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Asian Wine & Spirits Conference and Competition –the Silk route: Revival of the ancient trade passage

October 25, 2016

Guests at the AWS-the Silkroute Conference & Competition 2016,Fangshan, Beijing

The recently concluded 1^st Asian Wine & Spirits Conference and Competition- the Silk route (10-12 October 2016) at Fangshan District, Beijing, China was attended by internationally renowned wine and spirits experts, judges and producers from around the world. While the conference covered an array of topics concerning the Asian region, the competition received entries from 700 wines and spirits brands from Asia and awarded only 175 with medals (10 grand prizes, 60 gold and 105 silver). Here’s a report.

The changes in the world economic order have over the last few years brought back Asia into the limelight. Once considered a big consumer market, Asia is now known for its high-quality local produce. That also includes the wines and spirits sector. While China is considered to be the 5^th biggest wine producing country in the world, India has a range of fast-growing spirits brands including the number one whisky brand Officer’s Choice. The event AWS-the Silk route served as a melting pot of ideas and a perfect networking forum for the representatives of the Asian wine and spirits industry.

Speech at the opening ceremony

Reiterating my speech from the inaugural ceremony of the event, I feel that the event could effectively revive the lost trade passage between Europe and Asia by reconnecting the silk roads. It could certainly facilitate the exchange of ideas, technological know-how and highlight the benefits of trade between countries in the region.

Michelle Huang

A presentation on the liquor market in China at the opening ceremony by Michelle Huang, Euromonitor’s China division head kick-started the conference.

Sumedh Singh Mandla

Commenting on the event, Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, Grover Zampa Vineyards, India and President of the Asian Wine Producers Association (AWPA) said, “It was a very well organised event and the Wine & Spirits competition was professionally managed by Vinopres team. Overall, it provided me with a great insight into wine & spirits industry of several participating nations from The Silk Route. I am sure in the time to come, this will become a great platform for knowledge exchange between the Asian producers and international wine & spirits professionals”. His wines, Grover La Reserve 2014 received a gold medal and Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection Red 2014 and Zampa Soiree Brut 2014 received silver medals at the competition.

Besides Grover Zampa Vineyards, India had a strong representation at the competition as companies like Sula Vineyards, York Winery, Charosa Wineries Ltd and the leading Indian spirits companies, Allied Blenders and Distillers, Wild Tiger Rum and Amrut Distilleries entered into the competition. (Click here for the list of winners).

Charosa Wineries Ltd. received two silver medals for Charosa Selection Viognier 2015 and Charosa Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2015. Parag Kamat, COO of the company was glad to receive the news and said, “Style and taste personified as one of the finest in the region, a proud moment for Charosa on winning 2 silver medals at this prestigious competition.”

Ahmed Rahimtoola

Presentation on Officer’s Choice

Ahmed Rahimtoola, VP, Marketing, Allied Blenders and Distillers who presented a successful case study of the Officer’s Choice brand at the conference, shared his experience on building a mega brand and challenges and opportunities in the Indian Market. Sharing his views later he told Drinks & Destinations, “The AWS event was a great platform to learn and exchange ideas and information on the wines and spirits industry. Being from the spirits industry, I gained a lot of rich insights about the wine industry and its potential”.

Ashok Chokalingam

The internationally acclaimed Indian single malt brand Amrut from Amrut Distilleries in Bangalore sets a perfect example of creating a global brand. Ashok Chokalingam, Head of International Operations of Amrut Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. presented a session on ‘Make Local, Go Global’ highlighting the success story of Amrut. This event also served as a launch platform for two new Amrut expressions, Amrut Double Cask and Amrut Rye whisky. The second gold medal for India was reserved by the Amrut single malt (NAS) at the competition.

Rajeev Samant, Sumedh Singh & Kailash Gurnani at the Indian wines Masterclass

The prominent Indian wine industry representatives Rajeev Samant, CEO, Sula Vineyards and Sula Selections, Kailash Gurnani, Chief Wine Maker, York Winery and Sumedh Singh Mandla’s master class on Wines of India garnered rave reviews from the attendees. Besides presenting the journey of the Indian wine industry, issues and challenges, their unified voice addressing a common cause was one of the major highlights of the session.

