Alok Chandra meets Singapore based oenophile, Ravi Viswanathan to learn what motivated him to invest so deeply in the wine sector in India.
When a non-resident Indian (NRI) buys substantial equity stakes in the two largest Indian wine companies, it’s bound to create waves, so when word got out that Ravi Viswanathan’s VisVires Capital (Singapore) together with Reliance Capital (Mumbai) had invested some `300 crore (then nearly US$ 50 million) in Sula and Grover between 2012 and 2014, the wine world sat up and took notice.
The enigmatic Singapore-based Ravi Viswanathan (54) has also invested in Buyan, a Russian restaurant with a wine list comprising wines primarily from Russia, Georgia, France, and India, and Saha, the eponymous Indian restaurant started by award-winning chef Abhijit Saha, with a wine list consisting primarily of Indian and French wines.
Viswanathan’s family migrated from French-speaking Pondicherry to France in 1961 when he was just one month old. His father, who was a professor of French Literature, was posted in several parts of France including Burgundy and Algeria (which was then still a part of France), Senegal, Djibouti, and the island of Martinique. The family travelled with him everywhere. Wine was a regular feature at the family dining table, and the children were allowed a sip of watered-down wine on special occasions. Ravi says his passion for wine grew from there, specially the wines of Burgundy where they lived for many years. The family still has a home in Burgundy and they congregate there every summer.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - September 2016 من Sommelier India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - September 2016 من Sommelier India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Godinho Historic family owned restaurant
Feasting on Portuguese and Indigenous Goan flavours, relive the calm and quiet of a time long gone by,
Laurent Ponsot is one of Burgundy's most celebrated winemakers
Jon Wyand finally captured the mercurial Laurent Ponsot - a renowned winemaker and vintner known for his exceptional Burgundy wines - on camera
Exploring Brunello vintages
Ten years in the bottle, a long decant, and yet the harsh tannins overshadowed everything.
An ode to the diva grape
It is worth tasting Pinot Noir in all its varied roles - from the shy, delicate ingénue, and simple yet intense New World newbie to the full-on Grand Cru prima donna
Best ways to explore wine in a new city
The first thing most of us want to do when we go to a new city, be it Dallas or Boston, is to enjoy a few good wine tastings
Champagne Billecart-Salmon
One would think that a 200-yearold Champagne as renowned as Billecart-Salmon did not need any marketing, yet Billecart-Salmon AsiaPacific head, Sebastien Papin was recently in India to tell us about the brand and how the wine is best appreciated.
A thoughtfully curated wine experience
Wine tastings at Vintage Wines in Karjat, Maharashtra, are designed to enhance the appreciation of wine and deepen our understanding of it, writes
The legacy of Henri Gouges
The wines of Maison Henri Gouges from the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges are considered among Burgundy's hidden gems
An overview of Sussex and
Rosemary George describes the importance of Sussex as an appellation and its potential for tourism
Shades of Rosé
Rioja and Navarra share a love for Grenache, producing two very distinct styles of rosé, writes Elizabeth Gabay MW, which succsesfully enrich the category as her tasting notes illustrate
