Sula Vineyards wins top honours at 2018 India Wine Awards

~ Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier 2018 – Best Indian White Wine

Ferrari Brut NV (Italy) – Best Sparkling Wine

Sula Sparkling Shiraz 2018 – Best wine paired with Mutton Rahra

Sula Brut Rosé 2018 – Best wine paired with Chicken Chettinaad

The Source Grenache Rosé 2018 – Best wine paired with Litti Chokha

Sula Zinfandel 2018 – Best wine paired with Dal Makhani~

October 2018: Sula Vineyards, India’s leading winery swept away six trophies at the recently concluded India Wine Awards 2018. The first non-Chinese winery in Asia to cross the 1 million case mark in sales, Sula Vineyards has paved the way for excellence in the wine tourism industry.

The best Indian white wine award was won by Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier – the wine is an exotic elixir of peach and lychee flavours. Floral, spicy, stunning. Great as an aperitif and terrific with spicy food. Ferrari Brut (Italy), the wine imported via Sula Selections was given the title of the best sparkling wine excluding champagne; the wine is harmonious and well-balanced, with a faint suggestion of ripe fruit and attractive hints of crusty bread. Sula Sparkling Shiraz 2018 was conferred as the best wine to be paired with mutton rahra, Sula’s new sparkling shiraz wine is India’s first and only and is deeply colored, bursting with the luscious flavours of dark berries, pomegranate and sweet plums with a hint of sweet spices at the finish. Sula Brut Rosé – a wine that Crafted in the true “Méthode Champenoise” style, this sparkler is creamy, smooth and well balanced. A versatile wine that pairs perfectly with spicy Indian food as well as smoked salmon, brie, berries, and chocolate, won the award of the best wine to be paired with chicken Chettinad. The best wine to be paired with litti chokha went to The Source Grenache Rosé 2018; The wine has a pale coral hue with inviting aromas of white peach, citrus, and tropical fruits, this dry rosé is a perfect wine for all occasions. Sula Zinfandel Rosé, India’s first ever Zinfandel Rosé was known to be well balanced has intense aromas of strawberries, watermelon, and scented flowers, it was conferred the title of the best wine to be paired with dal tadka.

Further to the awards, spirits from Sula Vineyards were also given accredited in the Gold and Silver categories at the Indian Wine Awards. The Gold category title was conferred upon Sula Rasa Cabarnet 2016, Sula Brut Chardonnay (India), Sula Chenin Blanc Late Harvest 2018 (India), Sula Chenin Blanc Reserve 2017 (India), Sula Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (India) , Sula Zinfandel Rosé 2018 (India), Sula Rasa Shiraz 2016 (India), Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz 2017 (India) , Kadu Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (India), Kadu Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (India) Kadu Chenin Blanc 2018 (India), Kadu Cabernet Shiraz 2017 (India). From Sula Selections, the Gold title was conferred upon Bouchard Aîné & Fils Chablis A.O.C. (France), Bouchard Aîné & Fils Bourgogne Chardonnay A.O.C. (France), Bouchard Aîné & Fils Bourgogne Chardonnay A.O.C (France) And Ferrari Brut NV (Italy). The spirits from Sula Vineyards that were titled in the Silver category are The Source Grenache Rosé (India), Sula Brut NV (India), Sula Brut Rosé NV (India), Sula Cabernet Shiraz 2017 (India), Sula Zinfandel 2018 (India), Sula Chenin Blanc 2018 (India), Sula Riesling 2017 (India), Sula Brut Rosé (India). From Sula Selections, the Silver title was conferred upon Trapiche Old Cask Malbec (Argentina), Mud House Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Le Grand Noir GSM (France), Conti Serristori Chianti Classico DOCG (Italy) and Cap Royal Bordeaux Supérieur (France).

The India Wine Awards celebrates the best of the wines, domestic and international, available in the Indian market. It features a food and wine pairing competition, where signature Indian dishes are paired with wines to decide the winning food and wine combinations; The competition results offer the Indian consumer the ultimate guide to purchasing wine and winning brands an enviable advantage in the marketplace, whilst recognizing the hard work and passion that goes behind creating a wine that consumers enjoy

The India Wine Awards stands committed to the wine industry’s overall objective of bringing more consumers to wine and in strengthening India’s importance on the global wine map. The independent panel of the 2nd India Wine Award consisted of five international masters of wines, including Sonal Holland, to bring their global experience and unmatched expertise to the judging process. The panellists included Richard Hemming MW (United Kingdom): London based wine-writer, educator and consultant, Ying Hsien Tan MW (Singapore): Singapore’s first Master of Wine and owner of the Taberna Wine Academy, Andrea Pritzker MW (Australia): Sydney-based independent wine consultant, WSET educator, writer and a public speaker and Victoria Burt MW (United Kingdom): Research & Development Manager at the Wine & Spirits education trust.

Speaking on the occasion, Ken Pritchard, Senior Vice President, International Sales, and Marketing, Sula Vineyards says, “We are delighted to have received such high accolade and recognition for both our domestic and imported wine portfolio at the 2018 India Wine Awards. The awards underline the quality of the wines we produce ourselves and the high standards we set when looking to bring the best international portfolio to India. All credit goes to Karan Vasani (VP and Chief Wine Maker) and his team for the incredible success they have achieved this year with our own wines. In particular, it is great to see our newly launched Sparkling Shiraz – the first such wine in India – winning a trophy! It is also heartening to see so much interest and enthusiasm for these awards which play an important role in establishing India’s place in the wine world globally as well as helping to develop the category here in India. So a great result for Sula and a great result for Indian wine!”

Karan Vasani, VP and Chief Wine Maker, Sula Vineyards adds, “It is an honour to receive such a large number of awards and particularly thrilled that our Dindori Reserve Viognier was chosen as the best wine in India. We are also delighted with the awards received by our new KADU range of wines that are made in Karnataka and cater to the Karnataka market. These awards are a validation of our commitment to always be at the forefront of the wine industry and demonstrate our commitment to continuously improve wine quality“

About Sula Vineyards

Sula Vineyards is the market leader and consumer favorite in Indian wine. Their award-winning wines are available nationwide at the finest hotels and restaurants and are also exported to 25 countries. Sula is a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005, the first vineyard resort – Beyond by Sula, in 2010 and India’s first heritage winery resort The Source at Sula in 2017. With over 350,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine. Sula won the prestigious Drinks Business Award 2016 for the ‘Best Contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism’, the first time an Indian company won a Drinks Business Award. In July 2018 Sula also became the first wine company in India to cross the 1-million case sales mark.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wine, Sula continues to experiment with new grape varieties, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers with more than half its energy coming from solar. In November 2017, Sula launched their first premium wine from their Karnataka vineyards. Kādu, (pronounced Kaa-du) is Sula’s first wine for a cause, benefiting tiger conservation in India.

In addition, the company is also a leading wine and spirits importer, with Sula Selections, a portfolio of prestigious brands like Remy Cointreau, Beluga vodka, Hardys, Trapiche, Cono Sur, and Asahi beer.

Sulafest has become one of the world’s biggest vineyard music festivals and will celebrate its 12th edition in February 2019.

Comments

0