​Beverage News from India & the World

Mumbai, India

 Highlights:-           
-           Over 65 luxury beverages
-          Three new world spirits – Calvados, Armagnac and Cachaca
-          40+whiskies and 15+ gins
-          30+ storytellers
-          3 World’s 50 Best Bars take over 3 bars at Kamala Mills
-          1 Aroma Master
-          1 Global Mezcal Ambassador
-          13 stories and discussions with experts from the world of fine beverages
-          9 masterclasses and mixology experiences from global experts
-          1000 fine beverage connoisseurs over two days
 At its first edition ever, The Vault Biennale- India’s premier luxury beverage festival- presented by Founder, Keshav Prakash, with the theme of ‘Spirited Stories’, witnessed  a large number of Indian and international connoisseurs. The Vault Biennale showcased the best luxury and craft spirits from across the world at Tote on The Turf, Mahalaxmi on 16th and 17th February, 2019. The festival opened its doors to new fine spirit enthusiasts, who had the chance to indulge in luxury beverages that are a product of passion and commitment. The event hosted over 60 handcrafted spirits, over 30 international masters, distillers, storytellers; and mixologists from three of the `World’s 50 Best Bars’.
Divided into - Taste, Discover, Listen and Indulge, the festival gave guests an access to beyond 60 spirits from around the world to uncover categories that they may not be familiar with, such as Calvados, Armagnac and Cachaca. These masters, distillers and mixologists flew in from all parts of the globe, to be a part of various engaging sessions for connoisseurs and new appreciators of fine spirits at The Vault Biennale.
“The festival’s vision was to create a platform that celebrates the craft distillers and distilleries as well as commemorate world renowned beverages that have soul”, says Keshav Prakash, Founder and Curator, The Vault. “The response was overwhelming with over 1000 people who attended the event. We already have requests for making this an annual property from attendees and participants alike!” he adds.
The event saw star attendance from Mumbai’s biggest names that included personalities such as Srila Chatterjee, dear friend of The Vault & the founder of Baro, kick-started the launch toast on the beautiful Saturday morning while Pooja Dhingra, Gauri Devidayal and Thomas Zacharias anchored some of the most important discussions relevant to the Indian scenario.  Chef Pablo Naranjo Agular, Romi Puroskar, Atul Kasbekar, Tanuj Garg were some of the other personalities present at the Vault Biennale.

Day one, Srila Chatterjee’s introduction was followed by a toast by Founder Keshav Prakash and Hiroyasu Kayama who offered his signature cocktail made using an Indian craft Gin- Stranger & Sons to every guest present there. The Listening section kick-started with stories and discussions over an array intriguing subjects such as - The Spirit of Craftmanship, The Curious World of Gins, The Rum Renaissance- When? among various others, which were attended by the audience based on their interests, and this led to great insights, conversations and discussions. The Vault Biennale also offered the guests a chance to indulge in masterclasses - A Cocktail with Hiroyasu Kayama- Bar Benfiddich, World’s 50 Best Bars, Tokyo, A Cocktail with Alex Simonidis & Georgia Georgakopoulou- The Clumsies, World’s 50 Best Bars, Athens, Aroma Masterclass, to name a few.
 
The evening of day one, The Vault Biennale in partnership with Diageo World Class welcomed three of the World’s 50 Best Bars to Mumbai, which took over three renowned resto-bars at Kamala Mills. The expert mixologists of these bars offered their signature cocktails at KOKO, The Bombay Canteen and XICO  and played host to Bar Benfiddich from Tokyo, The Clumsies from Athens and Licoreria Limantour from Mexico City respectively.
 
The second day of The Vault Biennale commenced with narratives of the tales of Single Malt- How it all began?. The Mystery of Mezcal, Elevating your Home bar- A personal Statement an insightful session that was carried out by Keshav Prakash (The Vault) and Yangdup Lama (Sidecar, Delhi) among various others. In addition to this, a number of other fascinating masterclasses that took the audience on a journey of discovery were - Aroma Masterclass, A Masterclass with the Chocolate Alchemist, A Tequila and Mezcal Masterclass, among others.

