{"id":15746,"date":"2024-09-01T18:24:47","date_gmt":"2024-09-01T12:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/?p=15746"},"modified":"2024-09-01T20:29:20","modified_gmt":"2024-09-01T14:59:20","slug":"item_4_954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/item_4_954\/","title":{"rendered":"Passing by: Jancis Robinson MW on her 4th visit to India"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"15746\" class=\"elementor elementor-15746\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4720b6a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4720b6a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-53f09f7\" data-id=\"53f09f7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70aab53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70aab53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\tPosted: Sunday, 01 September 2024 18:42\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ad9e937\" data-id=\"ad9e937\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cccb2a7\" data-id=\"cccb2a7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9669605 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9669605\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b62f3ec\" data-id=\"b62f3ec\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0e78f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0e78f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-sm-12\"><h1 class=\"articlepagetitle_heading\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Passing by: <\/span>Jancis Robinson MW on her 4th visit to India<\/h1><div class=\"articlepageintroline\">Sep 01, 2024: Unquestionably the most sought after Master of Wine in the world today, Jancis Robinson MW, was in the Capital yesterday with her husband on a private visit to India, when a get- together was organised by Sonal Holland MW and Captain\u2019s Cellar, the latest hot spot in town at the Taj Mahal Hotel, where she could be seen relaxed while interacting with all the guests, writes Subhash Arora who enjoyed meeting her again and tasting (no spitting), several of the 35 wines on offer during the evening.<\/div><div class=\"articledata\"><figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15754\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Savouring wine with Sourish Bhattacharyya, Jancis Robinson, Puja Sekhri (Fratelli) and Reva Singh\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tOP-LEFT.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Savouring wine with Sourish Bhattacharyya, Jancis Robinson, Puja Sekhri (Fratelli) and Reva Singh<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>A full house was awaiting to meet and talk to her at dot 7 pm, over several premier and super-premier international and Indian wines from the House of Sula and Fratelli, 16 of which were being dispensed through the two permanently stationed Enomatic machines. Wines from Italy, France, India, Chile, US, Spain and South Africa were on display, ready to be opened.<\/p><figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15758 size-medium\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07-225x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Subhash with Sonal and Sourish\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07-767x1024.jpeg 767w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07-768x1026.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07-1024x1368.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.30.07.jpeg 1060w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Subhash with Sonal and Sourish<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>It would be difficult to fathom meeting her when she is working. I remember meeting her for the first time in Bordeaux at an En Primeur event at Chateau Cheval Blanc in Saint-\u00c9milion appellation. We were tasting in the same small group. I had some questions about the wine that I would have liked her to clarify when her haughty personal secretary guarding her told me curtly, if you want to ask her any questions, please meet me later and take an appointment to meet her!! I remember thinking that was rather rude.<\/p><p>Always curious, inquisitive to learn more about wines, I asked Jancis unabashedly today what she thought of the quality of Indian wines, 20 years after she had once declared Grover La Reserve as the best New World red wine in its price category World. She saved the detailed answer for later when Sonal would ask her some pre-prepared questions in front of the audience as I realized she would not have time to answer my plethora of questions as she requested to taste Source Grenache Rose. She liked it as she found it juicy and certainly not sweet; there were 7 Indian wines in the bouquet. She did not care for the big, heavy bottle of J\u2019Noon. I was to learn soon from what she asked for refills that her personal favourite was the sole Chablis from Albert Bichot.<\/p><p><strong>Also Read : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/item_4_732.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">IVFE 2017: Ethereal Vine and Food Experience at Taj Falaknuma<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 272px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15764\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-272x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Some of the wined tasted\" width=\"272\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-272x300.jpeg 272w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-927x1024.jpeg 927w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-768x849.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-1390x1536.jpeg 1390w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42-1024x1131.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.32.42.jpeg 1448w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the wined tasted<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><strong>Jancis Robinson<\/strong> was the first person outside the wine trade to garner the MW in 1984 when the coveted title was first opened to applicants outside the trade; The British wine critic, journalist and wine writer is considered the most influential European wine expert in the world. But few might know that <strong>Sarah Morphew Stephen<\/strong> was the first woman MW in 1970. She died last year at the age of 81, making Jancis one of the senior most living MW women at 74.<\/p><p>Later, conversing with Sonal Holland in front of live audience, she shared her candid opinion about wine scene in India. She said that the quality of Indian wines had improved significantly in the last few years. \u2018But please lobby with your government to lower taxes so you may enjoy more diverse wines,\u2019 was her sincere advice. \u2018I am glad to know that the Indian culture, starting from a very low base, has been improving fast.\u2019<\/p><p><strong>Also Read : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/item_3_726.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Nizami Wine Weekend Splurge at Taj Falaknuma Palace<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p><p>This was her 4th visit- the third one being in 2017 when I was in Hyderabad for the same event. She had then visited several Indian wineries in Nashik.<\/p><p>Jancis left for Mumbai this morning where a High Tea has been arranged for her at the Terrace at the Taj Mahal Hotel, followed by a small, quiet dinner, according to Sonal who seems to have volunteered to organize the trip for her and her husband Nicolas Lander.<\/p><p>She has been an author of several books, but universally known for her \u2018Oxford Companion of Wines\u2019 that was my Bible in the 1990\u2019s when I was learning on my own about wines.<\/p><p><strong>Also Read : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/item_1_479.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Winefuture: Magical Moments with Maestro and a Master<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 204px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-15762\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-204x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Wine Tasting with Sommelier Sushmita\" width=\"204\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-204x300.jpeg 204w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-695x1024.jpeg 695w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-768x1131.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-1043x1536.jpeg 1043w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22-1024x1509.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-17.31.22.jpeg 1086w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wine Tasting with Sommelier Sushmita<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>\u2018My wine writing career began on 1 December 1975, virtually pre-history as far as modern wine is concerned, when I started as assistant editor of the British wine trade magazine <em>Wine &amp; Spirit<\/em>. Since then I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world of wine, she says, while admitting that in early days of her wine career she didn&#8217;t know that Asia was also an expanding world of wines. She first visited India in 2002.<\/p><p>Despite being one of the most knowledgeable wine persons on earth, she is very humble and practical about wines and not the least bit snobbish. She is very clear about Price Quality ration in wines. I don\u2019t believe there is an absolute correlation between wine\u2019s price and quality. There are many delicious wines that don\u2019t cost a great deal, while there are hundreds of overpriced bottles carrying price tags that have been conjured out of the air by some hopeful marketer or winery owner.\u2019 Implicitly, she finds wines in India rather expensive, especially due to high taxes.<\/p><p><strong>Also Read : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/blog_27_331.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Blog: When I was with Robert Parker<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p><p>One point that needs to be stressed is that the cooking and serving staff were fully prepared as if the Royalty was expected. Metaphorically, it won\u2019t be incorrect, she was awarded an OBE by the Queen of England in 2003 and has been an Advisor to the Queen\u2019s Cellar from 2004 to 2022. With the plethora of delicious and multitude of fine wines and interesting conversations, she is not likely to forget the evening for a long time.<\/p><p>For those of us who attended the evening it was certainly an unforgettable event, in more ways than one.<\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-01-at-16.16.50.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">List of Wines for Tasting<\/span><\/a><br \/><\/strong><\/p><p><strong>Subhash Arora<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Posted: Sunday, 01 September 2024 18:42 Passing by: Jancis Robinson MW on her 4th visit to India 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