 Besides the top wineries Sula, Grover and Indage, all the who’s who of Indian wineries are participating in the festival. Valle de Vin (Zampa), Sankalp (Vinsura), Vintage Wines (Reveilo) Chateau d’Ori, UB’s Four Seasons, Associate Wines (Ralph Craven), Good Earth Winery, Deccan Plateau, Indus Vineyards, Terroir India (Indus), Blue Star (Bluefolds), Riona Wines, Good Drop Wine Cellars (Rio), Pernod Ricard India (Seagram’s Nine Hills) and Pause Wines & Ideas have also confirmed their presence, says Pratap Arora, one of the key organisers of the festival to be inaugurated by the well known ad celebrity Prahlad Kakkar.
It would be an interesting opportunity for Indage to showcase its revival in the industry after having gone through a harrowing time financially and with many pundits predicting its demise. It would be a great PR opportunity and one hopes they are sincere enough to use the platform wisely to showcase their return to the mainstream.
Besides the Indian wines, there appears to be a decent line-up and support from the imported wine segment too. The Wine Park will taste wines from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Austria, South Africa and USA, whereas Kiara Wines, apparently also on its comeback trail, will focus on Italy, Spain and the US. Kingfisher will be present with its Bohemia label bottled in South Africa. Howling Wolves will display their Australian portfolio while the Pernod Ricard India will also showcase their wares from Australia, New Zealand & France.
Not only will the wines be allowed to be sold at the venue but promotional discounts and activities are also allowed, giving wine lovers an opportunity to stock up at cheaper rates. This is in sharp contrast with the excise policy in the Capital of India, New Delhi where once the brand label is registered, no promotional activity is allowed, forget about tasting or even the display as many producers learnt to their dismay last year when they participated in a wine show in December through the Indian Grape Processing Board.
This year the festival has also added grape stomping, wine appreciation talks by experts, cheese tasting, yachting lounge, cigar lounge and gourmet food stalls, according to the organisers. It is a walk thru festival, set on The Pier of the Bombay Presidency Radio Club with a splendid view of the harbour, the ocean and the Gateway of India. It is expected to attract over 5,000 visitors over the weekend.
The event is being supported by Terroir One (Mumbai Chapter of the Delhi Wine Club), Indian Wine Academy, Bombay Wine Club, The Wine Club, Nashik Valley Wine Producers Association, Upper Crust Magazine, The American Women's Club of Bombay, Australia New Zealand Business Council, and the Liquid – Magazine according to the website,
At Rs. 750 pp a day, the festival seems to be a great opportunity for Mumbai wine connoisseurs and novices alike, not only to enjoy multiple wines, it is an occasion for them to learn about wines and train their palate to appreciate different varietals, qualities and flavours. For details and online registrations visit www.mumbaiwinefest.in or write to info@mumbaiwinefest.in for more information. |