To give the Delhi audience a taste of what Mumbai experienced with 3 world mixologists over the weekend, The Vault Biennale team in association with The Oberoi, New Delhi hosted a bar take over by the Mexican daredevils – Bar Limantour from Mexico at CIRRUS 9, the rooftop bar at The Oberoi on February 21 & 22.
The event witnessed a community of fine spirit aficionados on both days, with enthusiasts, connoisseurs and industry stalwarts who flocked to extend support and kickstart what can only be the start of a fine-appreciation movement. It’s safe to say that Mumbai along with other cities in India, or even Asia, would be thrilled to be a part of The Vault Biennale’s next edition. (excerpt from a release) 

Mumbai , India
Prestige wines  Spirits Pvt Ltd, headed by Sumit Sehgal recently added one more jewel to their portfolio with Tedeschi Winery from the Verona Region of Italy.  Sabrina Tedeschi,  one of the family members of the family managed winery visited India to launch and present her wines to Indian Wine Enthusiasts.

The family name Tedeschi is one of the names rooted in the history of Valpolicella Classico wine. The estates first documents date back to 1630 and  the family continues their work of interpretation and exaltation of the territory in the entirely 46 ha of hillside vineyards’  out of a total of 99 hectares they own. Attention to tradition, focus on innovation, knowledge of the territory, sustainable viticulture and vinification of the grapes from single vineyards are the key elements that make up the identity of  Tedeschi's estate.

These values have become Tedeschi's style, a mix of strength, elegance and unmistakable character, a true and a typical expression of the territory. Prestige has started with 4 different wines from Tedeschi out of around 10 different wines they produce. The 4 now available in India are as following:

Mumbai, India
India is the latest addition to the  export markets of the Cordoniu Raventos group and it kickstarts their business in India with VBev; a dynamic and fast-growing Wine & Spirits importer and introduced the Codorniu Cava, Vina Pomal Rioja and Veranza from their portfolio at a suave affair high up in the air at Aer Lounge at the Four Seasons, Mumbai.

A brief on Codorniu Raventos group?
Cordorníu Raventós Group is one of the world’s leading wine-producing companies. Their estate owned vineyards span across 3,000 hectares making them one of the largest family-owned vineyards in Europe with a legacy of 18 generations. Their wineries are located in Spain’s Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Costers del Segre and Penedés, California’s Napa Valley and Argentina’s Mendoza. The group has also been credited as being the top premium player in the domestic wine market in Spain.

History of the Codorniu Raventos group ?
It all began in 1551 when Jaume Codorniu a landowner with vineyards started producing wine. Jaume’s winery, now part of the Cordorníu Raventós group is the oldest winery in Spain and the 17th oldest in the world. Some other notable milestones include the production of the first bottle of Cava in 1872 and being appointed Purveyor to the Royal Family in 1897. Today, they produce the best-selling Cava in the world and export their wines to over 100 countries,

 On the occasion of the launch Sumedh Singh Mandla, Chief Executive Officer of VBev said; “We are excited to introduce Spain’s iconic wine group Codorniu Raventos to the Indian market. Spain offers an array of wonderful wines at a great value, our initial selection with Codorniu Cava, Vina Pomal and Veranza reflect Codorniu Raventos’ diverse offering. Codorniu Brut Clasico, a well-structured and fruit forward Cava with a rich bouquet of aromas and eye-catching packaging will be perfect for the Indian palate and ideal for gifting. Vina Pomal is an iconic and critically acclaimed Rioja producer. We believe it will find great acceptance among the discerning wine palates in India. We foresee great success for Vina Pomal Reserva and Crianza in Horeca and in the premium retail space. Veranza wines from La Mancha offer very good quality fruit forward wines at sharp pricing and will be greatly accepted across the country.” The Indian consumer travels overseas more than ever before, as a result, they have greater exposure to quality wines from an array of wine producing regions. They are far more attuned to global trends and their preferences. The entry of Codorniu Raventos group stands testament to the progress and promise this leading global producer sees in the Indian market. 

Pricing for Codorniu Raventos brands in Mumbai and entire Maharashtra
Codorniu Clasico Brut NV – 1,990 Rs
Vina Pomal Crianza – 2,390  Rs
Vina Pomal Reserva – 2,990 Rs
Veranza Blanco & Tinto – 1,290 Rs 
( Excerpt from a release)