What the stars foretell!

Stars today, legends tomorrow. This is how Spiritz has decided to celebrate the host of disruptive players who have set a scorching pace in India’s wine and spirits industry. The players we have selected for this issue are based on a painstaking process and make for an eclectic mix of the young and the not so young professionals.

New cutting-edge ideas are emerging, new expressions & new dimensions are being added to the alcobev spectrum. We felt the need to celebrate brilliant ideas and out of the box thinkers behind these ideas.

Descriptions seldom achieve a ring of completeness but ‘Stars of Today and Tomorrow’ is perhaps a description that comes close to describing these extraordinary women and men of uncommon spirit and mettle. For instance, a young disruptive thinker, Rakshit N Jagdale, Managing Director, Amrut Distilleries, had the guts to introduce Amrut Single Malt Whisky in the home of Scotch whisky and make it a resounding success. Or take the case of the industry veteran Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, VBev, who is known to be a game-changer. He has led and nurtured several top companies, including Grover Zampa Vineyards, Aspri Spirits and Fines Wines n More. Against daunting odds, he launched VBev in 2017, and within a short time span offered top quality brands with strong storylines at sharp prices.

Let us also dwell on how Roopak Chaturvedi, Director – Sales, Bacardi India has built a profitable scale with focus on premium segments. Disruptive thinker like Uma Chigurupati, Co-Founding Chairperson, KRSMA Estates, has adopted many practices that have proved to be gamechangers. Vanessa Pandita, Deputy Manager- Marketing, Alcobrew Distilleries India Ltd., spells energy and newness. She is busy launching her fashion label under a platform provided by Golfer’s Shot Whisky.

A far-sighted visionary, Paul P John made waves when he chose to introduce Indian single malts to the world and turned them into runaway hits. Paul is Chairman, Paul Resorts & Hotels P Ltd. and John Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. and he has decided to take his company to the next level when he launched a chain of luxury resorts and hotels in south India.

We also feature indigenous innovator and explorer, Desmond Nazareth, Founder & MD, Agave India, who broke new grounds by creating official categories of Indian agave and mahua spirits. At the other end of the spectrum are wine disruptors like Piero Masi, Creator, Fratelli Wines, whose untiring quest for quality and innovation drives him to excel. Even after 11 years Peiro believes his product is still a work in progress while Alessio Secci – Director, Fratelli Wines, has evolved a distinctive wine style which is dry, approachable but still complex.

We feature many such stars who adorn our pages. The Spiritz Cover Story titled ‘Stars of Today and Tomorrow’ coincides perfectly with the forthcoming Spiritz Annual Conclave & Awards. Sit back and read on…