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India Wine Awards 2022: Sifting ‘the exceptional from the ordinary’

October 31, 2022

The growing number of entries for the India Wine Awards 2022 clearly underlines India’s new phase in its journey toward appreciating premium wine

Twenty-four days. That is how long it took for the India Wine Awards 2022 (IWA) to move from paper to tasting table. As Sonal Holland MW looked to grow her ‘baby’, the IWA, into a bigger, much more credible property, she met Thomas Schlitt – Managing Director, Messe Dusseldorf India at Vinexpo Mumbai in August 2022, and the idea of a collaboration was floated and finalised. Prowine India was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on 17^th and 18^th October 2022, when the IWA results would be announced at a gala awards ceremony. That meant there would be a vast quantum of work to be done in a very short time.

Just over three weeks later, fifteen judges sat around tables at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace and tasted and assessed 410 wines – the largest number of wines entered into an Indian wine competition to date, and a considerable jump up from the 320 entered in 2019.

The rabbit from the hat

I was honestly skeptical that Sonal Holland and her team would be able to pull off the execution of a national-level wine competition within a few short weeks. But they did. With just two months in hand – with tasks including getting sponsorships, prepping for the competition, and computing the results to planning the gala evening – they became “laser-focused.” Explained Holland, “We have been doing it for a few years, so the checklist is familiar. It is a lot of work, but we knew what needed to be done.”

On the morning of the first day of judging, Holland’s team – five people including Holland herself – showed few signs of the frenetic run-up to the big day – or that they had been working until 3 am the night previous slotting last-minute things into place. At 9.45 am, the first calibration wines were poured, and the IWA was off to a smooth, brisk start.

The IWA Jury 2022: From left (standing) Craig Wedge, Akshay Tripathi, Malay Rout, Viraj Sawant, Karan Vasani, Sumedh Mandla, Kevin Rodrigues, Pratik Angre, Jezan Limzerwala, Alok Chandra. Seated (left to right) Gauri Devidayal, Sovna Puri, Ruma Singh, Sonal Holland, Sujata Patil, Devati Mullick, Rojita Tewari

Big brands buy-in

Let’s backtrack a bit. The 2022 edition of the India Wine Awards was the fourth edition of the concept created by Sonal Holland, India’s first Master of Wine. With every edition, she has worked to refine the format, she explains. In its very first year, it was a trade-only event at the Sofitel, Mumbai, much smaller in scale. The second edition was larger, complete with masterclasses and the Excellence in Restaurant Wine Programme awards (soon to return to the IWA), where restaurants with the most creatively compiled and comprehensive wine lists were feted. The third edition saw international masters of wine come on board as judges of the restaurant awards. Then came the pandemic, and after a two-year Covid-driven hiatus as businesses began picking up, it was time for a re-boot.

“In 2019, when we held the last IWA, we were already growing fast. We had more nominations than ever before. Ian Harris, the CEO of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) had flown down for it – there were early signs that major international brands were getting interested. My vision from that time on was that IWA should go on to collaborate with an international body.” With international trade fairs Vinexpo and Prowein scheduled to enter India, it was time to go big. “Prowine India was interested in the India Wine Awards straight away. I was looking for a global partner and they were looking for a body that could collaborate and curate a high-end evening to inform and entertain along with food and drinks, with the crème de la crème of the industry in attendance. We felt this was a win-win partnership, one that would bring enhanced credibility to both.”

Another big brand to show immediate interest was the Taj Group of Hotels. Holland moved the judging sessions to the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel in south Mumbai with plans for a calendar of follow-up wine events at its iconic Crystal Room in the coming months, as well as tying up the preferential listing of the winning IWA wines on Taj hotel wine lists.

The IWA team (from left): Anandita Anand, Arjun Moghe, Sonal Holland, Apoorva Aras, Madhura Pawar

The imported wine influx

Holland outlines the biggest difference that the 2022 edition had over the earlier ones: the increasing number of premium international wine brands that entered the competition – in fact, they dominated the entries. Unlike earlier editions, where entry-and mid-range wines found representation, this time the international trend for premiumisation was evident and reflected in the wines entered into the competition. “Quality wine dominated, and there was participation from every producer and importer present in the country, even those who normally do not participate in competitions,” she said.

Holland is very proud of the results. Of the 410 wines entered, 224 medals were awarded, which meant the 55% of wines were considered worthy of awards. The wines included still, sparkling, sweet, and fortified. Included for the first time were wines in cans (four won silver medals) showing the Indian market’s growing awareness of international trends.

“This was a truly deserving list of winners,” said Holland, “The 15 judges were the most highly qualified. The process was rigorous. There was a great sense of comfort and community during the tasting process and the re-tasting of the short-listed wines by the panel chairs re-validated the results.” In all, there were 30 Best in Show medals awarded (outstanding wines scoring 95 points and above), 77 gold medals (90 to 94 points), and 117 silver medals (85 to 89 points). (See the list of Best in Show and Gold medal winners below).

