Valladolid (Spain) wines are being launched in a series of events in Delhi on the 11th and 12th of October including one at the Spanish embassy. Watch for more information about these events.

The Valladolid province includes parts of the famous Ribera del Duero wine growing region. The oldest reference to wine in this region is more than 2,000 years old. Wine production in this region was consolidated in the 10th and 11th century and in the 13th century the first underground wine cellars appeared.

Grover Vineyards is today the only domestic wine major not to own a production facility in Maharashtra and that's about to change. By February 2007, Grover Vineyards plans to crush and bottle wine at a hired bottling plant in Maharasthra and will put up its own winery there later in the year.

Why bother doing this? Quite simply because Maharashtra's excise duties are aimed at protecting local producers and push up the prices of wines not produced there. By the end of September, Grover's second line of wines, christened Sante, will be on retail shelves across the country except in Maharasthra. These wines will be 60% cheaper than Grover's existing wines.

But they cannot be sold in Maharashtra at the same price because of the excise duties. This will change once the wines are produced within the state as well. Read more at Business Standard.

UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya on Tuesday said he wants to introduce a new brand of wine called Kingfisher Wine. There is also a move to launch a luxury beer called Kingfisher Ultra.

Revealing this at AGM, Mallya said Kingfisher wine will be launched in six months. "We have the distribution muscle to push this through,' Mallya said.

Le Poesie Italian wines from Veneto region in Italy are now available in Mumbai for immediate sale.

The wines available include Le Poesie Soave D.O.C. (white wine from the Garganega grape), Le Poesie Bardolino D.O.C. (red wine from the Corvina Veronese, Rondenella and Molinara grapes) and Le Poesie Valpolicella D.O.C. (Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes).

Shobhaa De is a best-selling author, columnist, social commentator and die-hard foodie, who likes to demystify fine wining and dining... "Please don't waste a mellow Petrus on me. And yes, you needn't decant that Latour either. When it comes to reds - even the best of the best - my tongue rebels. I'm very much a Blanc de Blanc woman. I like my wines light, fruity and friendly. Give me a happy rosé ......give me a light and lovely Zinfandel, and you'll see me sparkle. But those deep, mysterious and intense Reds...they just make me nervous.

I see dinner companions roll their favourite Bordeaux or Burgundy in a handsome Riedel and I literally see...you've guessed it - red!!"

Joseph Phelps's Insignia was Wine Spectator's 2005 Wine of the Year. Last year 12,400 wines were blinded tasted by Wine Spectator tasters. From those Insignia was chosen.

In contrast to most other Californian wines, from the very first Insignia in 1974, the varietal name was left off the bottle. The wine drinker was left to guess what grapes were used to make the wine. Prior to founding a vineyard, Joseph Phelps ran a construction company in Colorado. The wines are available in India through Brindco.

Grover Vineyards plans to aggressively target first time wine buyers this fall when it introduces two new wines. The Chenin Blanc will be priced at Rs 300 while the Shiraz will be priced at Rs. 200 for a 750ml bottle. Grover hopes to sell 1.5 lakh bottles of these two wines during the first full year of their launch.

Prosecco wines were launched at the Italian Cultural Center in New Delhi earlier this month. The Riccardo Prosecco IGT wines are produced from grapes grown on the hills surrounding Valdobbiadene, in the north-eastern region of Veneto, and the Riccardo Azienda Agricola is the first company to guarantee their products with the food chain traceability certification to ensure quality and safety.

Ghulam Naqshband is the Chairman Emeritus of Le Passage to India Tours and Travels and has been involved in the Indian Tourism Industry for 45 years. He is the founder of the Alliance Francaise de Delhi and Is Managing Trustee of the Naqshband Educational Trust for Indian Culture. He has been the Vice President of the International Congress and Convention Association, A,msterdam and Chairman if its Asia Pacific Chapter. Mr Naqshband is widely travelled.

“Wine drinking is a culture that is widespread in many parts of the world and it is only recently catching on in India. I recall the time when Golconda wines came on the scene with little success, followed by the appearance of Bosca wine which got eclipsed after the three wine makers – Grover Vineyards, Indage (India) and Sula Vineyards started marketing their products. They have done much needed service to the country, as their wines are not only consumed here but some of them are even exported, earning foreign exchange.

It seemed like the perfect gimmick: a celebrity porn star would launch her own wine, with her alluring picture on the label. Savanna Samson did just that, but when it received a score of 90 to 91 out of 100 by wine guru Robert Parker, the project became serious. It turns out Samson, the star of "The New Devil in Miss Jones," has produced an exceptional wine, becoming the toast of two industries: wine-making and pornography. Read the Reuters India interview on the new queen of winemaking.

Joe Davis, Founder of Arcadian Winery was interviewed by Graperadio.com recently. His controversial interview created a storm in the international wine community has he had some strong comments on how wines age and whether wines are designed to appeal to critics versus consumers.

Grape Radio is a web based radio dedicated to the world of wine. If you're a serious wine enthusiast, you'll definitely want to check them out.