Sonal Holland: a thought-leader with numerous unique wine projects

Sonal Holland is an award-winning broadcaster, distinguished writer, wine judge and an in-demand international speaker with diversified entrepreneurial ventures in wine & beverage education, consultancy, club, awards and retailing.

Through the span of her professional career, Sonal has tasted tens of thousands of wines, travelled across the globe to possibly every wine region, visited hundreds of wineries, spent time with legendary winemakers to hone her knowledge, and in turn, has mentored hundreds of aspirants and professionals to launch their wine careers in the Indian industry. 

As a domain expert on the business of wine, saké and spirits in India, Sonal is passionate about drawing global attention to the country’s young and exciting beverage industry. Her vast cultural knowledge has made her a sought-after strategic consultant to international brands seeking a foothold in India’s complex marketplace.

Her exceptional contribution to India’s wine industry has been widely recognised. Some of the prestigious honours Sonal has been part of are:

• Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Indian Luxury for five consecutive years—2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 by luxury business magazine Blackbook
• Top 100 Most Influential People in Indian Luxury for four consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 by BlackBook
• Top Women in Wine by the Indian Wine Academy, every year since 2015
• Wine Personality of the Year’ award by India’s leading food writers’ association, the Food Bloggers Association of India (FBAI)
• Award for exceptional contribution to India’s alcobev industry by Rotary International, in 2019
• Innovative Woman of Substance Award 2019 at the India Leadership Conclave

Sonal is the Founder Director at Vine2Wine, purveyors of modern and sophisticated wine retail stores across the country. 

Bringing her unique cultural understanding of wine to fellow oenophiles, Sonal Holland founded SoHo Wine Club in 2016, a platform for enjoying and appreciating wine, where Sonal and her team design and curate exceptionally bespoke food and wine experiences for senior corporate and the trade. 

Her eponymous Sonal Holland Wine Academy founded in 2009, was born out of a need for accessing world-class knowledge with a vision to setting the gold-standard for wine and beverage education in the country. The company has established itself as India’s foremost institution providing world-class education of wines and beverages through online and WSET certified classroom training. The courses are designed for hospitality professionals and students; as well as wine enthusiasts. The Academy provides a comprehensive suite of classroom qualifications and online courses that enable participants to forward their knowledge, business and enjoyment of wines.

She is also the organizer and leader of the India Wine Awards, which is the most prestigious wine competition in the country, led by the country’s most qualified winemakers, industry leaders and taste producers.

India Wine Awards competition since its inception in 2017, continues to get bigger and broader in its vision making it the largest tasting of domestic and international wines available in the country.

The third edition of Indian Wine Awards saw 116 winning wines being crowned and 17 restaurants for their wine programs, at a glittering ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom, The Leela Mumbai.