November 2006 - Posts

• Corporate Wine Etiquettes - Shagun Mehra

  “Wine is the most civilized thing in the world”, said Ernest Hemmingway.   It’s no wonder that wine has today become the backbone of corporate entertaining in India. Right from a private dinner party for select clients to elaborate corporate banquets; sparkling flutes of Champagne and glistening glasses of ruby red wine seem to be flowing at most business events, often becoming the center of conversation as people compare and comment on the body, texture, vintage or flavor of the wine being served. And herein lays the problem. How do you intelligently contribute to this conversation without sounding like someone who thinks Chardonnay was a stylish French actress? In the sophisticated business world, such a faux pas is not viewed as mere ignorance, but could potentially leave you flipside in the rat race compared to your associate who is showing off his cultured side in addition to his razor sharp banking skills. But don’t give up hope just yet. You don’t need to fly off to the vineyards of France for an intensive course on enology. All you need is a few tips for a smooth evening of Cabernets & Beaujolais’.   The basis of knowing wines lies in the grapes. For a businessperson, whose only concern is making sublime dialogue on the subject, identifying some of the more accepted grape varieties of red and white wine should do the trick. These I believe, you would effortlessly attain on most restaurant wine lists. For Reds: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. For whites: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The pronunciation of these names can also every so often prove disastrous. I consider pronouncing correctly, especially if the desire is to make an impression. If you end up ordering a bottle, I recommend you call for a name that sounds proverbial, like the ones listed above. You can commence by ordering a sparkling wine or a glass of white wine as an aperitif to begin with, and proceed to a red and pair it with the main course. If it is a lunch meeting, I would suggest you ask for light bodied whites or rose wines.   Now that you have mastered the art of ordering wines, let us step towards the fundamental etiquettes of being served wines. Many a times, one finds oneself in a fancy restaurant entertaining an overseas client, and confused about the appropriateness of the ordeal of tasting wines. There is an opportunity to skim out of the process. Austerely offer your guest a taste of the wine instead, but only insist once. If he/she further contends on you doing the honor, still there is no cause to vex. The waiter will dispense a tiny quantity of wine in your glass. You rotate your wrist, holding the stem of the glass and then bring it up to your nose to take a whiff of the wine. Then take a tiny sip of the wine, and if pleasing to all your senses, communicate your approval to the waiter. Wait for him to fill both the glasses till a halfway mark, and then you can wish him cheers and be rest assured that your business associate is already considering you more than worthy of the deal you have been meaning to snap with him for so very long now.   Many corporate professionals have asked me about the precise way of holding the glass while they are mingling. Whilst you might indisputably give the impression of a flamboyant movie celebrity by holding the glass in between your fingers and poised on your palm, being around business colleagues might necessitate you to depict more refinement than that. Therefore, holding the stem of the wine glass securely, together with your thumb, index and middle finger will give the glass much more stability. This technique also ensures that the temperature of your wine will remain steady. The more contact you will have with the cup of the glass, the more tepid your wine will become. So if you are drinking a chilled white wine, or even having a red, it is only agreeable if you sip it at the desirable temperature.   With these few points in your jacket pocket, you will easily unearth your approach through all those wine and fine dine business dinners. It is astonishingly important for business heads to be versed with at least the fundamentals of wine. Since India has very recently learnt to take pleasure in wines while doing business, the traditions and gesticulations towards the protocols of wines are still quite novel for most business people. With wine becoming the more favored drink served at most corporate affairs, it is difficult to stay ignorant to the subject. Indulging in a basic wine knowledge session, or picking up a book from your nearest library is sure to make you seem more erudite and interesting at your next business dinner.   Bonne chance! Shagun Mehra   Posted Nov 15 2006, 08:14 PM by admin with 1 comment(s)

• Miazma: Consume. Devour. Delight.

