Hot off the press are the India Wine Challenge results. 350 wines participated of which 140 won medals. According to Robert Joseph, this is standard and not overly generous in comparison to other competitions. But only 35 Indian wines from 10 wineries participated in the competition. As Mr. Joseph mentioned to us in an earlier interview, this was a very small number. Most of these wines faired poorly but Indus Winery and Vin & Vouloir showed promise as newcomers. Sula stood out for its Sauvignon Blanc. Grover which had submitted its 2005s did not do well.

The Indian winners included Sula Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Silver Medal), Vin & Vouloir Rose 2007 (Bronze Medal), Sula Dindori Shiraz Reserve 2006 (Bronze Medal), Sula Blush Zinfandel 2007 (Bronze Medal), Seagrams Nine Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Bronze Medal) and Reveilo Chenin Blanc 2005 (Bronze Medal).

The Top Indian Red was Seagrams Nine Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. The Top Pink was Sula's Blush Zinfandel 2007 and the Marquise de Pompadour was the top fizz.

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Friday the 16th of November, ’07 saw the launch of the Bouvet-Ladubay bouquet of wines from the Loire valley in Delhi. The event was hosted by the suave French Ambassador to India, Jerome Bonnafont at his residence. Guests included diplomats, the city’s socialites, wine aficionados, and representatives of the hospitality and wine industry.

Vijay Rekhi, the Managing Director of United Spirits Ltd, a part of the UB Group that owns Bouvet-Ladubay specially flew in from Bangalore for the evening. Pictured above: French Ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont toasts Bouvet-Ladubay with Sommelier India publisher, Reva Singh Read more...

The Times of India is reporting that the government may let airlines serve local wine on their domestic sectors. Haryana MP Tarlochan Singh said it was the practice globally. He said that the government should allow small bottles of Indian brands, and restrict it to maybe one per passenger.

What's driving this sudden support for the local wine industry? Apparently, the MPs have the "farmer interest" in mind.

The vineyard virus scare story originally reported by the Indian Express and picked up by NDTV seems to result in more questions than answers. The facts are few and far between. What we do know for certain is that the Pune-based National Research Center for Grapes has confirmed the story. Not surprisingly, most of the wine producers and grape growers are downplaying the significance of the threat. The truth is it is probably too early to tell.

According to various sources, the viruses detected are rugose wood complex and leafroll and have infected varieties imported from France and Italy. The leafroll virus is well known in the wine industry and a few years ago caused major problems in the Stellenbosch wine region of South Africa resulting in reduced vineyard yields and grapes unripened. For more information on both viruses visit Wine Business.com. Please let us know if you have substantive information on the subject.

Ulrich Langguth was in India recently with his sons to launch his Riesling wines from the Mosel region in South-West Germany. The vineyard of Goldtropfchen at Piesport is one of the world's most famous Riesling sites with outstanding GRAND CRU wines. The vineyard of Gaispad at Traben produces qualities of great finesse and perfume in its wines. The wines will be sold in collaboration with Finewinesmore through a mail order system. Consumers who sign up can choose to have specific wines delivered to them or they can choose to have six different bottles sent to them each month.

Riesling is a white grape variety grown historically in Germany (see German wine), Alsace (France), Austria, and northern Italy. Riesling wines are often consumed when young, when they make a fruity and aromatic wine which may have aromas of green or other apples, grapefruit, peach, honey, rose blossom or cut green grass, and usually a crisp taste due to the high acidity

The Sommelier India team wishes all its readers a Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year. Known as the festival of lights, Diwali is one of India's largest and most popular of festivals. It is also recognized as the Indian new year. Try this Diwali festival website or this one if you are looking for diwali recipes.

The booming Indian wine industry is facing a crisis with two deadly viruses affecting farms across Maharashtra, which accounts for 94 per cent of country’s wine production. While the viruses, blamed on imported plants, were first detected in 2002, fresh cases have been reported this year. The Indian Express reports on the virus fears in Maharashtra and discusses the confusion over how big an issue the threat is. Give us your opinion on the virus threat.Pictured are vines infected by a virus.

Viruses have a dangerous relationship with grapes and have certainly left their mark on the evolution of wine. For example, inadvertently introduced to Europe in 1860 on imported North American vinestocks, phylloxera wiped out a significant portion of European wine grapes in the mid-to-late 1800s. Read more on the phylloxera epidemic.

