Indian print media has taken a partisan interest, vacillating between cool to warm. Foreign press and the international wine producing community have widely acclaimed the efforts and performance of the club. Most visiting winemakers and producers are wowed by the role Delhi Wine Club and other such clubs have played as a vehicle for promoting wine culture. London Telegraph, Washington Post, Times of London , Chicago Tribune, Montreal Gazette are a few of the 50+ foreign newspapers that have featured the club activities.

Learning about wine in our club events has been kept implicit rather than explicit or in heavy doses. We direct members to seminars or wine shows where they get free 'learn while you drink' lessons. Generally, we have found people averse to formal study of wine.

People have now become articulate about talking in the parties how they love wine and its health benefits, although still holding a glass of whisky or vodka in their hands.!Women have benefited more from the health drink and vice versa, with more women imbibing the drink.

Wine knowledge five years ago depended on how rich you were and where you were placed socially. It was an elitist drink about which basically nobody new anything and one had to consume much internet  bandwidth and many books, wine shows and tastings to notch up wine knowledge. It is gradually descending to its natural platform, as a lifestyle product, which is great on its own, better with food.

So has the wine culture changed during the five  years of existence of Delhi Wine Club? (which incidentally, celebrates completion of five years on May 20, at Orient Express) The interest has increased, the hype is there. But it has not transcended to actual drinking of that much wine yet.

When that happens, we won't be talking about wine… we will be drinking it.

Cheers!

Subhash Arora