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Rosy Bounce-back from Pandemic, says Samant of Sula
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After braving the initial months of Covid-19 pandemic, which were more stressful with no sales than the global meltdown in 2008-10, Sula Vineyards has bounced back magnificently, despite negligible on-trade sales, and Rajeev Samant, Founder CEO sees a sales drop of only around 10% in 2020-21 with Rose segment showing even a growth of 25%, with Seco Rose even clocking a 40% increase, writes Subhash Arora who had an exclusive interview with Samant who presented a rosy picture of Sula with good future
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Sula Sun Shines brightly again after weathering Covid Storm
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After passing through the disastrous period of April-June 2020 like all other Indian wine producers and importers, Sula has not only weathered the current Covid storm magnificently, but it has managed to come out ahead with a gain in market share and the brand stronger than ever, writes Subhash Arora who had a long telecom with Rajeev Samant, Founder CEO of Sula Vineyards, who has been in Nashik since March and enjoying the prolonged stay and the hands-on working, with a big hand in blending wines of vintage 2020
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Jancis Robinson wishes Lower Wine Import Duties in India
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India might not become a significant wine exporting nation for years, but is making reasonably good wines and has a huge potential in the domestic market but the government policies are terrible and the import taxes must come down for wine culture to be popular, said Jancis Robinson, MW in a rare one-hour Zoom chat yesterday with Sonal Holland MW, despite her heavy schedule because she wants wine culture in India to flourish, writes Subhash Arora who attended the webinar as he had been charmed by her down-to-earth attitude when he met her at Taj Falaknuma in April 2017
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Lenz Moser- Winemaker of Chateau Changyu Moser XV Ningxia China
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China and Austria may be in lockdown but Chateau Changyu Moser XV wine estate near Yinchuan in Ningxia in Northwest China, in which Austrian winemaker Lenz Moser has been involved from the very beginning in the viticulture, winemaking and overseeing of sales in Europe, is open and producing wine though Lenz has been managing to operate from his home in Frauenkirchen in Burgenland and continues the dialogue between the buyers as well as the winery, writes Subhash Arora who had a long chat with him a couple of weeks ago
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SAM Conversations with Subhash Arora on Wine Cluture
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In a candid interview styled chat in which Tarun Basu, President of Society for Policy Studies posed several questions about the growing wine culture in India including the known government impediments and how China has come along so much and so fast, Subhash Arora cleared several misgivings as a part of Sam Conversations organised by South Asia Monitor to be broadcast in South Asian countries and a group of viewers in the US, with the objective of disseminating the current status of wine industry in India
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TV Celebrity Chef Varun Inamdar at Hill Zill Winery Resort
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For the dinner organised by the Hill Zill Winery Resort where a 2-day Conference was organized on fruit wines by Priyanka Save and her husband Nagesh Pai, TV Chef Varun Inamdar came especially from Mumbai to curate a meal that was perhaps once-in a-life time opportunity for most, writes Subhash Arora who loved the forest to table Menu using local ingredients and each dish matched with wines from Sula/Fruzzante that inspired him to chat with the Chef at length the next day about his journey to becoming a Celebrity TV Chef
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Raj Parr-Super Sommelier and Winemaker Extraordinaire
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Rajat Parashar, a Kolkata born American Sommelier with the adopted name of Raj Parr, is the most accomplished Indian wine persona with years of experience as a Top Sommelier and now a cult winemaker, making Burgundy styled wines in California and Oregon. He was in Delhi on 16 November where he conducted a Masterclass with a Tasting of 3 entry level wines that charmed the full house at Le Cirque, Delhi, writes Subhash Arora who has been following his career graph for the last 12 years, and attended the session, despite the Indian Wine Day dinner he was hosting in the evening
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Ian Harris, the dynamic CEO of WSET visits India
