Raghni was in an upbeat mood when I met her for the first time last month for Breakfast at The Oberoi Delhi. She had made tremendous progress in the two years after I had interviewed her for delWine. She and Naidu Wines had been featured in Michelin Guide Magazine a few days earlier and so she was on Cloud Nine.

‘I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured that Michelin Guide America shared my story in their coveted magazine. Michelin has been an integral part of my life even before embarking on my wine journey, always representing the gold standard when it comes to exploring exceptional restaurants. This story has not only been an achievement for me but also a validation of our unwavering commitment to producing wines that captivate the senses and elevate the dining experience,’ she says with gleam in her eyes.

Since I wrote about her a couple of years ago, she has been progressing leaps and bounds, making inroads into several Michelin Starred and other top restaurants. Naidu Wines are  now served at several Michelin Guide restaurants including Three Star (and Green Star) SingleThread in Healdsburg  Sonoma  California, Indienne in Chicago, co-owned by Chef Sujan Sarkar, the former Chef of Olive Bar and Restaurant, ROOH San Francisco and Palo Alto (Michelin Guide 2021), Besharam in San Francisco,  and  Sona in New York, owned by the Bollywood/Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra and Manish Goyal, and Baar Baar Los Angeles.

‘To see my wines being served at Michelin-starred restaurants was a dream come true. But having Michelin cover the story of Naidu wines is a truly remarkable full-circle moment that fills my heart with joy and gratitude. It is a testament to the passion, dedication, and tireless efforts of everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey -from the meticulous nurturing of the vines to the artful crafting of each bottle, every step has been infused with love and a desire to create something truly exceptional,’ she says with pride.

Being the first Indian woman immigrant wine producer in California, has   its advantages and challenges, she says. After PM Modi’s visit to the US where Patel Napa Valley wine was served at the White House, people have been clamouring to reach out to Raj Patel, the founder – of Patel Winery. Raghni Naidu, having the distinction of being the first Indian immigrant winemaker in Sonoma has been drawing attention.  She was also ‘discovered’ by a few journalists in the process although she is based in Sonoma Valley and not Napa Valley!!

Although she claims she does not face any racial prejudices, there are other problems faced by her like any small boutique producer. Anderson Valley last year had bush fire and smoke because of this. Hail storms and rains keep on creating problems. In order to keep the quality up, she uses heavy bottles and buys the top quality corks which are tested on a 100% basis. Each bottle is hand-sealed. Grapes she buys are expensive, costing $ 5-7 a kg.

She fondly narrated the story of how she met Pandit Zakir Hussain, the Tabla Maestro from India who resides now on the west coast in the US. Amply impressed by the Naidu wines he drank at one of the top-ended Indian restaurants where Naidu stars the list (Naidu Wines have been listed in a special section under Naidu Wine). She invited him to the Estate where they have a luxurious guest house. ‘He booked the entire place and brought his family and friends, paid full tariff and was mesmerized by the place and the wines tasted.

For Raghni, wine drinking has become a way to experience culture, just like food. That’s why she feels wine is special. She conceded that she was really relaxed on this trip to India but at the winery, she is extremely busy- handling the small enterprise- right from planning to marketing and even planting a few experimental varieties even though Pinot Noir is her signature wine. This year she also made a 100% Cabernet Franc and the Chardonnay wines are already in Barriques. She plans for 1500 cases this year and hopes to take it to 5000 cases a year.

She produces a small quantity of 500 cases from estate Pinot Noir and the quality of these wines is driving her popularity. She keeps on adding new barrels from Burgundy-last year she bought 10 but this year she plans to buy 15-20 new medium toasted ones. She does not like too many tannins to interfere with the fruit.

She likes to give the best as she takes pride in her passion. She wants it to give the best experience to the consumer; sealed wax and outside wrapping giving the ultimate feeling of a luxury wine. Integrity is her biggest strength. Her husband Kaushick Naidu who is a marketer for a software company says, ‘I call her Sarojini Naidu of wines. No doubt, she was a Bengali married to a Naidu while Raghni is Punjabi. But she had high integrity and was a committed freedom fighter. Raghni has the same approach to grapes, farming and what’s in the bottle.

Although laced with Western culture, Raghni is still tied to her roots in India and likes to bring up her two children with Indian Cultural values. She is also amenable to exporting small quantities of her wine to India so that we may get a glimpse into her wines. With no shortcuts and her commitment to produce the absolute best, she should not have any problems in reaching out to sophisticated palates. Watch out for this vivacious young lady from Punjab and enjoy her wines and journey of elegant wines of Sonoma (even though the novices club Sonoma with Napa).

Also Read: Naidu Wines: Lady Naidu charms the participants at the Zoom Webinar

Subhash Arora