The first-ever 'Wine Fest & Seminar 2009' in Bangalore was organised by the Karnataka Wine Board in the sylvan settings of the 240-acre Lalbagh Gardens on July 10 - 12, with just three local wine companies taking part, Grover Vineyards, Naka Spurt, and Kinvah. While a far cry from the affairs we have been witness to in Mumbai and Delhi, this was a significant first step for local wine producers and wine marketing companies, and provides an important precedent for such fairs in future. Alok Chandra reports.

A new issue of Sommelier India has just hit the newsstands and you don't want to miss it! Jancis Robinson discusses blends and finds that there's much to be said for blending. Ashwini Patel Avate discovers a fantasy château in Bordeaux, Kavita Faiella applies some simple psychology to what you find in your glass and in life while Harshal Shah interviews Indian industrialist and sugar baron Dhruv Sawhney about his fascination for wine. Mr. Sawhney is also a member of the Sommelier India Advisory Council.

With 60 pages packed with stories on wine and the wine lifestyle, this is an issue that you must read. Be sure to read the interview with Rajeev Samant by Brinda Gill and get some tips on where to buy wine from Ameeta Sharma who reviews the Delhi wine scene. If you're not a subscriber, visit the subscriptions page to subscribe today. You'll receive this latest issue in no time.

Having visited India at regular intervals over the past ten years to promote Bichot wines through Brindco, I took up a 12-month assignment on 4 May 2008 to help Brindco penetrate and lead in the organised retail segment of the Indian wine market.

Sommelier India Wine Competition, that's what's next on the cards. Ever since I heard that the India Wine Challenge had been cancelled along with IFE, I have been mulling over the proposal that Sommelier India step into the breach with a wine competition of its own. As India's only magazine dedicated to wine with a national presence it seemed the logical thing to do. So, here we are, all set to make a success of it!

Our partners are The Wine Society of India with Steven Spurrier as Chairman of the Competition. Steven's credentials are impeccable as the architect of the Decanter World Wide Awards and Japan Wine Challenge. Considering also his familiarity with India and extensive wine tasting experience, we couldn't do better. Watch the Sommelier India website for more details in the coming weeks and months.

Over 80 members of the Bangalore Wine Club recently got together at the newly launched Vivanta by Taj Hotel in the upscale International Tech Park in Bangalore. The reason? To promote and celebrate Indian wines over an al fresco lunch in an event called The Indian Wine Village. Ruma Singh reports

There's good news for wine lovers with the introduction of Oz Wine Bars into the country. These devices which are being imported by Amfora Wines allow restaurants to preserve open bottles of wine for longer periods. Restaurants with these devices can serve more wines by the glass at more affordable prices without the wines going bad too quickly. The first restaurant to get the Oz Wine Bar is Lodhi Garden Restaurant in Delhi. A definite win for consumers.

One sign that the Indian wine market is getting more competitive is in how ownership stakes in major wine makers change. Indage Vintners is giving 40.28% of its company to four investors - Anam Transport Pvt. Ltd, Sanjivani Horticulture Pvt. Ltd, Arsh Advisors and Owners Ltd and Asian Sirius Energy Ltd for Rs. 90.6 crore. IVL will use the money raised from the investors to reduce debt, fund existing operations, meet long-term working capital requirements and other corporate purposes, it said. Shiv Singh reports.

Chilean wine is not unfamiliar with partnerships and Almaviva is the product of one. Just over a decade ago, in 1997 Baroness Philppine de Rothschild and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle of Concho y Toro formed a Franco - Chilean partnership. Prior to that the Baroness had sent Patrick Lyon to Chile in search of a suitable parcel of land to grow grapes in the French tradition. Last week Rahoul B Singh met export manager, Diego Goray who was visiting India as part of a whirlwind tour.

Brindco Limited, leading importer and distributor in India and part owner of Grover Vineyards, has appointed Christophe Orlarei as General Manager, Marketing with effect from July 7th, 2009. In other news, Dr. Ariff Jamal who was the CEO of Grover Vineyards is returning to France after having completed his one year assignment. He had earlier helped build Brindco Sales and was instrumental in the exponential growth of its imported wine portfolio in India.

In a move that's sure to cause a lot of angst within the Indian wine community, the Delhi government has changed its taxation policy from a flat fee of Rs. 150 on imported wine to 30% of the price. A bottle of Louis Roederer champagne will jump from Rs 5,890 to Rs 7,500, while Moet & Chandon, currently priced at Rs 3,950, could be priced over Rs 5,000 at retail, said industry sources. Shiv Singh reports on the latest episode of the Indian wine tax saga.

After completing his two-year contract, Stephane Soret has decided to return to France and will be leaving for Paris on June 25th. During his tenure as Head Sommelier at The Imperial, Soret managed and grew the wine programme of the hotel. He sourced wines from well known producers around the world, as well as little-known wineries making excellent wine.

Guess what, Decanter's bi-annual Power List 2009 is out and we're proud to report that it includes one of our own - Sanjay Menon, occasional SI contributor, wine importer, proprietor of Sonary's, and founder of the KBR School of Wine that runs WSET courses around the country.

If you are seeking in depth information on the Indian wine industry, you may find the new report released by Companiesandmarkets.com of interest. This is a unique website providing market reports and company specific information to market research buyers worldwide, across 27 vertical industry sectors. Detailed market reports are available to purchase on this website, from a wide range of specialist market research publishers. The Wine in India report costs £560.00.

Indage Vintners Ltd has recently entered into an MOU to form a Joint Venture with Cavit, an Italian wine company based in Trentino, Italy, reports Brinda Gill. The aim of the joint venture is to further leverage the production and distribution infrastructure of both companies to maximize potential sales and reduce cost of market entry in various defined markets.

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