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 Four panels of 3 judges (12 each) worked diligently on April 14, Good Friday, to taste around 210 wines- both Indian and imported. The following day saw over 90 wines paired with 6 different Indian dishes, with 3 panels of 4 regrouped judges given 2 dishes each-one vegetarian and one non vegetarian dish with each panel.
This was a day of reckoning for the plebeian baingan ka bhartha which joined Veg Biryani and Kerala Stew; none of these dishes would have imagined they would ever get so much importance in the gastronomical hierarchy. Although the mutton Seekh kebabs were the most popular dish for pairing with different wines, butter chicken was not far behind- both ahead of the patrani fish (baked in leaves) that was paired with different wines entered in the competition.
As it happens at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition (HKIWSC) where Arora has been judging since the inception and has also introduced different Indian dishes during the last 3 editions, the judges found this very interesting, with many debating animatedly whether to eat the morsel and then sip and spit the wine or put both in the mouth and spit together. A couple of judges turned out to be vegetarians and hence had to be relocated!
For restaurateur Gauri Devidayal, Founder of The Table Restaurant & Magazine Street Kitchen, this was the favourite part of the blind tasting. ‘This is the first time such a category of awards is being hosted in India; is extremely important for wines being introduced in India and for restaurateurs. Overall a much needed and long overdue initiative for the hospitality industry, and very professionally organised" she remarked. Gauri Devidayal was one of the 12 judges.
Jury Panellists
 It was very important to have a jury that was professional, dedicated to the cause of wine in the Indian gastronomy and represented both the wine and hospitality industry and Retail. The 12 jurors who worked diligently on both days were Sonal Holland (Chairman), Subhash Arora (Vice-Chairman), Rojita Tiwari (journalist), Pratik Angre (Sommelier), Shagun Mehra (Goa), Alok Chandra (Consultant and journalist from Bangalore), Jasjit Singh Assi (GM Four Seasons), Shahrom Oshtori (F & B Director Sofitel), Rahul Akerkar (founder of Indigo chain), Gauri Devidayal (The Table), Satyam Savla (Juben Wines) and Bhisham Mansukhani (journalist). The organisers had taken great pain to see that the qualified experts connected with the importers or producers were not included despite the international practice in a majority of cases to avoid any seemingly conflict of interest.
The main objective of the Award was nicely summed up by one of the judges. An educator and consultant in Goa , Shagun Mehra is Director of Food Design Studio in Goa is a WSET Level 3 qualified professional and a culinary expert trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. She said, "India Wine Awards gives the consumer full knowledge on the quality of the wines behind the labels. Not just going for the big brands, but an opportunity to discover some interesting wines that are delicious in the glass."
All the hard work by her and other jurors would have come to a naught if there were any discrepancy in serving correct wines blind or any error or manipulation in tabulation. The Awards made sure that the wines  were coded properly and served at the proper temperatures. Rishi Vohra, CSW with years of event management experience, who was entrusted the job of ensuring the seamless and proper serving of wines, handled it with aplomb. To ensure there were no errors in tabulating, Sourish Bhattacharyya, Director of the India Wine Awards was entrusted the important job of tabulating the results with the help of two experienced accountants who matched each result manually and on the computer, ensuring a complete transparency and integrity.
Trophies to be Awarded
India Wine Awards promised ‘Uncorking the Best’ and choosing the Best of the Best in each of the category announced. Trophies will be given out at the Awards Ceremony following the Welcome Wines starting at 6:30 pm. Based on various categories of entries the following 22 Trophies will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony:
Indian and Imported Wines
Best Indian Budget Wine
Best Indian Superior Wine
Best Indian Premium Wine
Best Indian Super Premium Wine
Best International Budget Wine
Best International Superior Wine
Best International Premium Wine
Best International Super Premium Wine
Best Indian Sparkling Wine
Best Indian White Wine
Best Indian Rose Wine
Best Indian Red Wine
Best International Sparkling Wine
Best International White Wine
Best International Rose Wine
Best International Red Wine
Wine and Food Pairing
Baingan Bhartha
Veg Biryani
Veg Kerala Stew
Butter Chicken
Mutton Seekh Kebabs
Patrani Fish
Welcome Wines
 Besides the Award Winning wines which will be on display and available for tasting after the award ceremony, there will be wines galore to taste from our domestic producers at a stand manned by Four Seasons, Fratelli Vineyards, Good Drop Wine Cellars, Grover Zampa, Reveilo, Soma Vine Village and Sula Vineyards.
For tasting imported wines, head towards the tables manned by Ace Beverages, Aspri Spirits and Wines, Berkmann Cellars India, Fratelli, Gusto Imports, Hema Connoisseurs and Prestige. Due to limited space more could not be accommodated although the hotel is trying to allocate some extra space and one may be able to taste from more producers and importers.
These wines will also form the backbone of the Revelry promised at the end of the formal programme. The hotel has promised a lavish spread that will make you salivate and enjoy with multiple wines.
The tickets for the evening have been kept very low at Rs.2500, considering the amount and variety available for tasting and the excellent food to match. Who’s who of wine industry and the hospitality industry are expected to attend the event. The venue hospitality partners Sofitel Mumbai BKC did a tremendous job ensuring that the blind tasting over 2 days was smooth, seamless and a pleasurable experience. One can be sure of another class act from them at the India Wine Awards Winners’ night.
For online booking click https://www.instamojo.com/ Seats for the consumers are limited..
If there is any difficulty in registering, contact delWine@delwine.com
For earlier related Articles, please visit
Curtain Raiser: India Wine Awards Ready for Judging at Sofitel Mumbai BKC
India Wine Awards to feature unique Food and Wine Match
Subhash Arora
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