  Miazma: Consume. Devour. Delight.      Miazma, the name when uttered, evokes a feeling of mystery with images of beautiful vineyards flashing through your mind combined with the magical aroma of wine surrounding it. The word Miazma that literally means mist and haze, charms you almost instantly. A name that denotes class and sophistication, Miazma is a truly rare and distinct brand of wine to arrive in the Indian and the global market today. The creators of Miazma believe that Wine is not only an art but it is the poison for an art lover, an admirer of art. Just like there is nothing definite about the process of wine making and it is truly a skill, there are also variations, different styles and different interpretations, in Art. Similarly, everything in and around Miazma has a touch of art. From its website, the product label to the way Globus Wines, the parent company’s promotional and marketing strategy for Miazma and the creation of wine itself.   Arty and creative individuals have known to take pleasure in wine much more than others. Miazma wishes to offer a wine connoisseur no matter what field they are in everything he looks forward to when he sips into his wineglass. In other words, a Miazma drinker will discover much more than the flavor, the spirit and the wholesomeness. He/she will undergo an unforgettably enduring experience of wine that he/she has never had before. The strength and exclusivity of the brand lies in its sheer ability to present a taste that matches the Indian food pallet. Miazma combines the Indian aromas beautifully to mesh with the traditional Indian food that features the authentic Indian spices. Not only does Miazma go well with Indian cuisine but also with all fare that has a dash of spice in it. Globus Wines, the company behind Miazma comes in with a passion to fill the gap of a non-existent Indian wine brand in the market and to bring a wine that will be acceptable to all.   Founders: The Man who made Miazma or The Man behind Miazma or Maker of Miazma   Karan Jain, whose brainchild is Miazma, was born and brought up in Mumbai where he completed his schooling and headed to London at a tender age of 16 to pursue further studies.  During the third year of his degree there, Karan had already ventured into a business plan and started his own private company.  Today, Karan is a young entrepreneur with a business specialization in Finance and a degree in printing and packaging with his own organization in the field of graphic arts in London. After an enormously successful venture with Globus Grafix, Karan decided to explore entrepreneurial ventures in diverse fields.   An avid traveler, Karan traveled often. He enjoyed indulging in good food and had tasted some of the best and finest cuisine from all over the world. During one of his trips to India, he noticed the popularity and rising demand for wines in India and other countries. While traveling across various continents, he discovered that Indians preferred to order Italian or French wine with Indian cuisine as there was no Indian brand of wines available that blended with the spicy Indian cuisine. “Why not introduce a wine palatable for Indians”, he thought. This was a stepping stone in the conception of what is known as “Globus wines” under the umbrella of the Globus Vision group today. It is then that Karan thought of creating, introducing and launching a brand of Indian wine that will furnish the wine needs of people not just in India alone but all across the globe. “In the United Kingdom, there are nearly seven thousand restaurants serving Indian food. If Indian food is gaining popularity then why shouldn’t wines,” says Karan. With great optimism and enthusiasm about the concept, he proceeded to test the practical side of this at the bars as he asked the bar owners, “If somebody offered you an Indian wine, would you consider it?” The affirmation and interest shown by the bar owners completely overwhelmed him and since then there was no looking back.     On one of his trips to India, Karan finally decided to give life to his idea that germinated in London. And no points for guessing what happened next. All planets were in the most auspicious position and timing was just right as everything he planned fell in place when Karan decided to go ahead with his plans to lay the foundation of Miazma with Globus Wines. With a strong drive and enthusiasm to launch an Indian brand of wine that eventually becomes a world leader and one of the most sought after universal wine brands available, Karan forged ahead with his big plans for Miazma.     If all goes well, Karan would like to expand Globus Wines from just Indian flavors to creating wines for various food palates and consequently also expanding the Globus Group in various other business ventures. Please visit http://www.globuswines.co.in/ for more details.   Posted Nov 15 2006, 02:22 AM by admin with no comments

• Upcoming Event: “Nashik Valley Wine and Food Festival” Saturday 18th Nov. 2006

  Organized By   SNEH Advertising   & Event Management In Association with Bharti Expo-Ads   Contact 14, Vijay Appt. Venus Corner Kolhapur-426002, Ph.-0231-2667118, Mob. 9422044050, 9823050077. E-mail: bhartiexpoads@gmail.com     “Nashik Valley Wine and Food Festival”     Schedule and Agenda of Festival.   Venue: Hotel Shalini Palace, Rankala lake Kolhapur   Saturday 18th Nov. 2006   11.00 to 12.00                 Wine Festival Inauguration and Opening Ceremony. 12.00 to 18.00                 Stall visits and wine tasting 15.00 to 17.00                 Seminar on Wine tasting and types of wines, etc. 18.00 to 20.00                 Presentations of participants and wine tasting. 20.00 to 22.00                 Western Dance Show with wine and dine.   Sunday 19th Nov. 2006   11.00 to 18.00                 Entry for wine tasting. 12.00 to 18.00                 Stall visits and wine tasting 15.00 to 17.00                 Seminar on Wine and Health, Liquor and wine etc. 18.00 to 20.00                 Presentations of participants and wine tasting. 20.00 to 22.00                 Lavani with wine and dine.   ‘Wine Testing will be available on ‘Nashik Valley Wine Testing Dome’ from 11.00 to 22.00            “Nashik Valley Wine and Food Festival”   Maharashtra in the making of a reputed wine capital needs to highlight the importance of value added product, wine as a healthy beverage. It is necessary to aware the people, Education about the wines, Art of wine, Value addition to the farmers, Wine and health, Wine culture etc.   The Indian farmers are starting to processing the grapes which will give them direct value addition and the increase of employment, increase of direct and indirect industries, increase of overseas exports. Overall increase of nations economical and GDP growth. With the same objective, Sneh advertising and event management in association with Bharti Expoads organizing a “Nashik Valley Wine and Food Festival” at Hotel Shalini Palace at Kolhapur from Nov. 18, 2006.   This is for the first time that such a festival is being organized, which marks a significant change, as along with the different brands of wines from all the wine producers from the Nashik valley and all other wine manufacturers from the rest of Maharashtra showcased for satisfying the taste buds under the one roof of "Nashik valley Wine and Food Festival". There would be presentation of culture programme as well.   Exclusive from the other festivals, the programme assures full entertainment through different culture programmes such as Lavani and dance shows along with knowledgeable seminars on Wine related issues. The enjoyment will be doubled with the opportunity to taste while viewing these veritial items.   The small investors like the Nashik farmers and other, who have set up wineries, will need to emphasis on the publicity of their brand. This festival was being organized in Nashik only from last four years. This is the first time the same festival is going to arrange in Kolhapur. The exhibition aims to go to the other metro cities from Nashik to all over the country. All 23 wineries from Nashik and 20 wineries from rest of the Maharashtra mostly set up by grape growing farmers would be participating in the festival.   Earlier this event was grand successful in the Nashik and covered and promoted by all the print media as well as national electronic media. The more than 3000 visitors were visited the festival not from allover India but from overseas also. In order to develop the wine industry further, there is a need of awareness so that grape growing farmers will have better prospects.   First time all farmers from Maharashtra are professionally involved in the event under the one roof of “Nashik Valley Wine and Food Festival”. This is the best platform to take advantage of the festival, as this festival is well famous in Maharashtra India.      Thanking You,   Sameer Rahane Sneh ads and Event management. Mob. 9823050077 Posted Nov 02 2006, 03:58 AM by admin with no comments