Rajeev Samant

Sharing his experience at the event and his first trip to China, Head of Sula, Rajeev Samant said, “It was great to be part of the first Asian Wine and Spirits Conference. Amazing to see first hand what’s going on in this dynamic region where everything moves so fast and quality is obviously very much on the up! For me personally it was my first trip to China and that in it was eye-opening! Kudos to the organisers for this great event and hope to see it repeated in the future!” Samant also spoke about the potential of wine tourism in India highlighting Sula’s contribution at a session called ‘Oenotourism is the key’ led by Sarah Jane Evans MW.

Kailash Gurnani

The young and dynamic winemaker of York Winery, Kailash Gurnani also had his debut as an international speaker at this event. He told Drinks & Destinations, “It was very obvious that the entire vinopres team had put a lot of hard work behind it and it paid off. The event was very well organised and executed. The mix of people was very interesting and I’ve come back with many interesting ideas and concepts on how I can take my business forward.” He also emphasized on the significance of an event of such scale as a great knowledge sharing initiative that Asian wine and spirit producers could benefit greatly from in the near future. “I look forward to being a part of it year after year”, concluded Gurnani.

Other special guests from India were Subhash Arora, Editor of DelWine and Sonal Holland MW who were also invited as jurors for the competition.

Click here for the list of conference topics and speakers

Besides India, there were major representations from countries such as China, Japan, Philippines, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia. (Click here for the list of conference topics and speakers).

Baudouin Havaux

Thierry Heins

Vinopres, the Belgium-based communication’s agency had organized the event in association with the China-based company, Beijing International Wine & Spirit Exchange and the competition was managed by Vinopres who have 23 years’ expertise in wine, spirits and beer competitions including names such as Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Spirits Selection by CMB, Concours Mondial du Sauvignon and Brussels Beer Challenge. Baudouin Havaux, Chairman of CMB and MD of Vinpores said, “The Asian origin of products competing and profiles of the judges are what makes the competition unique and a world premiere. These competition results will reap huge benefits for a wide range of Asian wine and spirits producers and distributors.” Thierry Heins, Director of Spirits Selections and Manager for AWS –the Silk route assured Drinks & Destinations that the event will be back with a much better and grander look next year.
The Drinks & Destinations Podcast Ep 2: Visit Tuscany, Italy

October 24, 2016

Listen to the podcast here.

The first travel special episode of The Drinks & Destinations podcast is about the idyllic picturesque Italian region, Tuscany. Food, wine, handcrafted and bespoke design shops, the culture and of course the breathtaking views.The hosts Rojita & Sameera will take you on a memorable journey to one of the most favourite European destinations for Travelers from all around the world. The famous Tuscan cities Florence, San Gimignano, Montepulciano and Montalcino and their wine connections. Explore it all.

To learn how to subscribe please visit:

http://indusvox.com/drinks-and-destinations
The Drinks & Destinations Podcast Episode 1

October 18, 2016

Listen to our lates episode now:

The Drinks & Destinations Podcast is an extension of the venture Drinks & Destinations founded by Rojita Tiwari. The weekly podcast is co-produced by India’s largest podcasting network IVM and hosted by Rojita and Sameera.

Episode 1 of The Drinks & Destinations Podcast is your introduction to the world of fine wine and travel and what you can look forward to in the future of this show. On today’s episode hosts, Rojita & Sameera take you through how to taste a glass of wine and easy ways to pair it with food. Our first guest is Cecilia Oldne, Global Brand Ambassador of Sula Vineyards. She shares her journey in India, market evolutions, Sula fest and her long tenure with India’s leading wine company.

The podcast is also available on iTunes , Sound Cloud, and podcast apps on android phones.

Please send your feedbacks or suggestions on drinksanddestinations@gmail.com.

To learn how to subscribe please visit

http://indusvox.com/drinks-and-destination/
Glenfiddich Introduces 26 Yo Expression in India

September 28, 2016

Glenfiddich single malt brand owned by the whisky company William Grant & Sons recently introduced its 26 YO expression in India. The launch event which took place in Mumbai followed by other metros in India also marked the visit of the newly appointed Glenfiddich global brand ambassador, Struan Grant Ralph.

Ralph has worked as the Glenfiddich brand ambassador for the Asia-Pacific market for two years and then the American market for a further three years before taking up the job as the global brand ambassador this July.

Besides India, Glenfiddich Excellence 26 YO is also available in the American market, the UK and China. It is also the only 26 YO single malt available in India at the moment.

With 43% abv, it is a rare and aged single malt Scotch whisky that has spent 26 long years of maturing in American Oak ex-bourbon casks. It has intense notes of deep oak, brown sugar, hint of vanilla and caramel and exotic spices. This expression was created to honour Glenfiddich’s line of continuous family ownership since William Grant founded the distillery in 1887.

