Indian-Americans Thrive in Wine Industry
Long before Bordeaux, there was Kapisayani. And long before Napa, there was Harahuraka. A feature in the August 2005 issue of Little India profiles the Indian wine entrepreneurs of the world, telling about their background, experience, and why they do what they do. Calvin Sidhu of Freemark Abbey Winery in California’s Napa Valley sells 125,000 cases of premium wine every year, continuing a 400 year-old agricultural family tradition along with his brother Devendra. They also operate Arrowwood Winery in Sonoma and Byron in Santa Barbara, with each location featuring its own distinct flavor profile. Nearby is Revana Family Vineyard, where Houston cardiologist Dr. Madaiah Revana wins awards for his world class Cabernet Sauvignon, which is sold at fine restaurants in San Francisco and New York.
And outside of the wineries are the professional sommeliers like Rajat Parr, the wine director of the reputed Mina group of restaurants. He’s responsible for selecting the wine list at restaurants like Arcadia in San Jose and Nobill in Las Vegas, and was the recepient of Wine Spectator’s Grand Award in 2001. But hot on his trail is Alpana Singh, who passed the advanced sommelier exam at the age of 21 and became the youngest Master Sommelier in the world at age 26, becoming one of fourteen female and 104 total Master Sommeliers in the world. She runs the show at Chicago’s Everest, which offers a $1 million wine list featuring a $2,800 bottle of 1982 Petrus Bourdeux.
It’s a whole different world from the common Indian careers in IT, engineering, and medicine, but these NRIs are among the best in the world of what they do.