Bigger and better would be the right words to describe the delWine Summit and Excellence Awards (dWSEA) that concluded recently in its second edition in New Delhi. Ever since the first edition of India’s “exclusively wine” awards happened in 2016, the next version of the event was much anticipated, but with the organizers deciding to give 2017 and 2018 a miss, speculation was rife about its version next.
I remember inquiring Subhash Arora– the founder and key person behind the awards- as to the likely dates of the next dWEA fixture and his guarded response was- “only when we are satisfied about fulfilling the event’s evolutionary requirements, will we take a further step’. I could well understand the depth of his statement, given the logistical challenges involved in an exercise of such a magnitude especially in view of India’s less than friendly alcohol laws.
A significant niche of dWSEA lies in its orientation towards individuals and institutions that drive wine rather than wine itself. It doesn’t directly award wines but the hotels, sommeliers and other trade personnel who work closely with wine on a day to day basis.
The day finally arrived this 21st April at the Pullman Hotel New Delhi as dWSEA not only replicated the success of its maiden edition but also expanded its ambit with the first of its kind India Wine Summit that featured industry leaders and achievers like Ravi Viswanathan , Wine Investor and Chairman Grover Zampa Vineyards; Aman Dhall (Brindco) and Arun Kumar (Aspri), prominent Indian importers; Sonal Holland , India’s first and only Master of Wine; Tristan Beau de Lomenie General Manager Pullman and Novotel Hotels; and Loic Pasquet, owner of Bordeaux’s famed and one of the most expensive wines “Liber Pater”. Leading food journalist Sourish Bhattacharya who is also the co-founder of dWEA was at the helm of the proceedings right since the beginning.
delWine Summit
Debuting this year, was the delWine Summit with its theme as “The Game Changer”. The summit featured stimulating discussions on Industry issues like “Opportunities and Impediments for International Wines”, “The State of Wine Training: Are We Still Talent Crunched?” and “Industry-Government Interface: Regulatory Challenges for the Indian Wine Sector”.
As panelists brought out the various pros and cons of the wine business in India, the audience lapped up the knowledge that literally came “from the horses’ mouth”. The attendance at the Summit though was relatively lower than should have been but on a positive note it is a beginning well made, if one goes by the enthusiasm generated by the debut Summit.
The Awards
Continuing with its quest to recognize wine industry and hospitality achievers, a major highlight of dWSEA was the Awards function that felicitated the winners. At the forefront was the Women of Wine (WOW) Awards that recognized 10 top women in India who have made extraordinary contributions to the wine industry. The awardees come from diverse functional areas such as wine making, wine sales and marketing, imports, retail and wine education. Arora informed that the journalistic domain was kept out of the purview of the WOW awards this year- the focus being more towards “hands-on” kind of roles.
Click here for more information on WOW winners
The other awards followed, including the Hall of Fame award which went to Rajeev Samant, Founder and CEO of Sula Vineyards and AD Singh, Managing Director of the Olive Hospitality Group.
Click here to view all the nominations and awards at dWSEA 2019
Wine Divine
Inarguably the best wine sampling opportunity in India, a major attraction at the dWSEA has been its “World of Wines Showcase”. A vast range of India’s domestic as well as imported wines were offered for tasting at dWSEA 2019, giving a good idea of the range of wines available in the country.
Apart from the top 3 Indian producers viz. Sula, Grover and Fratelli, wines from major importers- Brindco, Aspri, Prestige, Agnetta, Wine Park, Gusto, Hema Connoisseur Collections, VBev and Ace Beveragez formed a part of the “wine promenade” at the expansive Peacock Ballroom of the hotel.The Best Stand of the Evening award went to La Cave by Brindco– that had put up magnificent façades at separate enclosures for New World and Old World wines from their portfolio.
The awards night concluded with an elaborate buffet spread that made for an infinite number of wine and food pairings , limited only by one’s imagination. The thoughtfulness of the hotel in providing plate clamps for holding the wine glasses made it very convenient to move around and try out the various pairing options.
With the next edition of dWSEA already announced for 30 Apr 2020, it would be worthwhile to mark your calendar if you happen to be around New Delhi at that time.
For more information on dWSEA, visit the event official site here
