Wine, women & song

Experts call it a woman’s drink, but for India and the ‘world metropolis’ that is Mumbai, wine — and the industry that surrounds it —  leaves little room for women to lead the way. “Ironical, isn’t it?” smiles Shamita Singha, “And so unfortunate too, for someone like me who has graduated from reading wine labels to books and hosting wine sessions, purely out of my own passion for the subject, getting here was no easy task.”

Sonal Holland, professional wine advisor who can tell her Italian Tignanelo from her French Margaux by swirling her drink about her glass, agrees. “I had to pay exorbitant fees to fly out to London to get my degree, as wine education in India is virtually non-existent.” 

With Violet D’Souza, ex-teetotaller and human resources director for over 25 years who just chucked up her job after falling head over heels into the proverbial vat, they add up to the small, fraternity of women wine experts and sommeliers of the city. 

Frustration runs aplenty in the commune, so does the ire. “Do you know even when we have wine challenges on an all-India level, there are no female judges?” starts Violet. 

But the ‘macho’ nature of the industry notwithstanding, there are a few returns for their work. Like, says Shamita, “Every now and then it takes me on a backpacking trip to vineyards in Spain and France.” 

The trio has a solution to make a concerted effort towards easing woes. “We need a uniform government policy for wine,” says Violet. “Right now, every state has its own rules, which makes even changing the bottle labels etc necessary for every Indian state.”
Sonal adds, “Don’t forget knowledge levels have to rise first. But I think it will happen. Three years down the line we just may see more wine bars, wine schools and bartenders. Ten years ago, all we had was the red, sweet port wine from Goa. Hopefully, in the next five years that will be history.”