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Sydney International Wine Competition 2014 Aakash Singh Rathore, First Term Panel Judge The Complete Indian Wine Guide "A regular contributor of wine-related articles to various publications including Cosmopolitan, Savvy, India Today in addition to several other newspapers, magazines and blogs. Aakash was driven by the determination to be the first to write the complete story of India's wine industry, warts and all. He authored the Complete Indian Wine Guide, published in 2006. Aakash 's mission was expensive, he had no writing advance and went, uninvited and unwelcome, in a taxi from one winery to another in Nashik, Pune, Sangli and Bangalore, bought two bottles of each label, and tasted each wine at least a couple of times to be able to form an unbiased opinion. He sees Indian wine industry growing and evolving, emerging long-term as the No. 2 zinfandel destination after California. Regarded as one of the most important figures in the emerging Indian wine industry, Aakash also served as an advisor to the Indian Government in the creation of the Indian Grape Board, tasked with drafting and proposing legislation on the regulation of domestic wine labels and the eventual systematic formation of controlled name of origin appellations for Indian wines." |
Sommelier India
"The Complete Indian Wine Guide is surely going to pique your interest in wine, particularly in Indian wine. This book aims to contribute to the wider awareness of high-quality Indian wines, even as it guides the Indian consumer through all brands, domestic and imported, available in the Indian market . . . The book is written by Dr Aakash Singh Rathore who studied Enology in the US and Europe, and is a certified wine advisor. He is currently a Reader in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Delhi." 
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The Economic Times
Wine Knights Dr. Aakash Singh Rathore's Complete Indian Wine Guide erupts like an over-agitated magnum of champagne . . . Idiosyncratic and irresistible volume . . . Rathore does his duty almost unflinchingly . . . Forget just buying this book, Rathore deserves a medal of some kind . . . Rathore's book is a firecracker thrown into the often overwhelming pretentiousness and pandering of the wine business and one can only hope that it's one he'll keep relighting every year. |
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Indian Wine Academy
Passion Drives India's Own Wine Advocate "Aakash Singh Rathore spent two years taking nerve-jangling rides on rural roads to discover some gems and plenty of warts in India's fledgling wine industry. Meet the writer of the no-holds-barred guide to Indian wines." "Cultural prejudice, and not a geographical problem, has prevented domestic wines from taking off in India . . . Protectionism cannot help an infant industry . . . Nationalism can. A developing country has a responsibility to itself." Guided with this belief, he has been able to discover gems for us - two of them, from Nashik's Sailo Wines, are hilariously named Et Tu Brutus and Mark Antony. Rathore insists that the 30,000 bottles of these two unknown and unheralded wines are sold within two months in Maharashtra, Dubai and Tokyo. Nationalism may have propelled Rathore, but he did not lose his critical eye. During his peregrinations, he stumbled upon many stories that never get written about the Indian wine industry." Read here. Wine’s the Rage! UpperCrust checks out the local wine market and finds that the Indian wine drinker has become an aficionado if not a connoisseur yet, and that Indian wines have come of age. 
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Tribune News Service
Indian Wine Guide "A US and Europe-trained enologist Aakash Singh Rathore has come out with a book, The Complete Indian Wine Guide. The publishers claim it to be the only book providing a comprehensive exposition of every domestic Indian wine. The pocket-sized information-packed book can be carried along as a reference guide. The author has visited every functioning winery in India, searching for the best wines, even from among the little-known and fledgling producers. Every single wine made in India as well as international wines are tasted, described and scored which enables the Indian consumer to select the best wines possible. The Wine Guide provides everything you need to know about the wine basics: how to properly enjoy a wine, that is, following the three steps of wine-evaluation — eye, nose, and taste; it irreverently exposes all the myths of wine etiquette, for example, about the need for special wine glasses or for decanting wine which tend to scare people away from wine. Instead, you learn how to select, order, serve and enjoy wine whether choosing from a wine-list at a restaurant or casually among friends. The book concentrates intensively on the Indian conditions, explaining how wine should be served and stored here. It provides an interesting sketch of the history of wine-making and drinking in India, from ancient times till now. Additionally, there is a concise overview of wines from France, Germany, Spain, the USA, Chile, etc., helping you to distinguish, for example Bordeaux from Beaujolais or Prosecco from Sekt. There is information on how to decipher foreign labels, various classification systems, and of course specific details about wine types, regions, and styles. By the time you have finished this book, you will not just know your Dry from Sweet, but even your Cabernet Sauvignon from Sauvignon Blanc. The wine guide has numerous user-friendly features for the beginners and experts alike. For the beginner, there is an extensive glossary of common wine terms along with a helpful pronunciation guide. For all consumers, there are several handy appendixes: There is a chart listing India’s best Red, White, Rosé, and Sparkling wines. There is a chart summarising the best wines for each grape-variety. There is also a comparative chart giving the best value-for-money wines available on the market . . . As the author argues, Indian wine, if properly supported and urged on, has a glorious future ahead." |
