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 The list of celebrities includes, perhaps for the first time in any such wine event, a Master Sommelier (there are fewer of them in the world than even the rare commodity of Masters of Wine). Elyse Lambert is not only a Master Sommelier (MS) but has also been the Best Sommelier of Americas 2009 and the Best Sommelier of Canada 2015. She will co-ordinate the wine service at the event christened as 101 Weekend. She will of course choreograph the whole wine service at the gala dinner, the crescendo of the 3-day event.
Jancis Robinson MW is unquestionably the most sought after Master of Wine in the world today-a Ms. World of Wine, if you will. She was the first person outside the wine trade to garner the MW in 1984 when the coveted title was opened to outside the trade. The British wine critic, journalist and wine writer is considered the most influential European wine expert in the world and it is nothing short of a coup for the organisers to have roped her in.
John Salvi MW is perhaps the most active oldest living MW who is often flying from Canada to South Africa, to China where he is a consultant winemaker. President of the Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain, he has been in the Wine Trade for 42 years and is an active professional taster, a fellow judge at several competitions, wine consultant, and wine writer who has also writes for delWine. A resident of Bordeaux for decades, he is considered an authority on the vagaries of weather in Bordeaux.
When he became Master of Wine in 2004, Liam Steevenson MW was world’s youngest Master of Wine. He won the IWSC Greatest Achievement Award 2016 and is also an International Judge. The British national has been a regular feature in this event and was also present in the Delhi event last year. He has been a special guest at a Delhi Wine Club dinner where he also conducted a Master Class.
Other special invitees include Fiona Beckett who is an expert writer specializing in Wine and Food pairing and writes for The Guardian & Decanter magazine. She is also considered one of the most influential online journalists in the industry. Michael Drappier is a passionate champagne producer who also supplies the champagne and makes the event sparkle even more. He is a passionate supporter of sustainable winemaking and his champagne house was the first one to go completely carbon free in Champagne last year.
Keith Edgar is an International Sommelier & Educator who spends a lot of time shuttling between Canada, California and Calcutta (Kolkata) where he has done tremendous work in uplifting the quality of wine education. He is the curator of the Show. The list of special invitees also includes a couple of international wine producers and consultants- Yoav Gilat and Louis Moreau.
Programme
Apart from several other action filled programmes that fill the afternoon of 24th to the afternoon of 26th when the guests will leave after a half-day city tour in the morning followed by Lunch, numerous wine tastings by the visiting experts, and two dinners are slated for 24 and 25 March, 2017. Enjoy a wine tasting with the international wine experts as well as a food and wine pairing session with Jancis Robinson and Fiona Beckett on 25th March-this will double up as a wine lunch with the two ladies masters in their own fields, capturing your heart through the palate.
Dinner on 24th March will be at the Gol (round) Bungalow featuring the finest Hyderabadi cuisine paired with a selection of India's finest wines which will be presented by the leading wine producers like Sula, Grover Zampa, Fratelli and York. The dinner will be preceded by a Champagne Reception with Michael Drappier. The wines will be presented by the owners or the representatives of each winery.
 Pièce de résistance will of course be the 101 Food and Wine Dinner, co-hosted by Liam Steevenson, MW and Keith Edgar and wine service choreographed by Elyse Lambert, MS. Drappier Champagne reception followed by an exclusive multi-course dinner at the world renowned 101 Table. The 2 -Michelin Star Chef Srijith Gopinathan, from Taj Campton place in San Francisco will prepare his award winning Californian-Indian cuisine. Each course will be paired with some of the world’s finest wines. The menu will be marked by his signature re-imaging of California cuisine through the lens of India’s multi-faceted regional dishes.
Taj Falaknuma Palace
The former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Falaknuma Palace has been leased by the Royal Family of Hyderabad to the Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces, with Royal Family members having personallysupervised part of the Palace's refurbishment. The guests may now experience the famous hospitality of Nizam's household which was once accorded only to the royalty. The guest rooms and suites at this heritage hotel property marry the conveniences of modernity perfectly with Nizami splendour.
The 101 Dinner which will be the highlight of the 101 Weekend, will be held at the 101 Dining Room, a unique banqueting area with the world’s largest dining table of 110 feet length, which can normally seat 90 persons. This unique venue has sophisticated wood interiors and ornate crystal chandeliers besides exquisite acoustics that enable you to hear whispers from one corner of the room to the other.
https://taj.tajhotels.com
Prices and Bookings
If you salivate at the thought of the happenings at this event, you are a true wine connoisseur and someone who enjoys good things in life, without worrying about costs. The various packages include complete meals and several other activities including sight-seeing and an interaction with the wine celebrities, an opportunity not easily available to most of us. They say that quality doesn’t come cheap. The cheapest package costs Rs. 172,000 AI for 2. It works out more reasonable if two persons share the room and the cost.
The Historic Suite is a tad higher at Rs. 215,000++. For a real exclusive experience, you may even opt for the Grand Presidential Suite priced at £10,000 (Rs. 8, 50, 000)
For more information write to falaknuma.hyderabad@tajhotels.com
For earlier related Articles, click:
IVFE 2016: Trilogy of Tastings at the Three Taj Hotels
Grand Tasting Experience debuts at the Taj Mahal in Delhi
Subhash Arora |