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| Nikhil Vaswani, Ravi Gurnani and Jaya |
‘Mantra is produced by award winning York Winery in the heart of India and is family- owned wine label,’ said the founder Ravi Gurnani introducing the wines. ‘With Mantra wines, we are presenting the best that the Indian terroir has to offer’, he added while I was sipping and swirling the fruity Chenin Blanc..
York Winery has a New World approach to winemaking and is aiming to market it as one of the best premium wines coming out of India. Kato Enterprises is the main importer and distributor for Mantra in the UK.
I talked to Richard Moyse, Sales Director, Melissa Ellis and the Marketing Manager, Sanjay Sial about the wines and their marketing plans. The message was clear- “we are delighted and excited to have become the exclusive UK importers for Mantra wines”.
They are looking to build the Mantra wine brand to be the best wine in the UK.
Staff at the Bentley was all dressed in black shirts advertising Mantra wine logo, serving the guests. The complete selection of five Mantra wines was served this evening. The wines have 14% alcohol content. Chenin Blanc, with crisp dry finish of tropical flavour, was a good starter. Cabernet Sauvignon was my personal favourite. Shiraz, medium bodied wine with velvety smooth finish and Zinfandel Rose with a fruity and spicy finish were interesting too. Sauvignon Blanc was the second white wine, completing their range for the evening.
Over 100 guests joined Ravi Gurnani in the UK launch. These included wine importer, traders, restaurateurs, and the hospitality and bar owners. They all seemed to be enjoying the wines. The guests were served delicious canapés, and entertained by Indian dancing and music. It was really a very entertaining evening with plenty of wine going around and the pairing of all the wines with different dishes.
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| Sanjay Syal (agent for UK), Ravi Gurnani, Melissa Ellis (Marketing Manager, Kato Enterprises) and Richard Moyes (Sales Director, Kato Enterprises). |
Ravi informed me that York Winery in India has won several awards against international wine labels. The wines are being sold in the Indian domestic market under the York brand. The winery works very closely with the farmers who produce the grapes throughout the year to monitor the quality. Mantra is currently one of the few Indian wine ranges available in the UK.
The wines will initially be available through select bars and restaurants and will be available within this month, informed Ravi who hopes that the British palate would appreciate Indian wines as well as those from the other new world countries.
Kato Enterprises have supported the recent Great British Curry Awards and have already sold the first shipment of Mantra.
Jaya Balchandani
London |