Sonal Holland

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.

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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.

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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 

On the Indian wine scene, 2016 clearly belonged to Sonal Holland. As India’s first Master of Wine (MW) Sonal ended India’s long wait of representation in this prestigious club of the most qualified wine professionals of the world.

Instituted in 1953 by the London based Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) the MW examination is designed to intensively test a candidate’s theoretical knowledge and practical blind tasting skills covering all aspects in the art, science and business of wine. The standard of the exam is so rigorous, that till date only 391 people have qualified on its curriculum . 353 MWs are presently working in 28 countries judging wine competitions, lecturing at wine courses, leading wine tastings, and sampling and assessing some of the world’s finest wine cellars. MWs also advise governments and heads of state worldwide, as well as hotels, airlines, and other institutions on all aspects related to wine.

Reams have already been written on Sonal‘s stellar journey of becoming a MW, hence I will not dwell on many details  (you can easily google and find them). Instead I will try to offer you a peek into Sonal’s engagements after becoming a MW.

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Don’t be afraid of how tough it is, keep your vision on the never-ending rewards of being a MW. Indians can be world-class at everything we do and our limitations can sometimes be our only advantage, giving us tenacity, perseverance and the keen desire to succeed against all odds. I’d say go for it!

– Sonal Holland’s advice to MW aspirants.

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With Achievement Comes Responsibility

Meeting Sonal fresh after her MW success when she came visiting Delhi in September 16  to co-chair delWine Awards, the first question I asked was – “how have things changed ever since the MW announcement?”

Sonal’s  response was candid- “ for starters it was opening some special wine bottles in the course of a few days- some of them being Champagne Dom Pérignon 2003, Ferrari Perle Trentodoc Sparkling 2007, Vega Sicilia Unico 2007 and Solaia 2012. Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to remind that it’s all really happening.”

On a more serious note she said – “ it is true that tasting wine is central to  MW duties, but the larger context is to follow IMW’s stringent code of conduct that entails making important contributions to the global wine trade, using every opportunity to share the understanding of wine with others.”

In India, rapid urbanisation, changing lifestyles, rising incomes and the world’s largest youth population has contributed to a surge in wine’s popularity. Indian wines are being increasingly appreciated globally, and both Indian and international wines are seeing a larger presence within our country. I am determined to make sure India remains top of mind in wine conversations around the world.

It is not as if Sonal has to start from a scratch – she has been promoting the cause of wine since several years in her capacity as a certified wine educator, broadcaster, judge and wine consultant. Her Wine Academy founded in 2009, is one of India’s foremost institutions offering certified WSET wine courses and consultancy to leading hotels and wine trade. Her digital channel “Sonal Holland Wine TV” was recently awarded as the Best Wine Vlog in the country (see video below) by Food Bloggers Association of India. Sonal has also recently started another point of contact with wine lovers through her SoHo Wine Club that aims to deliver expertly curated wine selections, tutored tastings and wine experiences to highly discerning consumers in India.

Click Here if the video does not load above

Sonal Holland’s Plans for 2017

After bringing in the New Year at a house party over wine, single malts and dirty martinis, Sonal hopes to maintain the same hard work and focus in 2017 that saw her realize her longstanding dream of becoming a MW in 2016.  “I aim to establish some key strategic alliances that will allow me to make important contributions towards the growth of the wine industry in India. I will continue to represent India as its wine ambassador at international wine events and forums. I am also keen to further harness my passion for wine education in the coming year.” says Sonal.

Something that is likely to meet even her 7 year old daughter Rianna’s  innocent expectations as she exclaimed- “India’s first and the only Master of Wine – Mummy, that makes you one in a billion!”

Many of those billion+ will be looking up to Sonal for keeping the Indian tricolour flying high on the global wine scenario.

Awards mean recognition. We know that humans crave recognition. Abraham Maslow’s theory defines such an orientation  as ‘esteem need’ wherein a person, who has already achieved physical, security and social needs, aspires to be acknowledged for his/her efforts. No wonder we have awards associated with virtually every sphere of life. At the highest level they come as  Nobel prizes, Grammys, Emmys, Oscars and the list goes on endlesssly into every possible area of expertise.

It was hence logical that the Indian wine industry- a comparatively nascent one-  would come up with its own set of awards sooner than later. It finally happened this year with delWine Excellence (dWE) awards.  The awards are the  outcome of collaboration between three entities -‘delWine’, an e-newsletter on wine,  ‘Indian Wine Academy’, an organisation that promotes wine (both founded by noted wine personality Subhash Arora) and ‘Indian Restaurant Spy’, a food and wine blog by renowned journalist Sourish Bhattacharyya. Supported by India’s first and only Master of Wine Sonal Holland who is also co-chair on the jury and Rifaquat Ali Khan Mirza, an eminent hospitality professional, dWE awards have provided the initial spark to accredit wine professionals across the country for their efforts with requisite deliberation. The awards are envisioned to be held in two stages, one each  in Delhi and Mumbai- India’s major wine hubs.

According to Subhash Arora, the primary consideration for holding these awards at two places is to do full justice to hotels and restaurants engaged in wine service in both these cities. “To make the awards more interesting, we have incorporated different award categories on the national level as well” Arora adds.

The Inaugural Event

The inaugural Delhi-National Capital Region round of dWE awards was held on September 14, 2016 , at the Peacock Ballroom of Hotel Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. The awards ceremony was preceded by  a Wines of the World (WOW) showcase, where guests had the opportunity to sample more than 120 wines, Indian as well as international. The engagement also offered good networking opportunity, not otherwise feasible  at such a scale. Ensuite, the awards ceremony was conducted around a sit-down wine-paired dinner for 300 wine professionals, journalists and connoisseurs, admirably managed by Team Pullman  amid an exuberantly circulating audience.

With an eminent jury in place, the objectivity associated with the awards was largely established. However there were hits and misses related to expectations- a normal phenomenon in any competitive environment. Interestingly, there was a tie for the Jury Awards for Best Sommelier of the Year (Five-Star Hotel) and the Popular Perception Award for Best Importer. Also, Editor’s Choice Award for the Best Value for Money Wine List (Five Star Hotel) was not given away because the organizers felt that  Five-Star hotels ought to transfer the price benefit  of duty free imports to the consumer before being considered for such an award.

The Winners

The final list of winners is summarized in the image given below . Please feel free to download and share. Alternately, click here to view and  download as high resolution PDF.

The Road Ahead

delWine Excellence awards have come as a welcome development on the Indian winescape. Such initiatives are  bound to stimulate the wine market in the country towards refinement in wine quality and service levels. Speaking about immediate plans after the inaugural event, Arora said that apart from the Mumbai version of dWE awards, they also plan to host India Wine Awards, which, for the first time in the country, will be based on blind barrel tastings in each of the country’s wine-producing districts by a panel of experts. These Awards are being planned for February-March 2017 and will be held in Mumbai and Bangalore in alternate years.

“With the two awards, we will honor the country’s best wine professionals and cover 360 degrees of the wine experience — from wine service, imports, retail and tourism to the quality of wines being produced in India, from consumer-driven industry awards to tastings-led expert awards,” said Arora.

The wine scene in India seems all set for the next level of evolution.