Sonal Holland, the first Indian to be certified as Master of Wine (MW), is adamant about breaking away from the professional mumbo-jumbo de rigour with wine professionals in India to make wines accessible. Marisha Karwa takes notes.
That Lord Ganesh was home was perhaps an omen.
It was 10am on Ganesh Chaturthi, and Sonal Holland was performing an aarti to the vighnaharta — the remover of all obstacles. Still, when the phone rang, she didn't know what to expect. Penny Richards' voice crackled on the other end. The executive director of The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) had called from London at 5-30am local time to tell Holland that she'd been certified as a Master of Wine. "I was dumbstruck," recalls Holland. "I had goosebumps and lost my sense of speech for a few minutes."
A Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification given to wine professionals for their deep knowledge of all aspects of wine and for their communication skill. The IMW assesses students' knowledge through theoretical and practical examinations as well as by examining their research in the field. The examination is notorious for its rigour, so much so that only a handful of students pull through each year, becoming IMW members in the process. Holland, whose dissertation was on the awareness, attitude and usage of wine among urban, Indian consumers, was among the 13 new members announced this year on September 5. Notably, the 43-year-old is the first Indian to have received the qualification and the right to the MW title.
"Life has suddenly become hectic. There are 300 emails in my inbox, commitments for lectures, talks and travel," says Holland. "I wish I could have a moment to soak it all in."
No more gobbledegook
Among a handful of wine educators, critics and consultants in India's nascent wine industry, Holland has little tolerance for professional jargon. "Wine culture is new to us, and so naturally people feel intimidated," says the former wine and beverage consultant to ITC Hotels. "A lot of people have done disservice by complicating the world of wine for consumers. They revel in complicating the subject."
As a wine educator, Holland has been on a mission to peel the layers of complexity. Be it through the Sonal Holland Wine Academy or the newly launched SoHo Wine Club, she hopes to make wine simple to understand and enjoyable to drink. "The best way to learn about wine is to try as many different wines as possible. So for instance, the SoHo Wine Club will offer members opportunities for tastings, dinner pairings and events," says Holland. "I want to bring as many people as possible into the wine fold."
But can wine be paired with spicy Indian food? There are wines that pair with all kinds of food, she says. "Spices set your tongue on fire and numb the taste buds. To pair wine with such food, it needs to be slightly sweet or mouthwatering to offset the spice," she explains, adding that she is invariably asked to serve wine at dinner parties at home. "White wine and rose compliment Indian food. If you have a combination of a rose and a sparkling wine, then you have a winner."
The older the wine...
... not necessarily the better it is, says MW Sonal Holland. "Ninety-eight per cent of the wine produced around the world is meant to be drunk young, that is, within the first 1-2 years," says Holland. "Only one-two per cent of the wines produced are meant to age, and which actually age gracefully."
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