vetro, at The Oberoi, Mumbai has introduced the Scintillante Sunday Lunch which includes fine, authentic Italian food with a free flow of Moet & Chandon champagne; select Italian red and white wines; Bombay Sapphire Gin and Grey Goose Vodka. Send Sommelier India your wine news for publication on the blog.

The Marquis Ferdinando of the Frescobaldi family will be visiting India between August 22nd and 28th to present wines from the Frescobaldi portfolio. Exclusive dinners will be held in Delhi and Mumbai.

The family has been producing wines for over 700 years and 30 generations. Some of their prestigious estates include Castello Nipozzano, Castelgiocondo and Luce Dell Vite. Frescobaldi wines are imported by Brindco Limited.

The Bangalore Wine Club had a sit-down wine dinner at the Leela Palace hotel, Bangalore on 2nd August. The event was organised in partnership with the Howling Wolves Wine Group, whose director Damien Knowles had come down along with the Bombay-based importers just for the event.

The Howling Wolves Wine Group is based in the Margaret River area of Western Australia, near Perth, and has tied-up with Baumgarten & Wallia Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Brihan-Maharashtra Sugar Syndicate Limited for the import and marketing of their wines in India.

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Bombay's oenophile Sanjay Menon, will take his class at Indigo Deli in Mumbai through a tutored tasting of wines made from one grape varietal. For the first class, he will explore the world’s most planted white wine varietal – Chardonnay. The class will conclude with a tasting of 3 (or 4) wines from both the old and new world.

Sanjay will continue to take a class on every third Saturday of the month at the Deli. In each session he will discuss basic issues concerning wine such as, the tasting process and how to store wine. This will be followed by a tasting of wines from the same varietal from different wine growing regions around the world. From 6pm-7pm. Cover charge: Rs.600. To participate call 022 6655 1010

The World Trade Centre,Mumbai has organised a conference on,"Export Potential of Indian Wine" based on a Research undertaken by Siddhi Management Consultants at Nasik. All those related to the Wine Industry are cordially invited for this presentation followed by a discussion. The event is being held on August 12th, 2006. For more information please email info@siddhimanagement.com or call Prashant on 922632032.

Tittarelli Wines, a part of the Argentinean wine making history since 1915 have been launched in India by Mr Jagdeep Chowgule of Best Foods & Wine Impex of Goa, a company focused on bringing in the best Wines from Argentina into the Indian Market. According to Mr Chowgule " Argentina is renowned worldwide for its great varieties AND and delicious Wines.

We are very proud and happy to be associated with the rich and historic wine brand of Tittarelli, which is much loved by the British, French, Americans, Canadians and Brazilians.

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The Grand Hyatt Mumbai and Best Foods & Wines hosted one of Argentina's award winning winemakers, Tittarelli S.A. Their Finca el Retiro Malbec 2003 got a bronze medal at the 2005 Decanter World Wines Awards. The family owned business was started by Italian immigrants and have been producing wine and olive oil since 1915.

The London International Wine & Spirits Fair took place between May16 – 18, and was a very slickly-organised event. Equally impressive was the width and depth of participation by wine companies from all over the world. Now in its 26th year, the LISFW is firmly established as the leading annual international wine fair in the world, where everybody who is anybody in wine takes part. The UK is the world’s largest import market for wines (some 140 million cases), so competition is fierce. Read Alok Chandra's report below.

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As the smallest alcoholic drinks category across Asia-Pacific, wine represents the biggest opportunity for global producers. This market segment has grown from a marginal 3.30 m litres in 2000 to 3.75 m litres in 2005 and is worth US$ 35.9 m today. It is, therefore, no surprise that the French with their atomic wine weapon ‘Vinexpo‘ chosen the sixth overseas exhibition to be held in the inaugural city of Hong Kong where the first took place in 1998.

Over three days the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center hosted just under 600 producers from more than 28 countries from around the globe and catered for over 6,500 visitors. An estimate of 40 percent of visitors were from Hong Kong and Macao and the remaining from the rest of Asia. Read Dr Ariff Jamal's report below.

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Rumor has it that the staff at the Wine Bar in Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai really know their stuff. Depending on what you're planning to eat, they'll tell you which wines to try. The beauty of it all is that you can buy wines by the glass. They stock 16 wines at the moment but are planning to increase that to 70 over time.

Ajay Gothwal sent us this news blurb.

Cool weather, live band, grape crushing by models and Champagne Indage wines like MDP Ivy Brut, Ivy White Zinfandel, Chantilli Chardonnay and the Chantilli Cabernet Sauvignon all made for a successful wine evening in Bhutan recently. The evening combined the prize distribution ceremony of the Haa Golf Winners with the Chantilli Harvest festival. Music was provided by Krosswindz of Kolkota.

Asia's most comprehensive international wine exhibition will be held in Singapore between November 2nd and 4th, 2006. Over 450 exhibitors from 23 countries will spend 3 days wheeling and dealing with key buyers, importers and distributors, retail chain owners, F&B purchasing directors and wine enthusiasts from across Asia. A total of 15,000 visitors are expected at Wine for Asia this year.

The Ambassador of France in India H.E. Mr.Dominique Girard inaugurated the “Apéritif à la française” festival in Delhi on June 1st, 2006. The festival which was organized by Sopexa, the Food and Beverage Marketing and Promotion Board of France, the French Embassy in India and the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was held at 28 locations across the world at the same time.

H.E. Mr.Dominique Girard, The Ambassador of France in India (centre) pictured with Rajiv Singhal, Charge de Mission, Sopexa India (right) at the “Apéritif à la française” festival in Delhi.

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Sopexa, the Food and Beverage Marketing and Promotion Board of France, the French Embassy in India and the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will hold the “Apéritif à la française” on June 1st 2006. In its third edition, this international celebration of simplicity and fun will bring together a selection of French fine foods, wines and spirits. Set up in a panoramic room at the majestic Qutab Minar, this seasonal grocery market will be “open” to all lovers of France’s fine food culture.

Sommelier India is visiting Vinexpo in Hong Kong this week. We're combing the exhibition halls to learn how the wine industry is looking to quench India's thirst for world class wines. Vinexpo is Asia's largest wine exhibition with nearly 600 producers from 28 countries and regions including France, Italy, Germany, the United States, China and some Latin American countries exhibiting their wine and spirit products.

As reported by Decanter Magazine, an unbreakable wine glass made of a new material called Kwarx was launched at Vinexpo. Kwarx glass is handblown crystal and is supposed to retain lustre and transparency as well as being unbreakable. Journalists at Vinexpo were given an opportunity to break the glass. Non succeeded. We'll keep you informed as to when this important revolution comes to India.