Meet the first lady of fine wines in the country who wants to do away with the snootiness associated with the drink!It has been the toast all of this year and even though evening soirees have been incomplete without a glass of wine, Dharti Desai would like to see more. This founder and CEO of Finewinesnmore (FWM) - a food and beverage management company, which is also one of the top distributors and marketers of imported wines and spirits in India - sees no reason why Indians shouldn’t be pairing their meals with the drink. “Traditionally, we may not be a wine drinking country but that’s fast changing,” tells Desai who is looking to bring FWM to Chandigarh soon. “Yes, I am aware of the fine palate your city boasts of,” the CEO admits. Interestingly, Desai set up FWM with an aim to offer a wide bouquet of wines to the Indian consumer, who when it came to wine knew of just two things - the colours red and white! “Initially the idea came about as I love drinking wine and even though I’m not a connoisseur of sorts, I definitely know my wines. But at the same time I found the Indian wine market insipid,” tells Desai, who decided to take matters in her own hands. So January 2007 saw Finewinesnmore officially roll out. Today, the company offers a wide bouquet of wines from its 140 labels culled from eight countries across the world, all of which are exclusive to her company in India. “I want to take away the snootiness associated with drinking wine in India. I see no reason why it should exist,” Dharti takes us by surprise. Perhaps that’s what got her to further form ‘Finewinesnmore Club’, a unique initiative that delivers wines to consumers on a regular basis. The consumers can then go on and review the drinks. “The club essentially acts as a credible guide to assist traders and customers in the wine selection process, enabling them to get quality wines at the right price,” briefs the founder who has opened the club to not just wine connoisseurs but novices as well. “The idea is to provide information on wine appreciation and intelligence as well as provide a platform for building a lifestyle community of wine connoisseurs through consistent interactions between consumers and specialists,” Desai further explains. There’s a reason why this first lady of fine wines in the country is feeling upbeat. “Currently, India is in focus since it’s still seen as an untapped market and there’s so much more to raise a toast to,” she smiles to say. Cheers to that!
