Tag Archives: Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards

6th Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards 2018

6th Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards 2018

All Things Nice  successfully organised the sixth edition of the Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards popularly known in the industry as the IWCCA on 13th January 2018 at Sofitel Mumbai BKC.

The aim of IWCCA is to give Indian consumers an opportunity to judge for themselves and on behalf of other consumers the best Indian wines available in the country. This annual accreditation, a brainchild of Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal (CEO – All Things Nice) opens the doors for consumers to acknowledge and celebrate new vintages and new wines launched in themarket as well as provide insight to wineries about what the burgeoning Indian market is inclined towards.

The modus operandi involved bringing together all domestically produced wines in the premium category and had them efficiently categorized into a systematic tasting. The actual wine consumer was then invited to judge the wine.130 India wineries participated in the 6th edition of IWCCA.

The Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards or IWCCA has established itself over the last 6 years and has become the go to  guide for consumers and the HORECA trade who are interested in discovering Indian wine. It brings to light brands and styles that deserve recognition. The competition gives back the power to choose correctly to the consumer who has evolved over the years and is confident in their likes and dislikes. The IWCCA continues to create an independent list of quality wines chosen by consumers themselves. We are happy that wine enthusiasts from over 10 countries were part of the judging panel giving the competition a global palate” says Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier and CEO of All Things Nice and the mastermind behind the IWCCA.

The competition unearthed an independent list of India’s finest wines judged by the very people who drink them. The consumers taste the wines blind, unaware of the brand name or price point thereby allowing an unbiased judgment based purely on the quality of the wine itself. The winners of each category of the competition will be announced through the All Things Nice website and other media channels. Winners are accredited with IWCCA Gold, Silver and Bronze certifications and IWCCA medals.

The 6th edition of Indian Consumer’s Choice Awards partnered with HT as official media partner, Living Foodz as the lifestyle partner, Sofitel Mumbai BKC as the hospitality partner, Veen asevent partner and Lucaris as the glassware partner.

Image may contain: 4 people, people sitting, table, drink and indoorImage may contain: one or more people, people sitting, drink, table and indoorImage may contain: 1 person, sitting, table, drink and indoor

Link to more images:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/allthingsnicewineandspiritsindia/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1790078124344726

Celebrating India’s Finest 2017

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All Things Nice hosted the 5th edition of ‘Celebrating India’s Finest’, an evening recognizing winners of the ‘Indian Wine Consumer Choice Awards’ held in January. Celebrating India’s Finest was presented by Liebherr and HT 48 Hours in association with lifestyle partner Living Foodz on at Sofitel Mumbai BKC Friday, February 17th 2017

Wineries showcased their winning wines along with their entire portfolio to an audience of absolute wine enthusiasts. Approximately 200 guests including members of All Things Nice, winery owners, ATMA supporters, consulate members, chefs, restaurateurs & hoteliers and professionals from the wine fraternity were seen enjoying the wines on display. Guests enjoyed a free flow of every type and style of wine produced in India. From full bodied reds to fruity whites and dessert wines, there was something for every palate.

Sommelier & CEO Nikhil Agarwal, All Things Nice said “The 5th edition of Celebrating India’s Finest was the biggest that we have put together so far. We had wonderful partners and I’m happy that our guests enjoyed the width of quality wines produced in India.”

Delectable appetizers carefully curated by Living Foodz Chef Rakhee Vaswani in association with Sofitel Mumbai BKC made the night a truly indulgent experience. Guests sipped and savoured your favourite wines in beautiful glassware by Spiegelau. The night was filled with fantastic wine, great food and fabulous company.

Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, Sofitel Mumbai BKC said, “Sofitel Mumbai BKC is pleased to have hosted ‘Celebrating India’s Finest’, an occasion that honoured and rewarded, the best of the wineries from ‘The Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards’. We are proud to host a magnificent portfolio of wine winners and wine connoisseurs from across India. In fact, Sofitel Mumbai BKC houses the only wine tower in the city with an array of 800 wines.”

Wining Wineries That Participated

  1. Charosa Vineyards
  2. Good Drop Wine Cellars
  3. Myra Vineyards
  4. Nine Hills
  5. Reveilo Wines
  6. Sula Vineyards
  7. York Winery
  8. Grover Zampa Vineyards
  9. Oakwood Winery
  10. Soma Vineyards

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Nikhil Agarwal- Sommelier & CEO at All Things Nice

ATN- Nikhil Agarwal

All Things Nice has been conceptualized by Nikhil Agarwal, a trained Sommelier who received his degree in London. Nikhil won the Wine Australia scholarship in 2012 and in 2013 Wine Australia made him their A+ Wine Educator in India. He launched the first ever Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards in 2012 and The All Things Nice Wine Week 2013. He was the Project Director of the Sommelier India Wine Competition, chaired by Steven Spurrier in 2009 &the  Indian Wine and Spirits Challenge in 2010. Prior to setting up All Things Nice, Nikhil launched the import division of Sula Vineyards, India’s most recognized wine brand. He has worked with LVMH, and was responsible for trade marketing at Diageo. Nikhil has been in the wine business for over 16 years and has hosted over 2000 wine events, festivals and training sessions over the last few years.

Nikhil is the Chief Advisor to Myra Vineyards which started in 2012. The operation involved extensive research, winery setup, bottling and branding, recruitment, marketing and distribution.

Nikhil has lent his written expertise to eminent publications like BBC Good Food, GQ,  Times of India, HT,  Femina, Elle, Mans World and Conde Nast Traveller, among others. The reputed Fortune India, Grazia, Man’s World, Blackbook Millionaire Asia, Time Out, The Entrepreneur & Bombay Times have also featured him.

