The one thing that is common to a romantic night out, a friendly reunion, a movie night with yourself or any sophisticated celebration, is the variety of global wine options that can now be enjoyed at each occasion.
With India becoming the next big market for vineyards and vineyard tourism, an entirely new branch of tourism has now cropped up. With this in mind, we catch up with India’s first and only Master of Wine Sonal Holland, hoping to decode the growing popularity and demand for wines and vineyard tourism among Indians today.
“My most cherished wine memory is being invited by the Rothschild family to commemorate 150 years of
their wine-making legacy. I was the only Indian at the exclusive gathering of no more than a dozen top wine professionals and experts from the world. I got an opportunity to drink some of the best vintages of Château Lafite, spanning 150 years and, thereafter, spend a night at their château, which the family calls their home,” Sonal begins.
Her wine journey started 16 years ago, when she decided that it was time to change her career. Working as the director of sales at a NASDA Q-listed Fortune 500 company, she felt she wasn’t doing justice to her skills. “As I contemplated giving my career a new direction, I chanced upon the nascent wine market in India and observed that there were no qualified wine experts in the country. I firmly believed that there was a huge scope for success, for both wine and wine professionals in India, so I enrolled at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London to study wine,” she elaborates.
While studying the subject, she developed a passion for wine and soon realised that she had a flare for communicating about it. This was a turning point in her career as she resolved to become India’s first Master of Wine. It took her ten years of hard work to finally realise this dream in 2016.
Speaking about the best-suited wines for tropical region such as India, she explains that wine is not a seasonal beverage and is meant for all seasons and all occasions. However, white wines are more suited for tropical weather because they are served at a relatively lower temperature and have a refreshing and zingy taste. “An ice-cold and crisp sparkling wine, a lively rosé or a light-bodied red wine with high acidity, like a Pinot Noir, too, are great for this weather,” she tells us.
Shifting focus to the Karnataka region, Sonal adds that the market for vineyards in and around Bengaluru is only increasing because the region enjoys a moderate climate due to its high altitude, which makes it perfect for growing grapes.
“This has prompted small vineyards to set up shop in the area. Many of these vineyards produce easy-drinking affordable wines that attract budding enthusiasts eager to explore the world of wine. The city is also home to many IT professionals and expatriates who have experienced wine culture abroad and have brought it home with them. This makes Bengaluru one of the fastest-growing wine and vineyard tourism markets in the country,” she concludes.
Sonal is also the founder of Sonal Holland Wine Academy, which was launched in 2009 with the singular aim of making world-class wine education accessible and affordable for everyone. The academy has now completed 14 years of being the foremost wine and beverage institution in the country. It provides courses by Wine Spirit Education Trust along with proprietary courses that closely align with global wine education standards.
Myth Busters
“It is a myth that all wines taste better with age. 95 percent of wines are meant to be consumed young and fresh. So, instead of stashing wine in your cupboard in hopes that it will taste better as it gets older, open the bottle and enjoy it while it is still young and lively. As soon as you open a bottle, the wine inside comes in contact with the oxygen in the air. Initially, this exposure to oxygen does wonders for the wine as it unlocks its bouquet of aromas. In the case of red wine, oxygenation also softens the tannins, giving your wine a silky mouthfeel. Once wine comes in contact with air, the process of oxidation is fairly rapid. Even if a wine is left exposed to oxygen overnight, its flavours will reduce by half the next morning. This is why it is not advisable to store an opened bottle of wine for long, once you have opened it. Instead, share the bottle with your friends and finish it in one go.”
A guide to pairing wine with Indian food
“Focus on the weight, flavour intensity and the sauces and spices of the dish. If you are having a rich and heavy dish, match it with a full-bodied wine. The same principle applies to the flavours of a dish. Preparations like Palak Paneer, which are loaded with herbaceous flavours, go well with a zesty and fresh white wine like Sauvignon Blanc which has herby notes.”
“Hot, crunchy and oily foods like pakoras call for a glass of crisp, lively and chilled champagne that will cut through all the richness, while a spicy dish like Bharwa Mirch needs a slightly sweet wine like an off-dry Indian Chenin Blanc.”
“For preparations that have a crunchy and flaky texture, like fish cutlets, a fresh and juicy rosé would be a perfect match. If you have smokey and creamy dishes like Paneer Tikka on your mind, then you need an elegant Pinot Noir for a perfect pairing.”
“If you are going for a hearty meat dish like Galouti Kebab, then it begs to be paired with a bold and opulent full-bodied red wine like an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Vineyards you can visit across Karnataka
Grover Vineyards, Raghunathpura Alpine Vineyards, Banave Sula Vineyards, Channapatna Big Banyan Vineyards, Byalalu SDU Vineyards, Alkapura Soma Vineyards, Somenahalli Kinvah Vineyards, Thimmasandra ESKAPE Vineyards, Pyayalahalli Laven Vineyards, Ramanagara Rico Vineyards, Yelahanka KRSMA Vineyards, Zhoolkunti Hampi Heritage Vineyards, Vijayapura Yaana Vineyards, Todola
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