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September 2009 - Posts
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Terroir – Madras Wine Club organised its fourth event since its inauguration in Jan 2009 with a tasting of UB’s Four Seasons range of wines held at the fashionable pub of Chennai called 10 Downing street on the 3rd September 2009.
 Mr Abhay Kewadkar, the chief wine maker and Business Head of the UB Wine division was present at the event attended by about 30 members of Terroir.
The event started with the tasting of UB’s Sparkling Wine from the Bouvet Ladubay range – Bouvet Ladubay BRUT, one of the prestigious Loire valley sparkling wine producers which was bought by UB a few years back.
While the members were sipping the BRUT and making their palate ready and fresh to taste the Four Seasons range, Mr Abhay Kewadkar gave a brief talk on the Bouvet Ladubay range and then introduced the members to the Four Seasons range of wines made at their Baramati winery. The five varietals of Four Seasons wines launched this year all over India – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Blush Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
The Chenin Blanc was an instant hit with the members of the Terroir compared
to the Sauvignon Blanc. The reds were soft and easy drinking too without too much of tannins. A few members preferred the white wines over than the red ones and there was a comment from one of the members that India needs a few more years to experiment and come out with a good red wine. Mr Kewadkar emphasized that Four Seasons range of wines are simple wines which are light in body and have low alcohol content. He also pointed out the “ herbaceous” character of the wines.
 Some members did like both the reds and I personally liked the Shiraz and all the members agreed that this vintage happens to be the first vintage from Four Seasons and we were all very confident that their wines will improve with every vintage with the able guidance of Mr Abhay Kewadkar who is right now India’s only well known “ Indian” winemaker and we should all be proud about that.
Mr Kewadkar answered the questions of some members about the winemaking process in Baramati winery and also shared with us Dr Vijay Mallya’s preference when it comes to Wines. The snacks offered by 10 Downing Street was a good accompaniment to the wines tasted.
Terroir was proud to have the first tasting of Indian wines from the Four Seasons range after having organised a few tastings of Imported wines from the old and new worlds. We look forward to organise such tastings to promote and popularise wines “ Made in India”. Mera Bharath Mahan!
for indianwine.com
Chinmaya Arjun Raja
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 India Wine Show Established itself as a premier wine event in the country, provides unique platform for manufacturers, experts, organizations, vineyard owners, wine lovers to come together & interact with each other. The show becomes summit for the wine manufacturers to generate business and for the wine connoisseurs, enthusiast to taste the wines from different wineries of India and abroad.
The conference speakers, are the experts, researchers and the stalwarts from the wine industry discuss on the economic, social and environmental indicators of the industry's growth and sustainability. The show is exceptional in a way, that includes wine tasting and vineyard tours as well.
The wine show is a absolute resolution to the individuals & organizations associated to the viticulture. The show emphasizes on the technical know how to the processing, packaging, actual marketing of the product in the domestic and foreign market. For further details please log on to www.indiawineshow.com or email to info@indiawineshow.com
Thanking you,
Nitin Marathe
Sr event executive
India Wine Show
+91 9822842265
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 An experienced Winemaker and Exporter , Chris.Hackett of Australia has been running Wine business for over 20 years, with an experience in several overseas markets.
He has specialized in 'Buyers Own Brand', but has also sold his own label at the premium end in the US. He has 2 special wines - Chardonnay and Cabernet Shiraz - which he has specifically designed for the Indian market.
The wines are fresh, youthful, fruit-driven styles which are well-suited to Indian food, and perfect for drinkers new to wine. The wines stand alone, and speak for themselves - and are not intended to stand up against premium product.
We would envisage both wines selling in the 500-700 Rupees range.
The point of difference we wish to emphasize is in the packaging and marketing. Cricket is the theme, and given the common ground between India and Australia, this should be a point of interest and attraction to the Indian wine market.
 Chris.Hackett is a cricket lover and is also a member of several cricket clubs in Australia. Moreover, he has also enlisted the support of the Waugh brothers, and Mark is on the label, and will be the face of the product. The additional marketing feature which he will be focusing, is that a portion of the revenue from the marketing is intended to go for the promotion and development of cricket amongst less fortunate kids in India.
Thus, the marketing and promotion will not be the traditional, as the focus will be on cricket and the charity, not the wine itself. We should say, looking at the keenness to promote his BRAND with HEART, as we say, the wines have to be of very good quality, especially for the price.
Moreover, Chris.Hackett has friends at the highest level in Australian cricket administration, and in business.
