Co-founded by Amrita Singh DipWSET, Mattia Antonio Cianca DipWSET , Salvatore Castano, and Vinod Abrol, the Sommelier Association of India (SAI) aims to elevate the standards of beverage service and education, creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of both domestic and international wines and spirits.

Genesis of SAI

Genesis of The Sommeliers Association of India (SAI) can be traced back to my meeting with Mattia Antonio Cianca, a fellow judge at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) in Calabria a couple of years ago. He had just conducted a Masterclass about Calabrian wines for the judges in English language. A native of Rome, Italy and the Best Sommelier of Italy (2019) he has now shifted to Bordeaux. I was impressed with his knowledge about wines from Italian regions not even well-known in Italy. His command of the English language is due to a decade he spent in Australia where he also won the Best Sommelier of Australia in 2017.

During conversation with him after the Masterclass, Mattia told me he and his business partner in Bordeaux were contemplating to participate in Vinexpo Mumbai later in the year and wanted to know whom to contact. ‘You are talking to THE man who is handling the Show’, I told him excitedly; I was the Advisor to the Vinexpo India since inception in 2021 and excused myself from further participation only after the last Show in Delhi in December 2023 after 2 years because of conflicts of interest.

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He was so excited that he instantly fixed up a conference call with his business partner in Bordeaux. Amrita Singh DipWSET is from Patna and has been dabbling with various wine projects in Bordeaux with eyes on the Indian market. After talking with me at length, they decided to participate in Vinexpo Mumbai. I convinced them to also conduct a Masterclass in Italian wines, which he did with aplomb. That gave them a first-hand taste of the Indian wine market.

Promoters

Amrita Singh, is the Co-founder and President of SAI. She is also working for her MW and has crossed the midway point. ‘Our endeavour has been not only to create SAI but also to get it affiliated to ASI at the very outset. It is the opportune moment for the launch of an internationally affiliated body that will bring India into special focus and provide Indian professionals opportunities on the world stage.”

Mattia Antonio Cianca is the Co-Founder and Vice-President of SAI. “We are committed to promoting growth and excellence within the community by emphasizing the importance of qualifications and competitions. These initiatives provide invaluable exposure and opportunities for members to refine their skills, expand their knowledge, and build meaningful connections,” he says.

“The key focus of SAI will be to elevate the wine experience with Indian food by exploring diverse pairings of Indian dishes with both domestic and international wines, enriching the culinary landscape and enjoying its unique flavours. As the art of food and wine pairing continues to evolve in India, there remains a world of possibilities beyond the conventional approach of matching spicy Indian cuisine with wines that contain residual sugar,” says Mattia.

Salvatore Castano is an Italian Sommelier from Sicily who is the Co-Founder and Vice-President. He is also the current (2021- the ASI competition takes place every 3 years)  ASI Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa. He believes the affiliation of SAI with ASI will put every member sommelier at par with international sommeliers.  Recognition as an ASI-affiliated sommelier will open up job opportunities for them around the globe as there is a shortage of good sommeliers worldwide. Vinod Abrol who lives in Gurgaon and is a financial and legal consultant, known to Amrita for a long time, will be another Indian Promoter and is also the Vice President.

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Would there not be criticism of the Association which in majority is non-Indian in character, I ask. Amrita says unabashedly,’ we are living in an internationally mobile world. Two of us are Indians. What is important is to get India and Indian Sommeliers to elevate their professional standards. Who would not like to see the Best Sommelier of the World from India? We will provide the opportunity for the Indian Sommeliers to compete with the best in the world. There will be several competitions and platforms to update their skills. We had in fact approached the ASI last year in Paris and after deliberations convinced them to have SAI as a member of ASI from the very beginning. And are already affiliated with them.’

These are early days. SAI has lofty but achievable goals. For the latest information visit:

Subhash Arora