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| Malcom Tham & Subhash Arora outside IWA office |
The workshop organised at the India Habitat Center was conducted by Malcolm Tham, Program Director of WFA. Several importers, distributors, retailers and representatives of hotels and restaurants turned up for the workshop which essentially turned out to be a road show for Wine for Asia 2008 at Suntec, Singapore from 16th to 18th October.
The seminar highlighted the growth potential for wine consumption in India. Quoting a recent survey by the Indian Wine Academy Tham said that the total sales of Imported Wines through legal channels in India, was calculated at 210 – 220,000 cases in 2007 – 08. Market watchers predict it to grow to about 2 million cases in 2011.
Tham made several interesting points but his focus on 'right product' in terms of style, pricing and ageability stood out. He also laid stress on making the marketing of wine to create a total experience about wine thus achieving customer delight.
His assertion that diversity is a key to wine selling; he said the customers tire of the same wines, met with sage nodding of heads. Education of both the customer as well as of wine retailing and serving staff would also be high on his agenda.
Finally, he stressed on being ready in terms of the right portfolio, staff and exposure.
These and many other relevant points will be covered in the 'International Wine Importers Course, 2008' to be conducted at the Singapore Polytechnic on 14th and 15th October, 2008, as a precursor to WFA'08.
A highlight of the exhibition will be the presence of Australian winemaker Stephen Henschke who will conduct a masterclass featuring the legendary Hill of Grace 2004. Henschke heads the namesake winery which is one of Australia's oldest family wineries and was established in 1868.
MP Wine Resources are the new organizers of this year's Show, which will be in its sixth edition. There will be around 400 participating brands from more 20 countries, according to Joanne Foo, Assistant Marketing Communications Manager of MP International, who had earlier visited the office of Indian Wine Academy along with Malcolm Tham.
Malcolm has undergone wine training at Segalan University at Bordeaux after doing his college in France and the Deutsche Wein Institute in Bingen, University-both very prestigious wine educational bodies. He is a wine educator in Singapore.
The Q & A session witnessed a very lively interaction, suitably lubricated by the serving of Sula wines.
Avininder Singh
Avininder Singh is a food and wine consultant with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He also free-lances as a writer occasionally -editor |