Some of these people are visiting India in the next month or so, and are planning to meet wine lovers and enthusiasts in India who can promote his wine and discuss about this project.
Chris.Hackett is hopeful that the gentlemen in India will support the concept, and also provide assistance with the marketing and distribution by helping him find an appropriate importer/Distributor who can see the prospects.
Chris.Hackett can be contacted on email : hackwas@ozemail.com.au
Written by Shyam Gokarn
The Writer of eBook “ Cutting Edge Issues of Marketing Wine in India”
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TASTE, India’s world class B2B trade show dedicated to the wine, spirits, food and hospitality industries, will take place in Mumbai from 28th – 30th January, 2010.
 September 2009, Mumbai: Informa India and Paris-based ProMeeting, co-organisers of the successful India International Wine Fair (IIWF) in March 2009, have announced the launch of TASTE 2010. This business focussed trade exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality industries will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai from 28th to 30th January 2010. Already being referred to as the largest and most diverse gathering of global produce in the food and beverage sector, TASTE will showcase products from around the world along with fresh ideas from India.
TASTE is supported by Sopexa and UBIFRANCE in addition to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board & Trade Commission, the Chile India Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, Bulgaria, the American Association for Promotion of Wine & Spirits (APVSA), Wines of South Africa (WOSA), Regional Government Body - UK and the Dubai Export Development Corporation. Support from these bodies ensure larger country pavilions at TASTE and direct benefits for participating exhibitors.
Innovation, Choice, Education
In a recent buyer survey conducted by the organisers, in association with knowledge partners from the retail industry, it was found that buyers in India are most likely to visit TASTE to source ideas new to the market, from both the international and national fronts. In response, the organisers are flying in specialists from London, who are seen as the best in the field of wine tastings and food and wine pairings. Similar educational and experienced innovations are in the process of being arranged.
Four shows under one roof
TASTE is a successful evolution of the already established India International Wine fair held earlier this year. The event brings together the best in the world of food, drink and hospitality. In recognition of the unique nature of buyers and their sourcing needs, TASTE is spread over 4 shows – the India International Wine Fair, the India International Spirits Fair, the India International Food Fair and the India International Hospitality Fair. Each Fair has a host of conferences, workshops and interactive buyer sessions accompanying it, to offer visitors a diverse range of products from India and around the globe. It will bring under one roof, producers, exporters and marketers from airlines, hotels, restaurants and bars, on the hunt for new products to add to their range.
National TASTE Week
The three-day TASTE show will be preceded by a host of pre-show food and drink related events starting from 25th – 30th January 2010. • Key buyers from across the subcontinent will take part in live cooking demonstrations on the lines of ‘TASTE of France’, ‘TASTE of Spain’ and more. • NDTV Goodtimes celebrity chef – Manju Malhi will be conducting live cooking sessions with 6 talented chefs throughout the show. • Supermarket buyer for UK stores – Angela Mount will conduct a workshop on ‘Retailing in India’ for food & beverage retailers, producers and importers. • UBIFRANCE will be showcasing an exclusive pavilion for Hospitality Equipment at TASTE.
TASTE Summit
The high-level TASTE Summit, features industry leaders and addresses key industry topics. Speakers include Sanjay Menon, Sonarys, Vijayan Gangadharan, Director F&B - The Hyatt, Vishal Kadakia, Wine Park, Harshal Shah, Australian Sommeliers Association, Dharti Desai & Craig Wedge, Fine Wines & More, among others.
India Wine Challenge
The 3rd edition of the India Wine Challenge - the country’s most internationally recognised wine competition - is now with TASTE. Anchored by the world renowned wine expert, Robert Joseph, the Challenge will be the largest entry based wine competition in India. Masters of Wine, leading Sommeliers, world renowned wine journalists and experts in the field of wine will form the panel of judges. The winners of IWC will be unveiled to a VIP panel of buyers in an exclusive closed room session.
TASTE will shortly be launching the India Spirits Challenge.
TASTE is going to be the biggest trade display for the food and beverage industries. Ensure your involvement.
To know more about TASTE email taste@taste-expo.com or visit http://www.taste-expo.com/.
