. They will be open from 9:00am to 1:00am at their Mumbai location and are accepting reservations (Call 66551010). Congratulations!

Approximately 50,000 people from 140 countries attended Vinexpo in Bordeaux this year. Vinexpo which is held every two years in Bordeaux, France is the largest wine exhibition in the world. This industry exhibition is primarily about producers trying to get the attention of negociants and other buyers while everyone else spends time networking, learning more about wine, gossiping and discussing the latest vintages. The Sommelier India Team was at Vinexpo this year and spoke to several prominent wine producers and luminaries about the Indian market.

Expect to find our coverage in the print edition with snippets being published online. In the meantime, here are a few good articles for an overview.

Vinexpo Bordeaux Starts Off Under Stormy Skies from Wine Spectator
A Vinexpo Diary from Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Vinexpo opens in rainy Bordeaux from Drinks International

Pune city witnessed an enthusiastic gathering of wine aficionados sampling wines along with oriental food. Renaissance launched their wines (which have been getting great reviews) in Zen, the oriental restaurant in hotel Aurora Towers on this occasion. Amol Palekar, Gauri and Hemant Naiknavare and Swetta Jumaani attended the event along with several other wine enthusiasts in the city.

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The India Wine Show team just sent us this announcement. The Show will be held this November in Nashik, Maharashtra. The show includes trade seminars, conferences, master classes, vineyard tours, wine tastings and wine awards for the best Indian and imported wines. Sommelier India is a media partner for the show and will be covering on the blog.

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In May both The Wine Society and the Delhi Wine Club held their anniversary dinners. The Wine Society held its annual general meeting and hosted a cooking with wine event at The Park, New Delhi. The Wine Society is 9 years old. It was the 5th year celebration for the Delhi Wine Club which marked the event with a dinner at The Orient Express.

2007 was the largest LIWSF ever staged with approximately a 50/50 split between Old and New World producers. With over 40 seminars, briefings, debates and tutored tastings plus an exceptionally wide range of international wines and spirits were staged under one roof, the show had something of interest for a vast cross section of the industry.

It provided a rich opportunity for importers, buyers and consumers to get acquainted with not just the great names, but a surprising number of small, quality driven estates. “We estimate that there are over 6,000 intriguing and interesting wines to discover,” noted Marketing Director Will Broadfoot. Read more...

The recently concluded Spanish Wine Fair, was by all accounts an outstanding success. Buyers from new and emerging markets like China and India were introduced to the delights of Spanish Wines, while wine makers and industry associations debated the future of their art. The convergence of producers, buyers and importers, media and industry analysts made the fair a vibrant venue.

A venue for addressing the issues, concerns, hopes and aspirations of the various Spanish wine making regions. Read more...

Here's another sign that Indian wine is coming of age. For the first time, Sommelier Alpana Singh is presenting Grover Vineyards Viognier Clairette at a special 600 people wine dinner in Chicago. Other wines being served include Chateau Rayas Blanc and vintage Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Susana Balbo will be speaking at the event.

In 2003, Alpana passed the final exam to become the youngest person ever to achieve the rank of Master Sommelier. (The master sommelier exam has an approximate 3% pass rate). She is currently Director of Wine and Spirits for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in Chicago and last year published a book titled, Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships.

Day three of the Spanish Wine Fair, Fenavin, had two highly informative Round Table discussions on, "Wine and Public Health" and "Wine and Health:Recent Investigations" conducted by both medical practitioners and academics from around the world.

One could not help but take note of the relatively small but increasing number of organic wine growers in the country and the ecological role they were playing in maintaining the terroir of their vineyards and thereby producing ´healthier´ wines. Read more...

Visitors claim there are too many trade shows and one cannot attend them all. It is for this reason that each trade show is becoming a speciality for a certain country and/or a certain range of wines, notes Dr Ariff Jamal. After a successful exhibition, one already plans for the next ProWein scheduled for 16–18 March 2008.

Until then much water will flow under the bridges of the Rhine, Mosel and Neckar when once again the German platform for the wine trade will become alive.

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With over a thousand exhibitors, multiple and parallel conferences on issues as diverse as, “The Impact of Climate Change on the Wine Industry”, ”The Future of High Expression Wines”, ”The Wine Market in Japan” and an illuminating round table on, ”A Matter of Noses” have all contributed in making the first day of the Spanish Wine Fair, Fenavin, both highly informative and from all accounts equally transactive.

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