Sula Selections, the import division of the wine company Sula Vineyards is also the distributor of William Grant & Sons products including Glenfiddich range in India. The Sula officials have confirmed that the expression is priced at around Rs.45,000 in the Indian market.
Soma Vineyard Resort – The Ultimate Weekend Getaway

September 20, 2016

Located just 12 km away from Nashik city in Maharashtra, Soma Vineyard Resort offers one of the best views of the backwaters of Gangapur Dam and the scenic Sahyadri mountain range. For a nature lover, wine enthusiast or a regular traveler, the resort serves as a great weekend getaway.

The turn from the main road leading towards Soma Vine Village carries signs of a potential zone for wine tourism. Reminding me of the designated wine roads of Santorini in Greece that promote a number of wineries located in the same stretch. It usually means that the wineries have agreed to collectively work towards promoting the wines and the region. And, the tourists could enjoy the best of all. In India, it still seems like a far-fetched idea. However, it is a rare coincidence that Sula Vineyards, York Winery, and Soma Vine Village are located just a few meters away from each other. That’s making this stretch of road a rare hotbed of tourist attractions.

As our car enters the driveway into Soma Vineyard Resort I am surprised to see a big crowd at the reception, there are more people outside the entrance. The resort is buzzing with tourists on a Saturday afternoon. The General Manager of the property informs me that it’s just a few weeks since Beyond is functional under Soma’s resort facility (earlier Sula had it on lease from Soma owners) and they are running full, hence the management is still coping with a heavy tourist season traffic.

Pradeep Pachpatil, Chairman and Managing director of Soma Vine Village, planted the vines after buying some land in the outskirts of Nashik in the year 2006. He also built a 3bhk villa amidst the vineyard. Beyond Vineyard Resort took shape in 2010 and was offered on lease to Sula until June 2016. The first vintage of Soma was released in January 2014. However, the vineyard resort was open for public visits and stay from the beginning. Spread over 25 acres with 47 rooms the resort is a perfect location to unwind. The resort overlooks lush green mountains terrains and is surrounded by vineyards.

Pradeep Pachpatil

The portfolio of Soma Vine Village

The property holds 2 luxurious villas (7-bed room each) with private pool and kitchen. Soma Vine Village has three restaurants; Suffiana, a multi cuisine restaurant, Sensation vine lounge which has a perfect view of the vineyards and Vintage- Rotisserie, grill & wine bar serving grills and roasts from kitchens around the world along with appetizers, soups, bouches, and canapés.

Rojita Tiwari at Suffiana restaurant

Sunset view from Soma Vineyards

For the adventure seeker in you, Soma also has an adventure sports center called Zonkers, which offers, archeries, go karting, aerial rope slide and lot more.

Speaking about his plan, Pachpatil says, “though my aim is to produce good quality, affordable and drinkable wines suited for the Indian palate, promoting wine tourism is the key factor which will drive our company’s future growth path”.

The small winery adjacent to the resort produces a range of wines such as Chenin Blanc (dry and off-dry), Sauvignon Blanc (dry and off-dry), Zinfandel, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cab-sauv and shiraz, a shiraz rose, late harvest chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc (the only one in India to produce a late harvest of SB). I also tasted a very impressive sparkling wine (zero-dosage), produced in a traditional method.

While all of Soma’s 100-acre vineyard land surrounds the property, the company hasn’t yet had the need to buy grapes from outside.

Interestingly, around 70-80% of the sales of Soma wines are from the winery itself. As we finish our tasting I notice a group of visitors buying cases of the dessert wines. Pachpatil says, “Our 2014 vintage of the late harvest is completely sold out. There is also a big demand for the zinfandel sweet rose.” With 47 gm. of residual sugar I found the late harvest sauvignon Blanc quite impressive. Though the red wines are yet to get the kind of structure and complexity, the yet to be bottled reserve cab-sauv and Shiraz shows potential.

Pradeep Pachpatil’s 26 yrs journey from being a farmer, viticulturist, winemaker to a wine producer now venturing into the hospitality segment, it all seem like a natural progression.