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The wine industry in India is one of the most sought after market at present and all eyes are on it. The budget announced by the finance minister is not being seen as very advantageous to the wine industry as it did not announce any significant or major benefits all round for it. It was expected to make wine sector a part of the food processing industry, which would lead to uniformity in the state-wise tax structures. The wine industry in India needs investment to grow to its rightful size of about 30 million cases (20 times the present volume) and it is possible only with lower production and marketing costs, taxes and increased competition More: Merinews
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On 2 December, the Business Forum, conducted in association with the official KnowledgePartner, Technopak, will see an authoritative panel of leading food industry experts discussand debate the following topics:
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· Commonwealth Games 2010: Opportunities and Challenges faced by the Food & Beverage Sector
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· The Legal Environment and Regulations in India
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· The Changing Food Habits of the Indian Consumer
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· The Emerging Categories of Imported and Gourmet Food
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· Issues Regarding Food Safety & Hygiene in India
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· FDI in Food Retail
Confirmed speakers now include:
Mr Sanjeev Asthana, Chief Executive, Reliance Retail – Food Business
Mr Amit Lohani, Convenor, Association of Food Product Importers (AFPI)
Mr Harshev Singh, Chief Executive, Reliance Dairy Foods
Mr Sanjay Sethi, Vice President, Food Industry Practise
The International Food & Drink Expo India 2009 will take place 2 – 4 December, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
To pre-register to visit the Expo please go to: www.indiafooddrinkexpo.com/visit
For further information relating to the Business Forum or the show in general, please contact: Lauren Morrey, Tel: +44 (0) 20 8846 2772 or lmorrey@tarsus.co.uk
www.indiafooddrinkexpo.com
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While art has always been associated with the finer style of living, wine is increasingly becoming a part of lifestyle culture where connoisseurs tend to grace their walls with the art of their obsession and expression
 To commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the winery, Grover Vineyards launched a collection of art as wine labels at the Ricks in Taj Mansingh Hotel, New Delhi. It was a unique collection of Art and wine. The Artworks of famous Indian artists were brought together under one umbrella to crown the labels of the best of Indian wines with their masterpieces. Present at the occasion were Kapil Grover, director, Grover Vineyards, renowned architect Karan Grover, director Grover Vineyards and Aman Dhall, executive director Brindco and director Grover Vineyards. Wine tends to bespeak a lifestyle of luxury and relaxation, along with enjoyment and appreciation for the creation by the vintner/artist. A perfect marriage between art and wine is found in the “Art Collection”. The collection showcases a pioneering pairing of art and wine, where the finest Indian wine has art labels done by celebrated artists such as Jatin Das, Paresh Maity, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Rini Dhumal and Rekha Rodwittiya.
These wine labels are works of art, conveying the vision, story and character of the best winery in 3 square inches size.
The brands launched were La reserve: which can be described as poetry in a bottle; it is the selection from the Oldest of the Grovers collection created with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz Vines.
Matured during six months in French Oak barrels, it complements roasted lamb and mutton Briyani among the Indian Foods. Sauvignon Blanc perfectly matches fish, seafood and light meats. It has intense floral and grapefruit aromas. The art work of Rini Dhumal the famous Indian colourist is used as the wine label with contemporary Indian art scene. The next brand was Viognier with intense aromas of peach, apricot and tropical fruits and a perfect match with spicy Indian curries. The art work of Paresh Maity the great Indian painter focuses on faces with their myriad expressions on the wine label. Cabernet Shiraz has powerful spice aromas and goes well with grilled meats and kebabs. Sanjay Bhattacharya one of India’s renowned artist from Bengal school has used the art label for its vivid colour and mysterious depth to describe the wine.
The last one was Shiraz Rose with raspberry pink colour with shades of orange with delicate aromas of rose and flavours of cherry and strawberry. Rekha Rodwittya’s representation of female figure was used as a label which found the perfect vocabulary to represent woman without objectifying her.
The Grover Vineyards Art Collection is priced between Rs. 420 and Rs. 650. It is available at leading hotels and restaurants along with retail outlets all across India.
Grover Vineyards is the only family owned winery in India, situated on the foothills of the Nandi Hills on the outskirts of Bangalore. They are the largest exporter of wines in the country. The vineyards established in 1988 is spread over 400 acres and is known for its award winning premium wine - La Réserve. Grover Vineyards is country’s only winery, which has Michel Rolland – the internationally acclaimed French winemaker as its consultant. So to live in French style both in terms of obsession and expression, Grovers offers a choice in Indian wines and art.
-Lopamudra Ganguly
http://www.ambrosiaindia.com
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In India, wine has been retailed by private department stores in Goa for a long time while Maharashtra allowed it only two years back, Haryana a year ago and Karnataka about six months back. Now it is Delhi's turn to allow sale of wine in retail stores.
