Sumedh Singh Mandla is the CEO of Grover Zampa Vineyards, India's second largest wine company. He began his career in hospitality and developed an interest in wine while working in Sydney in 2004. After returning to India, he co-founded an importing company that grew to represent over 300 labels. In 2013, he became COO of Grover Zampa and was promoted to CEO within 8 months as sales increased over 50% under his leadership. Mandla hopes to continue expanding production and exports of Indian wines to cater to both novice and experienced wine drinkers.

1. 42Sommelier INDIA June -july 2016
S
umedh Singh Mandla, 42, CEO
of Grover Zampa Vineyards,
says, “My real foray into wines
started in 2004 when I worked
with the Sydney Harbour
Marriott and visited wineries in New South
Wales in my free time.”
He enjoyed learningaboutthe winemaking
process and tasting different wines, while
appreciating the scenic beauty of the wineries
and the diversity of the region. This is what
inspired him to step into the wine industry
and, much later, to take up the reins of India’s
second-largest wine company.
Mandla started his career in food and
beverages with the Taj Hotels, working at
different properties from 1994 to 2001, during
which time he learnt the basics of wine. His
subsequent move to JW Marriott Mumbai
as Director of Beverages in September 2001
deepened his interest in wines and spirits.
Mandla worked with the core opening team
on designing and launching restaurants and
lounges, including the very popular nightclub
Enigma, and conceptualizing food and
FROM F&B TO
WINERY HEADSumedh Singh Mandla, CEO of Grover Zampa, speaks
to Brinda Gill about his remarkable career in wine
beverage related events and experiences. But
it was his stint in Australia in 2004 with visits
to picturesque wineries that brought him in
touch with New World wine culture and led
him to make a career change. On his return
to India he decided to enter the wine industry.
With the help of a financing partner, in 2005
Mandla set up Brandwagon, a food and
beverage import and marketing company,
whose brands he carried over in 2007 to a new
partnership with Dharti Desai and the launch
of FineWinesnMore Private Limited.
“At FineWinesnMore, we went on to
work with 40 wineries and three distilleries,
representing brands from Italy, France,
Australia, New Zealand, French Martinique,
Chile, Spain and Germany. Within two
years, the company was importing over 140
labels, had footprints across key markets
in India and was rated among the top ten
wine importers in India.” In 2007, Mandla’s
success was capped by being honoured with
the Commanderie du Bontemps at Château
Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan (Graves)
by the famous eponymous wine fraternity;
PROFESSIONALPROFILE

2. June -july 2016 Sommelier INDIA 43
At the helm of Grover
Zampa, CEO Sumedh
Singh Mandla has
overseen exponential
growth at the winery
since 2013
he was among the first five Indians to receive
this honour and it remains one of his most
precious moments.
Ever keen to expand his experience,
Mandla moved to a wine and spirits import
house, Aspri Spirits Private Limited and was
appointed CEO in 2008. In the four and a
half years he was there, he furthered both
his career and knowledge of wine. “Working
at Aspri was great as they gave me the right
support and a free hand to develop the
business. I felt it was important to import a
range of spirits so that when we approached
hotels or retailers we would have a diverse
portfolio to offer and provide them with a
complete solution. During the time I was
there, Aspri grew consistently and became
one of the top two importers for wines and
spirits. From a few select brands it went on to
import over 300 labels covering wines, spirits,
beer and cider from 18 countries.”
As a result several key brands were
introduced into the Aspri portfolio and
thence into the Indian sub-continent. The
brands included Roberto Cavalli vodka,
Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei wines, Patron group,
Gruppo Campari, SPI group, Jose’ Cuervo,
Molinari, Domaines Barons de Rothschild
Lafite, Olivier Leflaive, Maison Albert Bichot,
Ceretto, Castello di Bossi, Zenato, Distell
group, Sogrape Vinhos group, Raventós,
Stag’s Leap, Beringer, Schloss Gobelsburg,
Zonin and Yering Station.
Interacting with the members of the
industry, hosting interesting events and
launches, travelling overseas to exhibitions
and production facilities expanded Mandla’s
“My real foray into wines started in 2004 when
I worked with the Sydney Harbour Marriott
and visited wineries in New South Wales in
my free time” – Sumedh Mandla

