So they say competition is a good thing. It brings out the best in us. Well, I don't believe so. Not always. Especially not when I’m losing. But that rarely happens. Like never. So I don't really know exactly what I’m complaining about.

I have been one of the few who have judged two different competitions under the formidable Steven Spurrier, which puts me in the prestigious position of being able to comment on both, and thus draw comparisons. For the good and for the betterment of (but mostly for the knowledge of) those who may find it interesting to read about how things are different in the West, and how certain concepts may need some time before they are equally relevant in India.

Not to give it all away just yet, let me unravel it one layer at a time.

 So I judged at the Decanter World Wine awards (DWWA) in London last year and this year too I have been asked to be on one of the panels. It is an honour to be invited, that I do not deny. To be able to exchange palate points with some of the best noses in the business may sound kinky and disgusting, but is actually a privilege in the wine world. You get some money, of course, and even a pint at the pub down the road at the end of the day. When you have sipped your way through about a 100 rather trying wines, nothing appeals more than a cold pint – lager or ale, no matter how you sway.

The second competition was the Sommelier India Wine Competition (SIWC), held a few months back in Mumbai. This too was organised by Steven, but with Indian judges. Sure, the size of the competition is much smaller, like almost a gazillion times, but size doesn’t matter. Not when you have bigger stuff to dissect. So this is what I found different, lacking or positive, you will find out.

1.    Professionalism: DWWA had judges walk in on time, and nobody budged till the last flight of wines had been tasted, and the last glass drained into the spittoon. SIWC was a bit more social, with people moving around a bit too much, much to the discomfort of certain others. As the wine world in India is small, it is only natural that everyone knew everybody else. And since there were no pub evenings to catch up later, it ended up happening during the tasting.

2.    Objectivity: Many of the judges at the DWWA have been tasting wine for longer than the entire careers of some vinos in India. This is not meant to reflect on the lack of experience here, but...that’s exactly what it is. Needless to say then, that the judges at the SIWC found it difficult to detach themselves from their personal preferences to adjudge a wine as good for what it was. So if someone didn’t like sweet wines she/he marked them irrespective of what others thought or how good the wine was. Others who had a set idea of what a good wine is completely disregarded the difference of price and hence refused to award any gold to any wine that wasn’t a, to use a euphemism, a “Parker Point Peak Performer”.

3.    Bracketing: A statement released at the end of SIWC said something to the effect that made it sound as if Indian wines won gold over foreign wines. That was wrong. I got to hear from many participating importers that they felt short-changed. A competition of Indian wines is like a baby competition. They are important and respectful in their own right but you can’t use the scale of mainstream international wines to judge Indian wines and you certainly can’t use any common scale to measure them together. In that sense they are like Special Olympics. So, it should have been made clearer that Indian wines won gold amongst their own of kin, not against international wines. Although, I must openly confess, that the Sula Riesling is definitely worthy of something in international competitions, as also certain wines from the likes of York, Good Earth, Deccan Plateau, Renaissance, Vallonne (can never spell them) and few others.

The one thing I did enjoy about SIWC was that for a first time effort, it was spot-on spectacular. No, I am not suffering from duality of personality, but credit due is, well, due credit. I like the fact that it is still small, and hence cosy. The gala dinner was fantastic and the auction of wine lots was a great idea to get some stiff snobs to loosen their ties and put their money where their noses usually are. DWWA, by comparison, is a lot less personal. With over a 100 judges it sure can’t be easy, and Christelle Guibert, the lovely lady who organises does quite a spiffy job of it. The lunches are fun and, depending on which groups are eating in the same lunch break as yours, you do get to meet some very respectable world wine luminaries. Yes, more than just you or the entire panel of judges at the competition, I too still wonder what I was doing there.