From next month, the Delhi government will allow private department stores selling fruit, vegetables and groceries to also retail wine, in line with the practice in neighbouring national capital regions of Gurgaon and Noida.
Department stores in Delhi are currently allowed to sell beer and they pay an annual licence fee of Rs 50,000. The fee is expected to go up once they start retailing wine also.
Vishal Mega Mart's group president, Ambeek Khemka says, “We would retail wines after examining its cost-benefit analysis.” Currently, around 75,000 cases of wine are sold in Delhi annually.
More: Indiaretailing
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Even as Christ College, Banglore is ready with its diploma course in wine tasting, South Africa based Cape Wine Academy has introduced a Certificate wine course for Indian hoteliers, bar
tenders, wine lovers and Indian travellers travelling to South Africa.
In India, the Academy is promoting two levels of wine courses through
its representative office in Mumbai, Griffon Group’s International
Education Services. Level one (for three nights, four days) consists of
basic knowledge on wine making, appreciation, viticulture and visits to
wine yards. Level two (six nights/ seven days) includes a detailed
study of level one course.
Alvin Kushner, Director, Cape Wine
Academy, who was present at the In-Country Mega Famil organised by
South African Tourism Board recently in Hyderabad said, “India is one
of the emerging markets for wine making and consumption. But yet, there
are no certified courses which provide professional and personal
training on wine tasting. We have been offering wine courses for the
past thirty years and are now going to offer these courses to Indian
wine lovers. We are targeting hoteliers, wine makers and wine lovers in
India." More: Hospitality Biz
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June 23, 2009 - Which pairs best with soft cheeses like brie and camembert: red or white wine? What about harder, more mature cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan? Which cheeses will please those who prefer a beer or cocktail to wine?
Now it's fast and easy for you to find drink matches for 219 cheeses, plus thousands more pairings for appetizers, main courses and dessert in this comprehensive food and drink mobile application. The new Drinks Matcher from Nat Decants is available now for your smartphone. It's like having a personal sommelier and a bartender at your side.
Natalie MacLean, creator of Nat Decants, the wine web site at www.nataliemaclean.com, has teamed up with the software developer bitHeads to create an application that works on your iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve.
"Wine and cheese is a classic for entertaining: delicious and simple to prepare," MacLean explains. "But we're all busy, so we don't have time to spend researching information online. We want to do a quick search while we browse in the liquor store or order from a restaurant menu."
You just choose a match on your mobile device and then you can find the top drink picks either in your local liquor store or on the restaurant menu. Unlike MacLean's popular pairing widget on her web site, this new tool doesn't require a connection to the Internet and so can be used in remote locations.
"There are two trends that are exploding in popularity now: interest in food and wine, and the convenience of mobile apps," says MacLean. "That makes the Nat Decants Drinks Matcher a natural fit-like Stilton and port. As a wine-loving geek, I love finding ways for new technology to help us savour all of life's pleasures, wherever we are."
Nat Decants Drinks Matcher Features:
- Start with either a drink or a dish
- Choose Bubbly, White, Red, Rosé, Dessert
- Pair beer, spirits, cocktails, liquor, coffee, tea
- Select from 292 grapes, wines and blends
- 219 cheeses and cheese dishes
- 61 pasta dishes, 118 vegetarian & salads
- 57 chicken, 59 beef, 41 pork, 112 seafood
- 27 types of pizza plus other take-out favorites
- 48 herbs, spices and sauces
- 94 Asian, Indian and Chinese dishes
- 123 types of chocolate and desserts
- More than 380,000 pairings, with new ones added daily
The Nat Decants Drinks Matcher is only $2.99 and you can download it in two minutes from the online stores for iPhone or BlackBerry.
For Apple's iPhone App Store, visit:
www.nataliemaclean.com/iphone
For the BlackBerry App World, visit:
www.nataliemaclean.com/blackberry
Note: The BlackBerry link above takes you directly to the matcher app only if you click on it while using your BlackBerry device.
Top 10 Cheese & Drink Matches from the Nat Decants Drinks Matcher:
1. Camembert or brie with Champagne
2. Gouda with Spanish Rioja
3. Cheddar with Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Manchego with Amontillado Sherry
5. Mozzarella with German Late Harvest Riesling
6. Feta with Oregonian Pinot Noir
7. Goat cheese with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
8. Stilton blue cheese with Port or Sauternes
9. Parmigiano with Italian Amarone
10. Macaroni and cheese with Californian Chardonnay
Visit www.nataliemaclean.com for more food and wine tips and tools:
Venki
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Informa India and ProMeeting are in the process of organising National Taste Week between January 25 and 30, 2010. The association has lined up several F&B promotional events during the period, which will be held in Mumbai. In 2009, Informa India conducted IIWF with 73 exhibitors and 350 visitors per day. The event took place for three days. Informa India has also partnered with Robert Joseph, the owner of India
Wine Challenge (IWF) to conduct the event during Taste Expo.
