After getting selected for "The Erasmus Mundus scholarship" I started my course of studying the French language in the first week of July in '08. While studying  French language, French culture & the wine industry, I started understanding role and sytem of  European appellation Systems.

During my process of learning, I received an invitation to participate for first International "Wine Summit 2008 INDIA-FRANCE", which was the first of its kind in the history of the Indian wine industry. I would like to share with you about this event; so i decided to make an article on this event. I very thankfull to Mr. Y. Gupta , Mr. Raj Shende and Mrs Apte to help me to participate.

Globalisation has helped businesspersons to cross the national boundaries to market their products and get better technologies, but that has remained limited to upper section of the business pyramid. Only upper few are able to derive this benefit, & the small and medium farmers are not even touched by this wave of globalisation. They had an opportunity in the First Franco-India wine summit organised by FINSB Paris, that too on the roof of the famous square arch (Called La Grande Arche) built to celebrate bicentenary of the French Revolution. At the venue, which is 110 meter high, the first ever, Franco-Indian Wine summit took place on 1st October 2008 between wine makers in France and present and future wine makers of India.

This B2B wine summit was organised by The Franco Indian Network of Sustainable Development -FINSB-an association in France set up to promote the messages that growth is not development. This was the opportunity for the Indian Grape growers to learn and collaborate with French counterparts for the value addition with quality for their wines. FINSB through its network of Oenologists is making this possible. FINSB has set up Franco Indian Network of oenologists -FINE- for this purpose. The summit in Paris was the one time event, it would be held regularly in India and France.

The summit was addressed by the French organization that promotes international trade for the products and technology for agro-processing industry -ADEPTA-as well as French Ministry of Agriculture. Chief Minister of Maharashtra sent a special message for the summit. Ambassador of India in France invited the participants at his residence for the reception.

Other participating organizations were : Nashik Valley Wine Producers Association, Media India, - the leading European media company which publishes INDIA & You, INDES, Spencer Europe, Sula wines, Flamingo wines, Sankalpa wines, Red Wings wines, equipment suppliers, import and export distributors, and even students studying wine making.

The event was organized for three days. The first day on 1 October included presentations and panel discussion about the future for Wine Industries in India. Mr. Jagdish Holkar CEO Flamingo Wines, Mr. Khandagale CEO Vinsura Wines, Mr. Depuye Vice President ADEPTA, gave power point presentation about there activities and Wineries. Rajeev Samant, CEO of Sula Wines gave presentation on future of Indian wine industry. Dr Jayaddep Kale presented the needs of the wine industry and also what is Indian wine industries need from India. Mrs. MIREILLE-JOSEPHINE GUEZENNEC from French Ministry of the Agriculture stressed on the need to establish the educational exchange programme. The panel discussions were followed by B2B seminar. The focus of the summit was on Maharashtra state, which has the largest producer of wine with its extensive vineyards in Nashik and Pune.

The Ambassador of India to France Mr. Ranjan Mathai organized a grand reception at his residence on 1st October evening where Hon Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Kamal Nath who was also present at the Ambassador's residence received the participants and had informal discussion with the delegates of the wine summit .

On 2nd and 3rd October 2008, the Indian delegation headed for a visit of the vineyards and the meetings with the entrepreneurs in the French city of Bordeaux. The programme on 2nd October included a visit to distilleries, laboratories, processing areas as well as wine tasting sessions and more B2B meetings. The first visit was organized in the vine yards of Smith Haut Lafitte. The visit to Château de La Rivière was one of the Most overwhelming experiences for the delegation where they enjoyed the real beauty of a typical french ambiance and met the Bordeaux wine makers and experts as well as equipment suppliers.

The third day started with a unique opportunity to visit the Barrel making company followed by organic wineries, Bio farming and co operative wineries. The closing ceremony was held at Bordeaux basically to announce next venue for wine summit. The next wine summit will be organized in March 2009 in Maharashatra in association with Nasik Wine Association or in Sangli. Going by the enthusiasm displayed by the participants from both the sides to promote bilateral relations in this vital domain, it was a successful event.
This was a first, a unique meet between the wine industries of France and India. Over 20 companies met each other not only to exchange their wine cultures but also to learn and open up to new partnerships.

I look forward to creating such opportunities and platforms for exchange of knowledge between the Indian & the European wine industrialists & everyone related.

By Kunal Chug