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News & Views / Wine in India

Vinexpo India: camaraderie & premiumisation on show

September 7, 2022

The second edition of Vinexpo India was held on 18-20 August 2022 in Mumbai. Here is a virtual walk-through and analysis

Day One of Mumbai’s first Vinexpo. There was a palpable buzz in the air in the grand ballroom of The Leela Mumbai as crowds gathered to hear Sula Vineyards’ founder Rajeev Samant deliver his keynote address. Samant, whose company had created a stir in the industry when it announced its intentions to go public recently, struck an optimistic note in his speech. He described the last 18 months as ‘Heady Times’ for the Indian wine industry, with “a real bounce back in wine consumption in India, especially consumption of Indian wines…. we have seen strong double-digit growth across categories, across states… and strong growth in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Haryana…”

Indian wine to the fore

Industry veteran and expert Subhash Arora, advisor and conference chairman for Vinexpo India, acknowledges that Samant is an eternal optimist. “So am I,” he adds. “He spoke of the positive growth and also the pressure that upcoming free trade agreements with Australia and EU would put on (domestic) Indian wine sales in future.”

As premium Indian wine is showing a marked uptick in quality, Arora believes that Indian producers need to participate more in international wine competitions to get an international ’stamp of approval’ for their wines. Referring to Sula’s latest medal – the first-ever Gold for their Sula Tropicale Brut NV at London’s International Wine Challenge 2022 – he said such confirmation of steadily improving quality had resulted in bigger crowds (of wine professionals) at the stands of Indian wine producers.

But there is a far more practical reason that hope springs eternal in the breasts of stakeholders of the Indian wine industry. Despite being bound by crippling taxes and an opaque system of distribution, the industry (including both domestic and imported wines) is growing at a brisk rate. Sula’s industry report dated June 2022 prepared by Technopak refers to growth by value of 18.3% between 2014-2019, and a projected annual growth rate of more than 14% between 2021 and 2025. In the wine world where there is a constant struggle to achieve volume sales even in mature markets, these figures have sparked no small excitement.

*The Vinexpo Mumbai inauguration*. *Main picture: the Sula booth*, *courtesy Sula Vineyards*

Creating a buzz: Top London wine club 67 Pall Mall‘s owner Grant Ashton was spotted at the venue, taking a keen interest in the people and proceedings. Something exciting brewing for Indian wine lovers?

Small, but growing apace

This edition of Vinexpo saw 2000 visitors – trade professionals including producers, educators, media and importers) over the 3 days of business. A modest start in comparison to Vinexpo Paris 2022 which saw 2,864 exhibitors and 25,739 trade visitors, which included 28% of international visitors from 109 countries. Nonetheless, the level of enthusiasm among attendees was apparent. The relatively cosy ambience (12,000 sq feet) made the atmosphere party-like and there was much clinking of glasses and hugging among wine industry professionals, many of whom had met after three years. Arora explains. “On the afternoon of the last day, there was a very large crowd present, which I haven’t seen at any international of the wine shows I have visited. There, the exhibitors would start packing up at 3 pm on the last day. Here, visitors continued to throng the venue even at 5 pm on the day it closed.”

The Italian Connection

Among the 20 exhibitors, the majority were domestic wine producers and companies while a handful was international. Among the latter, Agriment Italia, representing over 50 Italian wineries showcased a range of Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna’s Cantina Di Carpi E Sorbara, along with Moscato d’Asti – both eminently suited to a beginner’s palate – and wines from grapes like Brachetto and Barbera – relatively unusual to find in India. Kiran Malasure, Agriment Italia’s India manager spoke of the high level of interest in and knowledge about Italian wines. Several Indian importers had stopped by to taste samples and talk business, although the conversation inevitably veered to Indian state taxes which would bump up the retail prices considerably. “The greatest interest expressed was for wine which could be brought in at around €2-3 – very challenging for us.”

Across the room, Bordeaux-based award-winning sommelier Mattia Antonio Cianca DipWSET conducted a masterclass on Italian appellations and with and his business partner Amrita Singh DipWSET showcased 40 Italian wines at his booth, from regions as famous as Piedmont (Barolo) and Tuscany (Montalcino, Chianti Classico) to those far lesser-known like Puglia and Calabria. A group of certified sommeliers, their pins proudly on display, clustered around the booth, expertly swirling their glasses and comparing vintage characteristics. This was a rare opportunity to taste diverse wine styles, appellations and vintages at one go, one of them told me.

Mattia Antonio Cianca DipWSET with his wines

Masterclasses, the big draw

A major draw of the three-day affair was the programme of masterclasses, underlining the great thirst for knowledge within the industry. “We had planned for 50 seats, but there were 95 people waiting to attend the very first class,” says Arora. A wide range of topics was covered, and the 50 wines served over the 15 masterclasses offered visitors a rare opportunity to taste premium offerings. California’s growing emphasis on top quality and diverse grapes was showcased by Sonal Holland MW, while importer and industry veteran Sanjay Menon of Sonarys did an in-depth plunge into Bolgheri’s icon wines. A rare session on sherry styles by educator Kunal Kaul saw great enthusiasm – fortified wines are still little-known in India except by the well-heeled cognoscenti. The sherries for the class were supplied by importer Chenab Impex whose newly-diversified portfolio indicated their inclination to take chances with the Indian consumer’s palate. “Sometimes consumers need the exposure to appreciate wines of different profiles,” said Chenab’s Anmol Chandok, explaining that producers around the world are fascinated by the India story. “Most people don’t even know that there exist sherries beyond the sweeter cream styles, and the response was overwhelming.” After the fair concluded, they received multiple invitations to showcase their samples from the on-trade, and orders are gradually coming in.