Besides showcasing the second edition of the India International Wine
Fair (IIWF), Taste Expo has introduced three new segments this year:
India International Spirits Fair (IISF), India International Food Fair
(IIFF) and India International Hospitality Fair (IIHF). IIWF and IISF
will showcase wines, spirits, beers, speciality liquors, cocktail mixes
and the new F&B technology available in the market. More: Hospitality Biz
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Australian Vintage Ltd has agreed to a settlement with
Indage Vintners Ltd over the failure of Indage Vintners (Champagne Indage) to complete the purchase
of the Loxton winery from Australian Vintage. Under the settlement, Australian Vintage has received an amount that
has been applied towards the purchase of wine from Thachi Wines in
South Australia, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Indage Vintners.
The
wine obtained is in addition to a $6 million non-refundable deposit
previously paid to Australian Vintage by Indage for the Loxton
acquisition.
Australian Vintage has retained the Loxton winery. The company said on Thursday that it would continue to look for alternative buyers. More: The Age
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The business plan
Abhay Kewadkar, business head (wines) and director, Four Seasons
Ltd, said the current production capacity is a million bottles, which
will be increased to one million cases (each of 12 bottles) with an
investment of Rs 100 crore over the next three years.
Kewadkar said from October the company will start exporting to he UK, France, Germany, Japan and some parts of the US.
Meanwhile, the company has set a target to capture 30 per cent of
the wine market in India over the next three years. Currently, it
market share is around 8 per cent. According to Kewadkar, the wine
market is expected to double to Rs 800 crore over the next three years.
To increase the market share, the company would focus on creating
awareness, customer education and accessibility, three bottlenecks
which have restricted growth of the wine business in the country, he
added.
The company is also planning to launch two labels this month and another two in October.
The company is planning to target Tier-II cities, especially
industrial clusters, for growth in the domestic market, said Kewadkar.
Cities in the company's radar include Coimbatore, Pune, Mysore, Goa,
Nagpur, Chandigarh and some more in Punjab and Haryana
More: Business Standard
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Indian Institute of Vine and Wine, Pune
The University of Adelaide, Australia, had planned
setting up of Asia’s first wine institute at Narayangaon, about 80 km
from Pune, in association with India’s largest wine-making company,
Indage Vintners, earlier known as Champagne Indage.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Champagne Indage and University of Adelaide in 2007.
The
Indian Institute of Vine and Wine was supposed to run a three-year
diploma programme (after SSC level), a four-year degree programme and
two-year masters degree programme in various areas of wine-making,
marketing, finance and vine growing. It would also facilitate research
in the field of wine-making.
According to the MoU, the degree
would be awarded by University of Adelaide and will be valid anywhere
in the world. Although the MoU was signed in 2007, it got stuck for a
year after that.
Shamrao Chougule, founder Chairman of Indage
Group of Companies, had told Mirror in June 2008, “The plan got stuck
in between due to unavailability of land.
But recently the problem got solved as government has made available about 65 acres of land in the vicinity.
The
construction work of the institute will soon begin and from the next
academic year, the institute will start functioning.” He had also said
at that time that the institute would start in June 2009. Then,
recession hit and the plan went awry.
In spite of several
attempts on phone and also through email to get in touch with Chougule,
he was not available till the time of going to the press on Monday.
More: Pune Mirror
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Grape growers cooperative
18 grape growers of Titri village of Ratlam district (300 kms away from
Bhopal) had decided to venture into the business on cooperative model
three years ago but now they have few options as sale of their wine is
under government control.
In 2006, the state government had assured them of extending full
cooperation and launched a ‘Grape Processing Industry Policy’ to put
wine out of the ambit of the Excise Act and award it the food
processing status so that the vintners can retail their product.
But
later, when the farmers established their company Patel Wine &
Fruit Processing Industry Pvt Ltd, the government officials turned
hostile and took control of sale of the wine branded as ‘Ambi’.
“We have brewed 27,000 litres from home-grown Shiraj and Cabernet Blonc varieties of grapes. But we have sold only 1,000 litres." More: Business Standard
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