 WSET has started offering the Champagne Scholarship India, to a fresh WSET Level 3 graduate in India, who has performed exceedingly well in the exam as well as who demonstrates high level of commitment to wines. The scholarship will be awarded in a ceremony in London today.
‘It gives me pleasure to inform that Kathiravan Govindaraj of Sheraton Park Hotel, Chennai, has been awarded this scholarship this year which will give him the opportunity to travel to the Champagne region on a study tour. He will be officially awarded the scholarship in London on the 21st of January. This scholarship is co-sponsored by the WSET and Bureau du Champagne,’ writes Niladri Dhar who was working with the ITC Hotels group till a couple of weeks ago and was instrumental in conducting several wine programs Pan India.
Kathiravan was a part of the 18 ITC Hotels staffers who underwent the comprehensive 45-day Level 3 wine training program conducted by Niladri at ITC Maurya in August/September 2011. He was always the star performer during the training and internal assessments as well as in the WSET Level 3 exam. He was the only candidate to pass it with a distinction (rest all passed with Merits).
Following the training, he used his wine education to very good effect in the hotel where he is the leading Sommelier, winning many guest accolades in addition to improving the wine sales. 'In fact, he is one of the most wine-focused F&B professionals within the ITC Hotels group now,’ says Niladri.
‘I feel particularly proud to have trained and mentored him throughout my time with ITC Hotels and this scholarship is almost like a parting gift for me. I will continue to offer him guidance in his quest to become a top-notch wine professional in India,’ he adds before signing off.
ITC Hotels has been quite pro-active in keeping wine as an important part of their F & B programmes. They have been conducting regular programmes to increase the wine knowledge of their staff in the food and beverage departments. ITC Hotels has also partnered with the Indian Wine Academy to host the Masterclasses on Sicily at their properties in Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai from today and culminating on 24th January.
Tags: Kathiravan Govindaraj, ITC Hotels’ Sheraton Park Hotel, Chennai, Champagne Scholarship India, WSET Level 3, Bureau du Champagne, Niladri Dhar, ITC |