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WSET is undoubtedly the most popular wine course, though nor recognised by any university, in India with about 1200 students opting for at least one of the streams in 2019, a jump of 20 times in 10 years, and this has come about thanks to the rock-steady CEO Ian Harris who I met on the sidelines of India Wine Awards at the Leela in Mumbai and had the opportunity to interview him at length, writes Subhash Arora, congratulating WSET for the 50th anniversary celebration on October 17, 2019
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Liber Pater 2015: World’s Most Expensive Wine at €30,000
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You might expect a Vin de France for as low as €2 (Rs.150) but a bottle of Liber Pater 2015 in that classification will set you back by €30,000 (over Rs. 2.3 million) and only 550 bottles of this pure Bordeaux wine from ungrafted vines with indigenous grapes used in 1855 made in Italian amphoras will be available in September from its owner Loic Pasquet who was a special guest at the delWine Excellence Awards organised by the Indian Wine Academy and delWine at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity on April 21 this year
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Gerard Basset Sommelier Restaurateur Extraordinaire
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Gerard Basset, MS, MW, MBA, OBE, World’s Best Sommelier (2010), a Sommelier, Restaurateur and Human Being Extraordinaire is no more. He lost the battle with cancer yesterday. An introvert who became alive on stage while talking about wine looked very frail when I met him last at the MUST wine conference at Cascais Portugal where he was a Speaker. Cancer had gotten to him but he did not let it show on his face. He also joined us on an exclusive trip to Madeira and was cheerful and we shared many interesting anecdote of his usual visits to Madeira with his family and restructuring his restaurant business. I also learnt that the cheapest way to visit Madeira was by taking special packaged trips from UK and not from Lisbon.
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Hyatt Regency: Ivan Chieregatti Italian Chef with Indian Palate
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Chef Ivan Chieregatti, the Executive Chef at Hotel Hyatt Regency Delhi, who has been overseeing food preparation at all the restaurants at Hyatt Regency Delhi for the last couple of years, is so fond of Indian food and spices that he has several forms of chillies in his personal portfolio that includes even ‘Bhoot Jhalokia’, perhaps world’s hottest chilli powder and in oil but otherwise keeps the food at La Piazza, truly authentic Italian, writes Subhash Arora who was privileged to try some of his hot specialties and the dessert
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Loic Pasquet of Liber Pater Bordeaux
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Loic Pasquet, owner of vineyards with pre-phylloxera vines and a boutique winery- Liber Pater named after the Roman God of Wine, is a winemaker from Graves, Bordeaux. Producer of small quantities of wines that cost more than Petrus or the First Growths as he is the only one producing these unique wines, was in India a few weeks ago and mesmerized everyone he met with his wines including Subhash Arora who was invited to a private, exclusive tasting dinner at Hotel Pullman Aerocity
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Nick Pringle : Cricketing Coo for Sula
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The appointment of Nick Pringle as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) reported last month first in delWine might have been a surprise for many but the process had been fermenting for quite some time, writes Subhash Arora who had an exclusive chat with him over breakfast last Wednesday at Hotel Le Meridian where he shared his vision on how he planned to use his years of experience in the wine and alcobev industry to help move Sula forward
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Donna Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta
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Donna Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta, granddaughter of late Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, creator of the iconic Italian Super Tuscan Sassicaia at his Tenuta San Guido Estate, was in India on a short visit when she met and impressed a group of journalists, sommeliers and hospitality personnel, writes Subhash Arora who was invited to a lunch hosted on Tuesday by Madhulika Bhattacharyya of Le Cave, at Le Cirque for a select group to taste Sassicaia 2011 and Guidalberto 2012 paired with food
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Patrick Materman Winemaker of Brancott Estate
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Patrick Materman, Chief Winemaker of Pernod Ricard- owned Brancott Estate in New Zealand was the VIP Guest judge invited for the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Competition held last month in Hong Kong where Subhash Arora spent 4 days judging with him and also talking with him about his years with Bancroft and his contribution to their winemaking and the current status of New Zealand wine industry
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