Wine & Spirits Circle hosts inaugural session

The newly established Wine & Spirits Circle-India (WSCI), an exclusive group for discerning wine and spirits enthusiasts, recently held its inaugural session in New Delhi.

Themed ‘Pinot Noirs of the World,’ the event featured a tasting of six distinct wines from renowned Pinot Noir-producing regions: Central Otago (New Zealand), Yarra Valley (Australia), Chile, Willamette Valley (USA), and two wines from Burgundy (France), one of which was a prestigious Grand Cru. The evening, conducted in a masterclass format, began with a general presentation on wines, followed by an in-depth exploration of Pinot Noir as a grape variety, and concluded with tasting notes on each of the selected wines.

WSCI is the brainchild of Singapore-based Naveen Gupta, who serves as the convenor. His vision is to create “a very select community seeking knowledge, with a strong like-minded social element.” With an emphasis on quality, the wines for the event were sourced from overseas and stored meticulously at the correct temperature to preserve their integrity.

Naveen, a former Wealth Management banker turned Management Consultant, brings impressive credentials to the initiative. He holds WSET Level 3 certifications in wines and spirits, as well as Level 1 in sake. Additionally, he is an instructor at a leading hotel management school in Singapore and holds certifications in coffee and cocktails. His expertise has been recognised by the Embassy of Hungary in Singapore, which appointed him as their Wine Champion during the Hungarian Month celebrations last year.

A key highlight of the evening was the participation of Master of Wine (MW) Jackie Ang from Singapore. MWs are among the elite in the wine world, with only 425 individuals worldwide holding this esteemed qualification. Jackie, an associate of Naveen, boasts an impressive academic background, with a master’s degree from Cambridge and a PhD from Oxford. Currently working as a Research Scientist in Singapore, he possesses a profound passion for wines. Logging in remotely, he engaged with attendees and delivered a concise yet insightful history of Pinot Noirs.

Among the attendees was Sharad Madhok, a former Group CFO turned entrepreneur, who described the evening as “a great knowledge session” that helped him better appreciate and differentiate various wines. He noted that “wines tasted much better when one understood their origins, soil types, history and geography.”

The event was elevated by an exquisite food and charcuterie selection curated by the hosts of the evening, Surangana and Sandeep Jain, along with their talented daughter, Shreya. The spread was so impressive that it was said to rival that of any five-star hotel.

Sandeep, a passionate Pinot Noir enthusiast, remarked, “I wanted to know about Pinot Noir wines, as it has been my favourite grape.” He found the presentation highly informative and expressed keen interest in “attending more such sessions” to further enrich his knowledge.

Following the success of its launch in Delhi, Naveen now plans to expand WSCI’s footprint to Mumbai and Bengaluru. Future events and masterclasses will explore themes such as ‘Whiskies of the World’ and ‘Sparkling Wines of the World.’.

With such an ambitious vision and a strong foundation, WSCI is certainly a space to watch, with much more to unfold.