The day long wine tasting event,on Monday,24th Oct'11 at Mumbai's landmark hotel,Taj Lands End,offered by 50 quality Italian wine producers,hosted by Gambero Rosso,the non profit making promotional and umbrella organization from Italy,was an eye openor indeed.On their way to major multi country road shows,Mumbai was their first stopover.Later they proceeded to host the same road show at Singapore,Seoul,Moscow,Sao Paolo and finally at Rio De Janeiro.A heavily programmed promotional tour for Italian wine producers.India having a long standing relation with Italy is receptive to its culture and lifestyle.Appreciation flows both ways on their products and service.The onrush of such a huge number of wine producers all at a time was some thing to be understood,assimilated and taken a note of.Headed by their Director General,Luigi Salerno,Gambero Rosso had supports from local publishers and Italian consulate office.Consulate General of Italy,Giampaolo Cutillo was there at the inauguration to grace the occasion.About 100 invited and registered delegates kept 50 tables busy.Well organized presentations were pre arranged and meticulously attended by Gambero Rosso's chief of international events,Tina Eriksson and their PR agent Felicitus Global Pte.Ltd.from Singapore represented by Airene. The layout arrangement helped eager audience to taste,understand what all goes behind each dearly filled bottles of white,red and sparkling wines.The city's crowd had partners coming from other distant cities too,like New Delhi and Pune.I encountered a senior sommelier Illyas Easa from Maldives,the distant island country from Indian Ocean.Indian wine guru,Cav.Subhash Arora,the much awarded nd honored wine personality of India was very much present and undertook the wine tasting seminars which ran in parallel hall for a large number of wine lovers.The event which though handled too large a subject delivered in too short a time,was nevertheless a satisfactory eye opener.It must have opened doors to about 33 producers who were yet to start operating in India.Amongst the noteworthy brands were Argiolas,Bertani,Domini castellare di castellina,Donnafugata,Falesco,Fendi di San Gregorio,Gaja,Gruppo Italiano Vini,Guido Berlucchi & C,Marchesi di Barolo,Masi Serego Aligheiri,Planeta,Poderi dal Nespoli,Ruffino,Tenuta san Guido,Umani Ronchi and Zonin who are already in the Indian market brought in by importers of repute and experience.Few major importers like Brindco,Dhall Food,De Leela Palace of New Delhi,Indage, Berkmann,Aspri,The Wine Park,Nashik Vintners of Mumbai made their presence with their imported Italian brands,each excelling in their stories of rare care in choice of vinyards,details of fermentation process and final aging and other controls.The stock and variety exhibitors presented, with lucid language to explain each label was astonishing.Audience were taken around the vineyrds and production centers with care and patience.Expert knowledge imparted to them was satisfactory.At the individual tasting opportunities one had interviews and exposures to the Italian mastery on individual basis.In many cases owners themselves faced prospective clients and tried to touch their hearts explaining for Italy,wine making was not just another industrial run,this field is attached with sentiment and call of heart as well at every step of its production process.’Wine’ as they say ‘is a poetry on soil’.Indian wine lovers can look forward to a great advancement in having wider varieties,wider knowledge and deeper satisfaction in this culture soon.Writings are quite clear on the walls.
