Bouncing back from adversity makes for inspiring stories and Namratha Prashanth’s is no different. From an abused housewife in her thirties to a successful wine entrepreneur in the “Mecca of wine” Bordeaux, Namratha has indeed come a long way- her journey continuing to mark newer milestones.
If I attempt to narrate Namratha’s story in its entirety, it would outrun the real estate of this post. Hence, I would like to focus more on her wine pursuits. For those interested in further details, listening to the podcast at the end of this post is recommended.
My first meeting with Namratha
I met Namratha first at Vinexpo Delhi, 2022 though we had been connected on social media for long. I was at the Expo as an exhibitor and she came visiting from Bordeaux. The initial meeting itself inspired me enough to have a private sitting with her for an undivided conversation. Since both of us had tight schedules, I thought it best to invite her home for a quick lunch while she was on her way to the airport to fly back. My home being reasonably near to the airport made things convenient.
Family’s advice that led Namratha to wine
At the time when Namratha had to restart her life from scratch, she had very little work experience in two short stints, albeit with reputable organizations. In her hour of crisis, her parental family stood firmly by her, with her sister motivating Namratha to reboot her life by going abroad and pursuing a profession aligned with her passion.
Namratha’s passion happened to lie in language, wine, and food (thanks to her hospitality background). Heeding her sister’s advice, she moved to Bordeaux, France to pursue a Wine MBA course at INSEEC (Institut des Hautes Études Economiques et Commerciales). The decision acted as the first “bud-break” of her wine journey.
Living in a wine estate can have its challenges too
After a month at the wine school, Namratha interned at Château Siran in the Margaux appellation as required by the course curriculum. She secured the spot for managing dégustation visits at the estate, thanks to her bilingual proficiency in English and French.
The job required her to live in the 88-hectare estate, which far from being ‘romantic’ (as most wine lovers may visualise), was scary during the nights when Namratha found herself all alone in the wide expanse. It took almost three months for her to overcome the fear of living alone but she utilised her time well, watching online wine videos, including those by Michael Fagan of the famed LCBO Discover Series. Michael Fagan would later help Namratha to find inroads into the Canadian market.
However, Namratha’s challenges were far from abating. A life-threatening crisis awaited her in the form of a car crash while she was in her fifth month of internship at Château Siran. She met with the accident while on her way to Spain with four other people. The horrific accident at 130 kmph flung her violently from the rear to the windscreen, but fortunately, she survived the crash with minor injuries. This providential escape only strengthened her conviction of having a special purpose to fulfil in life.
The “vinification” of passion with Solicantus
2018 turned out to be a defining year for Namratha when during Vinexpo Paris she met Corrine, a wine estate owner in Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux. The two ladies hit it off instantly, so much so, that Corrine ended up inviting Namratha to visit her estate.
The acquaintance further developed into a partnership between the two to produce Namratha’s label of wine called Solicantus which was conceptualized after a rigorous four-month research into the aspirations of their target consumer.
Solicantus- A deep-rooted significance
Solicantus in Latin means “Melody of the Soil” (Soli= Soil, Cantus= Melody). The wine’s philosophy is amplified on the label with the tagline “Melodie du Sol”. The graphics on the Solicantus wine’s label are inspired by the famed Spanish artist Salvador Dali’s work which typically includes accented lines.
Namratha’s idea for Solicantus was to bring out a red and a white wine for gifting “by wine lovers to wine lovers” to celebrate each day of life.
The Red version of Solicantus is a blend of Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec grapes produced in Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, while the White version is a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Muscadelle produced in the Entre Deux Mers appellation. Both these wines are marketed by Namratha’s wine négociant company Wine Equation.
Apart from her wines, Namratha also markets other wines like Château La Caussade, a generic Bordeaux red wine.
Namratha’s idea for Solicantus was to bring out a red and a white wine for gifting by wine lovers to wine lovers to celebrate each day of life.
Namratha explains the Solicantus graphics as depicting the journey of wine in the vat. The darker part of the label depicts the “must” (fermenting grape mash) which goes on to become a clear wine towards the end of the cycle. There is a great deal of artistry in Solicantus and it’s also noteworthy that Jérome, the 10th-generation winemaker who produces her white wine, is himself an artist too!
Both the Solicantus wines are being sold in France and also exported to Belgium, India, Maldives, and most recently Canada where they are available across 104 LCBO stores.
In India, Solicantus wines are imported by Sonarys Co-Brands Pvt Ltd. and are presently available in Mumbai and Bengaluru at ₹ 6960 and ₹ 6520 respectively.
From Cannes to Canada and beyond
Reaching out to the clientele is an indispensable part of any business and it is even more relevant in the wine business where stories form an integral part of the exercise. Namratha has been quite proactive on this front, be it connecting with the glitterati at the Cannes film festival or addressing hospitality student gatherings like the Rootstock symposium in the George Brown College Canada, where incidentally she was invited by her idol Michael Fagan whose wine videos had a great influence during her Château Siran days. Michael also introduced her to the Cru Wine Merchants in Canada, who imported her wines to that country, now listed in restaurants in Toronto and Ottawa.
Today, as Namratha continues to chart her wine journey, she truly exemplifies the adage- “Tough times never last, but tough people do”.
Sidenote: Solicantus Rouge was served by me at a wine dinner in Japan
During my trip to Sake breweries in Japan last year (2023), Solicantus happened to be one of the wines served by me at a paired dinner for a group of Japanese Sake brewers in the beautiful city of Kurayoshi in the Tottori Prefecture.
The wine was graciously gifted to me by Namratha herself when she visited my place in Delhi as narrated above. The other wines at the dinner being Indian, it was interesting to have a French wine produced by an Indian in the overall portfolio.
I guess the smiles in the photo above could inspire Namratha to contemplate exporting to Japan as well.
Amen to that!
External Podcast Link :
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/matt-talks-wine-stuff-with-interesting-people/id1438005919
