Sonal Holland

Sonal Holland is the first recipient of the Master of Wine title in India.[1][2][3][4][5] She is a certified wine educator specialising in saké and shochu. Holland is also a consultant, retailer, broadcaster, and the founder of India Wine Awards, an Indian wine competition.[6]

Sonal Holland
Sonal Holland at her wine retail store in Mumbai in 2019
Born
Sonal Chandole
Occupations
  • Educator
  • Consultant
  • Entrepreneur for Wine, Saké and Spirits
Known forSonal Holland Wine Academy, India Wine Awards, SoHo Wine Club, SoHo Wine Consultants
Title
  • Founder Educator at Sonal Holland Wine Academy
  • Chairperson of India Wine Awards
  • Founder Director of SoHo Wine Club
Websitehttps://sonalholland.com/

Education

In 2016, Holland was named Master of Wine (MW) by the London-based Institute of Masters of Wine.[7][8] Holland's dissertation was on "awareness, attitude and usage of wine among SEC A urban Indian wine consumers.”[9] Holland also holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Mumbai and a diploma in Hotel Management from the IHM Mumbai.[10]

In February 2020, Holland received an advanced certification in Saké and Shochu from the Japan Saké and Shochu Makers Association.[11]

Career

Holland worked as the Divisional Head of Wine & Beverage for ITC Hotels.[12]

In 2009, Holland founded the Sonal Holland Wine Academy, which provides wine education in association with the London-based WSET.[13]

In 2017, Holland created the India Wine Awards, which recognizes excellence in wine and wine programs in the country.[14]

In 2019, Holland entered the retail wine market with Vine2Wine.[15]

She has judged several international competitions, including the 2018 Decanter Asia Wine Awards, Concours Mondial du Bruxelles, and the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition.[16]

Her wine columns have been in such publications as Vogue,[17] Mid-Day,[18] and LuxeBook.[19]

Awards
  • Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Indian Luxury for five consecutive years—2015, 2016 and 2017, 2018 and 2019 by luxury business magazine Luxebook[20]
  • In 2018, Sonal was honored with the 'Wine Personality of the Year' award by India's leading Food Bloggers Association of India (FBAI).
  • In early 2019, she was honored and awarded at the Rotary International District Conference for her unique achievement as India's only Master of Wine.
  • Named in the top 100 most powerful people in Indian luxury in 2020.[21]
  • Innovative Woman of Substance Award in 2019 at the India Leadership Conclave.[22]

References
  1. Steinberger, Mike (2011-06-09). "The Master of Wine Exam". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  2. Joshi, Shriya (2016-09-08). "Meet Sonal Holland, World's First Indian To Be Certified As Master Of Wine. #Proud!". Storypick. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  3. "Mumbai woman becomes world's first Indian to get coveted Master of Wine title". www.thenewsminute.com. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  4. "Sonal Holland MW". www.mastersofwine.org. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  5. Singh, Ruma (2018-10-19). "The country's only Master of Wine on putting India on the wine map". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  6. "Mumbai woman Sonal Holland becomes world's first Indian Master of Wine". The Indian Express. 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  7. "Sonal Holland". Institute of Masters of Wine. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  8. Halim, Moeena (8 September 2016). "Meet Indias first and only master of wine, Sonal Holland". India Today. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  9. "See the 13 new Masters of Wine and titles to their research papers".
  10. Chaturvedi, Anumeha (22 July 2010). "Sonal Holland A Heady Mix". Business Today. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  11. "Sonal Holland becomes India's first Advanced Sake and Shochu Professional Expert". HospiBuz. 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  12. Karwa, Marisha (2016-09-11). "Wine master in the house". DNA India. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  13. Kapur, Mallika (11 September 2017). "Can this woman make India love wine?". CNN. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  14. "Bigger, Better, and Shinier – The India Wine Awards 2018 Winners & Gala Night Celebration". 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  15. "Wine Retail: Sonal Holland MW teams up with Foodhall for Wine Retail". www.indianwineacademy.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  16. Earl, Natalie (2018-08-30). "DAWA judge profile: Sonal Holland MW". Decanter. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  17. "Wine connoisseurs, you'll want to be in on this big new trend". Vogue India. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  18. "Cheers to spotless wine glasses". mid-day. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  19. Patel, Pooja (2020-01-10). "Sonal Holland Picks Top Premium Indian Red Wines | LuxeBook". Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  20. "Top 50 most powerful women in Indian luxury honoured at Imperial Towers, Mumbai". www.indulgexpress.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  21. Doshi, Riddhi (2021-01-08). "LuxeBook Top 100: Here's the 2020 list of the most powerful people in Indian luxury". Luxebook. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  22. Holland, Sonal. "Sonal Holland MW". Sonal Holland MW.
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