Sula Vineyards will shortly vend imported Japanese beer “Asahi” in the premium beer segment. Sula is also going to import “Mateus”, a Portuguese wine which can be a big hit among wine drinkers in Goa. The company also plans to import premium vodkas and single-malt whiskeys in the future too. Sula Vineyards has been growing at 50% annually and sees diversification as a way to better leverage its distribution network.

It is also a way to sustain its growth as domestic and international competition intensifies. Sula wines are currently available at supermarkets across Mumbai. These include Haiko (Powai), Spencers (Malad), Hyper City (Malad), Food Island (Juhu & Powai), Spinach (Juhi & Andheri), Nature's Basket (Breach Candy) and Shoprite (Mulund). Learn more about Sula's plans at DNA India.

Mint is reporting that Indian wine manufacturers are uniting under a common forum to fend off competition from multinationals. At least 48 local winemakers, including leaders such as Champagne Indage Ltd, Sula Vineyards Ltd and Grover Vineyards Ltd, are proposing a common manufacturing and marketing strategy.

In our opinion, this is a much needed step and one that we hope will be actively supported by the central and state governments. Find the full article at LiveMint.

The Indian Government is looking to establish a new wine policy. A policy that will bring uniformity in taxation and duties across all the states. This much needed policy would also allow for the sale of wine in departmental stores nationally and the setting up wine parks with common infrastructure facilities. The policy has already been implemented in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The Delhi government too is likely to allow sale of wine in local stores soon.

The ministry has also set up a National Wine Board to develop standards and promote the domestic wine industry. Competition from foreign wines is expected to intensify with the recent reduction in Customs duties on wines and spirits. These much needed initiatives will be heartening for the domestic wine producers who have felt that the government hasn't done enough to support their efforts.

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Globus Wines has partnered with Tata's Star Bazaar to open its first store at Dahisar, Mumbai. As per the arrangement, Globus selects the wines and manages the store too. Globus has plans to open 75 more wine stores in the next two years. They launched Miazma nine months ago and is distributing those wines nationally.

Spread across 300 square feet, the Dahisar store will stock almost all major wine and beer brands present in the country, including the company-owned wine brand Miazma. Visit the store and let us know what you think of their wine selection.

Wine manufacturer Champagne Indage was all set to buy stake in a Swedish company by investing about 10 million US dollars (Rs 39.32 crore) through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Indage Holdings.

The company would get access to Swedish company's distillery assets, ownership of luxury vodka brands produced in Sweden and their distribution rights, the company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. View the full article at Asia Pulse.

Champagne Indage is offering seasonal gift hampers. These include one with two Chantilli bottles, two ocean glasses and a wine opener. Others do not include the wine opener or have different wines. For bulk orders and corporate gifts call ( 9871896409) Hemraj , (9910095951) Kanika , M-9810479011 ( Ajay Kumar Gothwal)

Indigo Delicatessen is offering a special seasonal Wine Box. This is available with white or red wine and includes Arcorac white wine glass and Chardonnay 2004, Michel Larouche SOF, France or the Arcorac red wine glass and Merlot VDP D’OC 2003, Larouche SOF, France both for Rs.1845. For more information call 022 6655 1010.

According to industry statistics, the domestic wine consumption has increased from three million litres in 2003-04 to 7.60 million litres in 2005-06 and 11.25 million litres in 2006-07. The Indian wine market is growing at about 30 to 40 per cent and is expected to maintain this pace for the next five to six years reports The Hindu newspaper.

The big names in the wine production industry include Indage, Sula and Grover Vineyards. Presently, there are 51 grape wine units in the state, including 28 in Nashik, 8 in Sangli, 9 in Pune and 3 in Solarpur. India at present imports 72,000 wine cases (each case consists of about nine litres), out of which 32,000 cases are bottled in origin and the rest imported in bulk flexi bags and subsequently bottled by Indian wineries.

Sula Vineyards has raised Rs. 45 crore from Indivision India Partners (Future Capital Holdings) and another private investor. The money will be used to setup a new winery at Pimpane near Nashik and to expand the capacity at its existing winery. After the investments both wineries will have a capacity of 2 million litres each. In 2005, GEM India Advisors (GIA) had invested Rs 15 crore in the company.