3. 44Sommelier INDIA June -july 2016
role and professional profile and his
achievements were noticed by the industry.
M
andla’s next leap forward was
when Grover Zampa Vineyards
(GZV) offered him the position of
Chief Operating Officer, which he accepted
in February 2013. “I had some apprehensions
about leaving Aspri, where the company and
I were doing very well. However, I thought
working with an Indian winery promoted
by industry veterans would be rejuvenating
as there would be new learning and new
challenges. I was aware that the Indian wine
industry was going through tough times, but
at the winery level, the Grover Zampa merger
had just taken place. This was a development
that presented interesting possibilities and
overall the new scenario offered many
opportunities. For me, professional and
personal growth is very important and I had
already gained rich experience as an importer
while at Aspri. I felt it was time to move on.”
Mandla soon immersed himself in the
work at GZV from developing the annual
business plan and marketing strategy to
refining company procedures and policies.
He applied himself to the different aspects of
the functioning of the wineries at Nashik and
Bangalore as well as increasing exports. At the
wineries, he worked closely with the vineyard
and winemaking team on improving the
quality of the wines by increased attention to
viticultural practices, most notably reducing
yield per acre and improving productivity. He
also put in place several new initiatives on the
marketing, distribution and sales fronts.
Within eight months of his joining the
company, Mandla was rewarded with the
position of CEO as his efforts began to bear
fruit. Since then, the company has witnessed
an increase in sales with a Compound Annual
Sumedh Mandla
pictured with Vijay
Amritraj. The launch
of the Vijay Amritraj
Reserve Collection of
white and red wines
marked another
milestone

4. June -july 2016 Sommelier INDIA 45
Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 50% in the last
three fiscals; a three-digit growth in width
of distribution, with the wines now present
in 21 markets and an increase in export
markets from eight to 22 countries. This
was accompanied by the launch of premium
brands and an expanded portfolio of wines.
Chêne, an oak-aged tempranillo-shiraz blend
has had very good reviews as has the Vijay
Amritraj Reserve Collection series. La Reserve
Blanc and Art Collection Merlot are the most
notable additions. Another feather in his cap
was the inclusion of Grover Zampa Vineyards
as the exclusive Indian wine brand in the
Starwood Group’s Asia Pacific Wine of the
World programme 2014-16, which gave GZV
wines access to several Starwood properties
across Asia Pacific.
I
n looking back, Mandla has seen
dramatic changes in the wine industry
over the past 20 years and feels things
can only get better and better for wineries
producing quality wines. “In the early 2000s,
people would simply ask for a red or white
wine. Now, they are well travelled and better
informed. They are aware of different wines
and styles. They ask for specific wines and
know what to expect. Wine drinking culture
is growing in Tier I and II cities. Social
functions are a reflection of the times. At
weddings, we now see an increasing number
of men and women with glasses of wine. Men
opt for wine even when whisky and vodka
are being served and women feel comfortable
with a glass of wine, as it is not considered a
hard spirit and has health benefits too. I also
Within eight months of his joining the
company, Mandla was rewarded with the
position of CEO as his efforts began to bear fruit
As a hands-on CEO,
Mandla poses in
the Grover Zampa
vineyard in Nashik

5. 46Sommelier INDIA June -july 2016
prefer wine over spirits!” smiles Mandla.
Turning to the downside, on the national
level Mandla itemises the factors that make
business very difficult for wineries. Different
rules governing the sale of wines in different
states, the cost and logistics of setting up
business, lack of infrastructure in terms of
transport and the storage of wines, heavy trade
discounting, restrictions on advertising for
wine to reach and educate a mass consumer
base, and state policies that bundle wine with
the huge spirits and beer industry. On the
consumer side, he mentions the need for more
wine education and training, remarking that
China’s wine market has grown exponentially
as there is a focus on wine awareness. He
himself is presently pursuing Level 4 of the
WSET programme, and rues the fact that
there are only a handful of Indians who have
completed this level, whereas China has many
more qualified wine professionals.
A
t Grover Zampa Vineyards future
plansextendtoinvestmentandgrowth
in the vineyard base, modernisation
of winemaking processes and developing
hospitality facilities at their Bangalore and
Nashik properties. Immediate plans include
producing sparkling wines at the Bangalore
winery, and generally improving the quality of
their wines with more premium wines.
“If Indian wine consumers are willing
to pay `2,500 for a bottle of average
international wine, they would surely pay the
same for a super-premium Indian wine,” says
Mandla. “We are working towards producing
better wines for this segment along with other
wines to cater to both, novice wine drinkers
and connoisseurs. With a motivated team,
a good portfolio, high quality wines across
varied price points, a pan-India presence and
growing exports, we aspire to achieve better
growth than the industry average.” v
Mandla with Simon
Hirst, general
manager of The
Raffles Hotel
Singapore (second
from right) and
team, at a Grover
Zampa wine and
Indian food pairing
dinner at the hotel’s
Tiffin restaurant in
August 2015