While many Indian wine producers are still working out the formulas to keep themselves afloat or find a way to make their business a successful venture, the sheer number of visitors at Soma Vineyard Resort (last year more than 10,000 visitors visited soma’s tasting room) indicates that at least Pachpatil has managed to find a perfect solution to this problem. And his vision is to make Soma Vine Village the perfect model of wine tourism in India.
A Trip To Four Seasons Winery & The Launch Of The Vintner’s Reserve

August 9, 2016

A french style chateau, acres of vineyards surrounding it, bike riding and the chance of embarking on a nature trail, the home of Four Seasons Wines is all that and much more. Located in the village of Roti, just a little over an hour drive from the city of Pune, in the district of Baramati, Maharashtra, the winery provides you the perfect ‘grape’ escape.

Wine tourism is picking up in the country with more and more wineries now opening their doors to the public. Four Seasons Winery, established in the year 2006, opened its doors to visitors just year back. The winery is set amidst 50 acres of vineyards and guarded by three adorable Dobermans, Lucy, Caesar and their son Max.

The winery is designed by Indian architect, Navzer Irani offering a good mix of classic charm, elegance, and sophistication. Rustic details such as a grand, winding wooden staircase give a nice welcoming view from the reception. The upper level houses the tasting and the dining rooms as well as the residential rooms and suites.

All 4 suites overlook the vineyards while the 10 rooms open on an internal landscape courtyard. A large party deck overlooking the vineyards, a restaurant, swimming pool and a tasting room, the winery is well equipped to offer the guests a great time.

Drinks & Destinations along with few other writers and bloggers was recently invited to the winery to attend the launch of the new wine label by Four Seasons Wines, The Vintner’s Reserve. This is also the first label to come out of the wine division post-Four Seasons Wines Pvt Ltd. the subsidiary company of United Spirits Limited got acquired by global liquor giant Diageo Group.

While the existing, Four Seasons Barrique Reserve is still touted as one of the best reserve wines in the country, the Vinter’s Reserve goes further to become the most aged red wine in India at the moment. With 24 months in barrel and 24 months in the bottle, the wine comes close to the styles of Amarone, sweet spices on the nose and nice complexity. The wine a blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz though needs almost an hour of decanting, it’s worth the wait.

Abhay Kewadkar, Director & Chief Winemaker of Four Seasons Wines said, “ The Company is all set to roll out few interesting new wines by the end of this year. Besides the newly launched Vintner’s Reserve Select Barrels 2011, there is also a sparkling wine launch in the pipeline. We have plans to promote the winery and The Four Seasons Chateau as an ultimate wine tourism destination. The place has been open to public since a year.”

Only 1200 bottles of this wine are produced and will be released in markets such as Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Arunachal Pradesh & Andaman & Nicobar Island. At present, the winery produces 11 labels of Four Seasons wines and the range of Ritu wines which are only reserved for the export markets.

To know more about the winery visit and tour packages click here.
Neal Martin-The Most Influential Voice In The Wine World

July 19, 2016

While Bordeaux and Burgundy winemakers and the wine industry world over eagerly awaits to see how Neal Martin’s tastes will influence the wine scene, he himself is nonchalant of all the attention showered on him post his appointment as the successor of US-based wine critic and President of The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker for the prestigious en primeur tastings. In an exclusive interview with Rojita Tiwari of Drinks & Destinations, Martin talks about his new responsibility, what it entails and why it’s business as usual for him.

Photo by Svein Lindin

How does it feel to be one of the most powerful voices in the wine industry?

It feels the same as when I wasn’t one of the most powerful voices in the wine industry. It is not a good idea to crave power, for it to be your objective. If you happen to become powerful that just means people like your work and appreciate your advice. Power is a vindication of doing something right.

At a time when the relevance of “en primeur” is questioned by many Bordeaux producers as well as the wine industry worldwide, what do you think of the future of this annual event?

I think en primeur will continue although it will probably shrink to a smaller number of properties. Some seem to be holding back part of their production, which has implications for the entire system. And if they pursue such a strategy, which is their legitimate right, I think consumers have a right to know what percentage that represents if they have to make a buying decision.

Tell us in brief about your journey from working with the Japanese Importer in London to now becoming the successor of Robert Parker.

I bought wine for 10 years as part of a Japanese company and started Wine-Journal in 2003. It became a huge success and made my name. I joined Robert Parker in 2006 and continued Wine-Journal as part of his website and then over time I have started to cover more regions for The Wine Advocate, including Bordeaux and Burgundy, which were always the mainstays for Wine-Journal. So in a funny way, I have come back to what I was originally doing.

Besides Bordeaux, you also taste a lot of wines from other regions. According to you, which are the most underestimated wine regions at the moment?

