By Rashmi Pradhan

THERE ARE a fortunate few who get to turn their passion into their profession. Wine consultant and writer, Peter Csizmadia-Honigh (see photo) is one of them. Csizmadia-Honigh, a Hungarian based in London, recently launched his first book titled ’The Wines of India, a Concise Guide’ in association with All Things Nice in Mumbai. Priced at Rs 1495, the book will be available on www.thewinesofindia.com. The 452-page comprehensive guide took Csizmadia-Honigh, 15 months to research, compile and write.

Csizmadia-Honigh, a recipient of the Geoffrey Roberts Award and a WSET Diploma holder, is the first international oenophile to have written such an authoritative companion to Indian wines. The inaugural edition of Wines of India, a Concise Guide, features all 50 producers and nearly 400 wines. The book contains the first authoritative classification of Indian wines, a list of wines recommended by Csizmadia-Honigh, with brief tasting notes, detailed producer profiles, 11 specially commissioned maps and a glossary of wine terms.

Speaking about the conceptualization of the book, Csizmadia-Honigh said, ’During my travels across this beautiful country, I tried to look up information on Indian wines and surprisingly there was nothing. That gave me the inspiration to write a book on Indian wines that can be used as a guide by Indian and international travelers and wine lovers.’

According to Csizmadia-Honigh, tasting a wine sitting at a beach in Goa is totally different from tasting it in the vineyard it was produced. ’I have a huge passion for wines. It is a product that has a soul and a life,’ he said. Csizmadia-Honigh has been a frequent visitor to India for the past nine years and has visited wine producers across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.

Talking about his tryst with Indian wines, Csizmadia-Honigh said, ’The fruit is quite rich and opulent in India. It is really amazing to see how wineries can influence the final outcome. The wine makers in India put a lot of effort while making a wine. The quality of Indian wines is increasing. It is at a stage where, if efforts are put on a right direction, it will go a long way. Indian wines are being recognized internationally and have started showing good results.’

Talking about Indian wine industry, Csizmadia-Honigh said, ’The Indian wine industry is growing at 30 per cent year-on-year. India is fairly a new entrant in the global wine market. Although the Indian wine industry is tiny compared to the spirits and beer sector, it is putting in a lot of effort and that needs to continue to connect with consumers. The Indian vineyards are 2.5 per cent of the area of those in Bordeaux.’

Csizmadia-Honigh, is a graduate from E-tv-s University and the Budapest Business School. He is a certified sherry educator who crafts Juhfark wines for Michelin-star restaurants. He is also the co-proprietor of Royal Soml- Vineyards in Hungary. Csizmadia-Honigh was also associated with the Institute of Masters of Wine's study and examination programmes in Europe, North America and Australasia between 2005 and 2014.

Photo by Subhabrata Das.

The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.