He has been featured on TV channels such as NDTV Profit, Times Now, Bloomberg TV  and ET Now. CNBC did a feature on Nikhil as part of the show ‘Young Turks’ and the Discovery Channel featured him in the show The Flying Wine Maker in 2015. He was voted as India’s TOP 10 Movers & Shakers in Verve magazine in June 2014. Nikhil has been invited by Trade organizations from around the world like International Wine and Spirits Show in Hong Kong, SIAL, ProWein, etc to speak about the Indian wine industry for international exhibitors and buyers.

Nikhil has been invited to address international exhibitors on the growing Indian Wine Market and the unique Indian wine consumer at the Wine Innovation Forum at SIAL China 2015, one of the biggest food and beverage shows in Asia.

Nikhil has been appointed as the program director of  the Wines of India.

Casablanca Spumante, India

Casablanca Vino Spumante bottle shot

Casablanca Spumante Sparkling Wine: Pale straw colour revealing its fresh and young character. A generous fruity nose of kiwi and grape fruit layered with lime and floral undertones. A light body on the palate reminiscent of pear and green apple with a predominant acidic structure ending with a smooth and lingering finish.

Indian Wine Consumers Choice Awards- Silver Medal Winners Tasting Notes

Charosa Resrve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012: Dark ruby red with complex aromas of ripe fruits, black olive, vanilla, eucalyptus, chocolate with a hint of sweet spice. On the palate this wine is rich and soft, expressing ripe fruits like plum and raspberry.

Chateau d’Ori Chardonnay 2012: Fresh and pleasant with a distinct nose of pineapple and citrus fruit, this excellent Chardonnay distinguishes itself with a memorable finish. The wine pairs equally well with poultry and paneer, fish and vegetables.

Fratelli Sette 2011: A great fusion of powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, roundness and richness of Cabernet Franc teamed with the fine, elegant floral notes of Sangiovese. The pleasant and refined notes of wood are well merged with the wine, adding a balanced vanilla flavour, silky tannins and a vibrant finish.

Grover Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection Red 2013: Fragrant perfumed aromas with elegant lingering dark fruits, spice, pepper. blackberry jam and violets. Well-balanced tannins.

Myra Reserve Shiraz 2013: Its medium-bodied palate has a soft finesse-filled tannin structure. Its gentle oak and vanilla nose and palate makes it a perfect complement for grilled meats and seafood and medium-spicy Indian food.

Nine Hills Chenin Blanc 2014: This medium dry, medium bodied wine is crisp and refreshing. It has light floral and fruity aromas with flavours of tropical fruits like peach, banana and pineapple.

Nine Hills Shiraz Rose 2013: Medium dry, this wine is crisp and refreshing. It is light to medium bodied with aromas and flavours of cherry and strawberry.

Reveilo Merlot 2014: An intense ruby colored, medium bodied wine with mouth filling flavours of ripe plums, black cherries and cassis complimented with spicy characters. Soft tannins and balanced acidity provide a remarkable structure to this wine.

Reveilo Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2013: The aromas from the overripe grapes are purely of raisin grapes, dry figs, honey and dry fruits like almonds and nuts. On the palate, the sweetness is perfectly balanced with acidity, resulting in a very pleasant velvety taste.

Reveilo Syrah 2014: Strong aromas of pepper, smoke and red berry fruits, which follow through on the palate, with notes of spice and flintstone. Soft complex tannins give this medium bodied wine a good finish.

Reveilo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: An extremely powerful bouquet of aromas with notes of black fruit and green pepper. The tannins are sweet and smooth giving the wine a long and persistent finish. The wine has an appealing mouth feel and is nicely structured.

Reveilo Sangiovese 2014: An intense, ruby coloured wine with aromas of raspberry, cherry and spice. The palate is soft and fruity with finely textured tannins and well balanced acidity giving the wine a rounded and lingering taste.

Reveilo Grillo 2013: The wine greets you with a bouquet of citrus, lemon, orange and grapefruit. It is a medium bodied wine with crisp acidity and a long mineral after taste.

Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier 2014: Grown on the distinctive red soil of our Dindori estate, the reserve Viognier is showing exotic apricot and lychee aromas followed by a lengthy mineral presence and fresh acidity on the palate.

Sula Brut Rose NV: A sophisticated, perfectly balanced bottle-fermented Rose sparkling wine. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir grapes, this salmon pink palate-pleaser packs a million tiny bubbles in every celebratory sip.

Sula Brut NV: A blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sultana and Pinot Noir, this celebratory sparkling wine, made in the true methode champenoise style, is a creamy, complex nectar that goes down like a dream.

Sula Satori Merlot Malbec NV: A medium-bodied Merlot-Malbec blend with hints of black cherries and ripe red fruit. Well structured and smooth on the palate. “Satori” is a Zen term meaning “sudden enlightenment”.

Sula Sauvignon Balnc 2014: Herbaceous, crisp and dry, with hints of green pepper and a touch of spice at the finish, this wine is well balanced with good acidity.

York Sparkling Cuvee Brut NV: On the nose along with perfumed characters of lemons there are secondary characters of cheese and butterscotch. The 12 months less ageing gives it complex characters of cookies, cheese and cream on the palate.

Nikhil Agarwal in Deccan Herald

Deccan Herald features Nikhil Agarwal, sommelier and director of All Things Nice, with his views in “Wine and the Indian palate”.

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All Things Nice in Food & Hospitality World

Food & Hospitality World featured The 2nd Indian Wine Consumer Choice Awards conceptualized and organized by All Things Nice.  The aim of IWCCA is to give Indian consumers an opportunity to judge for themselves and on behalf of other consumers the best Indian wines and brands available in the country.

Food & Hospitality world February 2014

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