South Africa and Hungary. Perhaps Bandol and definitely Rivesaltes/Banyuls.

Your book Pomerol has received many awards and recognitions? Any new book in the pipeline?

There is always a book in my head. Yes, I would like to do one in the not too distant future.

You have been writing on wines, wineries, and wine makers for a long time. According to you, what’s the best way to tell a great wine story?

Depends on how you want to tell it. Do you want to relate the facts? Do you want to entertain? Do you want to challenge preconceptions, the status quo? Do you want the reader to feel some emotion? Anyone can tell a story, some do it better than others.

What are your views on the Asian wine industry and Wines of Asia, including India?

I am afraid I don’t have much experience of Indian wine but my mind is always open. If you include China as part of Asia then that is quite interesting and we have a new reviewer for The Wine Advocate who has just published his first report on that country.

As a wine critic, what, according to you is the best and most efficient way of handling criticism?

Ignore personal attacks but take on board any that you feel are objective and might benefit your work. You have to have a thick skin.

What are the steps to become a successful wine critic?

I think it’s just dogged perseverance. It takes a long long time to build an audience, to obtain their trust, to form some kind of bond between you and them. Also, wine critics need to have a personality that people can relate to, interests outside wine. If you are essentially a robot churning out numbers then your shelf life is limited. People expect more because of the Internet. You have to ask yourself why a stranger would invest their precious time in you and not somebody else.

How important is a wine degree or certification from a wine institute if someone wants to be a wine writer and critic?

I don’t think it is important at all. I learned the basics doing a WSET course and it was very useful, a great way to start. More important is experience, both tasting wine and visiting vineyard/wineries, hard work and determination, maybe a clear vision of how you are going to contribute to wine writing.

What would be your advice to your daughters if they decide to become wine writers or critics when they grow up?

Marry someone rich.

What next?

Finish off this piece of Château Giscours for the August issue and then pick the girls up from school and a cup of tea.

Read more about Neal Martin here .
Soju Dominates the Real 100 list of IWSR

July 14, 2016

Three soju brands (Jinro, Chum Churum and Good Day) feature in the top 10 in this year’s IWSR Real 100. Hite-Jinro’s namesake soju brand Jinro remains the number one spirits brand in the world, with consumption increasing by an additional 425,000 cases in 2015 and total volumes surpassing 65m cases states the recently released IWSR report.

Jinro, which sells predominantly in South Korea, has dominated the global spirits market for more than a decade. The success of the brand remains firmly rooted in the ubiquitous nature of soju consumption across South Korea, particularly at mealtimes, and it is unsurprising that six Korean soju brands are present in the top 100 global spirits brands.

Climbing into second place this year is ABD’s Officer’s Choice whisky, which saw an impressive increase of over 4.5m cases between 2014 and 2015, with the lion’s share of volume growth stemming from the brand’s home market, India. Officer’s Choice, which sat in fourth place in 2014, saw the largest volume growth of all the top 100 brands and total global consumption rose to over 34m cases last year.

Meanwhile, a difficult year for Emperador brandy has seen it slip down to fourth place as consumption levels contracted for the first time since 2009. Overall volumes were down by 2.3m cases in 2015, bringing the brand’s total global sales to 30.6m cases. Sales in the Philippines have been affected by a general slowdown in the brandy market, with the category widely perceived to have reached saturation point. Demand instead seems to have turned to the aspirational whisk(e)y category, which grew by 26.2% in 2015 compared to a contraction of -5.8% for brandy.

The first international brand to appear on the Real 100 list is Diageo’s Smirnoff vodka, which overtook McDowell’s whisky to become the fifth-largest global spirits brand and which remains the largest-selling vodka worldwide. With a 2.7% increase on 2014 volumes, global consumption of Smirnoff reached a new record high, climbing to 26.5m cases last year.

Despite a flat year in terms of volume growth, Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky remains in 10^th position in the 2015 global rankings. Growth in the brand’s premium-and-above portfolio – including lines such as Black Label, Double Black and Gold Reserve – countered falling volumes for the standard Red Label line, which suffered losses in a range of markets including Brazil, Thailand and the US.

The Real 100 list highlights the importance of emerging markets in terms of sheer volume size in the global spirits market, which grew by 0.5% in 2015. To put this in context, leading brands from India,

Japan and Brazil together account for over a third of the brands making an appearance in the Real 100 rankings. Even more evident from the list is the dominance of local whiskies and other local spirits brands, including cane, cachaça and soju/shochu, which far outnumber brands from more internationally facing categories such as Scotch whisky or gin.

The IWSR’s Real 100 list is the definitive list of the world’s largest spirits brands by volume. Comprising the powerhouses of the spirits world, the 2015 list ranks the largest local players against internationally renowned brands across all markets and across all spirits categories, including whisk(e)y, vodka, brandy, gin and national spirits.
Bordeaux Wine & Spirits Institute Collaborates With School from India

July 7, 2016

Pic Credit : Laurent Moujon

The Chamber of Commerce of Bordeaux recently celebrated the official launch of a new partnership between one of its schools specialised in Wine Education (Institut de Promotion Commerciale (IPC)) and Lotus Business School of Pune, India. 14 students from India are currently in Bordeaux where they began this one year course entitled Wine & Spirit Business Management Certificate which they actually started in February in Pune. The aim of this programme is to train Indian students who are eager to develop their skills in the wine industry – marketing, management, sales, web technologies and tasting. Yann Chaigne, Head of Education at IPC Bordeaux was involved in compiling the programme. Following the theoretical sessions, the students will finish the course with a 3 to 6-month internship either in France or abroad. One of the supporters of this initiative, the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés 1855 said during the opening ceremony that it was wonderful to see such motivated students who will surely contribute to the expansion of the Indian wine market. Certain students began their career in other fields such as banking or commerce. One of them explained to Brinda Bourhis, Founder of the Bordeaux-based firm Winevox, “Even if the consumption of wine in India is still tiny, there are more and more Indians interested in wine, and after this programme, my idea is to set up my own wine business in India”. Another added “I’d really love to stay on a bit longer in Bordeaux after the course, work for a wine merchant or chateau to get hands-on experience…and improve my French”!

This initiated by Lotus Business School & IPC Bordeaux, France is to meet the ever growing demand of professionals needed in the Wine Industry globally. It is a complete initiative to enrich through impeccable credentials and practical exposure to facilitate the requirements of the wine Industry.
Cathay Pacific’s Impressive In-flight F&B Offering

July 4, 2016

Cathay Pacific sometime back appointed Hong Kong-based Master of Wine Debra Meiburg to the airlines wine panel. Debra will join existing Cathay Pacific wine consultants Lau Chi-sun and Roy Moorfield to pick out new wine selections for passengers in all classes of travel. Debra who is also an award-winning author, educator and international speaker has for the first time teamed up with an airline to select fine wines for the enjoyment of passengers on board.

The airline is known for serving finest wines onboard all its flights, it also conducts wine tastings at Cathay City often. In 2015, more than 2,000 bottles of wines were sampled with more than 40 picked. When the Cathay Pacific wine panel find a good wine on the ground, it requests the wineries to fly their bottles to Hong Kong for blind tasting so that the panel can identify whether the wine can withstand the stress of flying. Last year Cathay served a whopping 1.8 million bottles of wine onboard its flights, enough to fill 150 standard 20ft containers.

Some of the wines on offer in First or Business class are: Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru 2013, Akura Pinot Noir Bannockburn Central Otago 2013, Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Mormoreto, Toscana IGT 2010, Yealands Estate Land Made Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015, Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz 2013 and Pietraregia Reserva Morelino di Scansano Riserva DOCG 2011.

When it comes to gastronomic experience, the airline scores high. Through specially crafted menus, the airline caters to different countries across the globe with varied cultures and preferences. For flights from India, Cathay Pacific offers a choice of three courses, vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals that include a starter, main course, and dessert. Cathay Pacific also has more than 20 special meals on offer to passengers who have special dietary, cultural and religious needs. The airline has seen the rise of vegetarian meals over the years and for that reason, it offers more than five types of vegetarian cuisine including Indian, oriental, lacto-ovo and vegan increased. There is also a surge in demand for healthier meals including requests for fruit platters, low salt meals, and low-calorie meals. Special meals are also prepared by Cathay Pacific with a minimum of 24 hours’ advance notice. The airline also modifies its in-flight menu on a monthly basis, including in Indian routes.

Cathay Pacific has worked in close collaboration with premium restaurants, hotels and Chefs with Michelin credentials for quite some time. In 2015, they partnered with Mandarin Oriental Hotels for the design of First Class menus. The airlines in-flight menus are ever changing, taking the opportunity to incorporate fresh vegetables and fruits which are in season, while also offering light and healthy dining options.

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