Author Archives

I am a WSET certified wine geek who loves learning, talking and writing about wine. A Post Graduate in History from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, I studied Italian at Universita per Stranieri di Perugia, Italy and am currently learning Spanish from Instituto Cervantes, Nueva Delhi.

I love travelling, exploring different wine regions and trying out new cuisines. My blog High on Wines is about my food and wine trails in India and across the world. I spoke on the "Potential for Wine Tourism in India" at the International Wine Tourism Conference IWINETC 2015 held at Reims, La Champagne, France, IWINETC 2016 Barcelona Spain and IWINETC 2019 Basque Country Spain. I attended Vinexpo 2015 and 2017 in Bordeaux France, ProWein Düsseldorf Germany 2019 and the 50th Anniversary of Vinitaly 2016 held in Verona, Italy. I get invited to wine launches, tastings and events related to wine and wine tourism both in India and overseas as I enjoy writing about them. I am a regular contributor to The Luxury Collection Magazine and Sommelier India Wine Magazine.

My email is lavina.kharkwal@gmail.com & you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @highonwines.com

• A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a White Wine

  By Lavina Kharkwal on November 15, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Choosing a bottle of wine can be really confusing if you are a novice, given the wide variety of wines from different countries, available in the market at different price points.  Very often you hesitate to take those baby steps… Read More ›

• The Stunning Wineries of Rioja Alavesa in Spain’s Basque Country

  By Lavina Kharkwal on October 17, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  As one drives past the village of Samaniego towards Vitoria-Logroño, in the Álava province of Northern Spain’s Basque Country, what is noticeable from the road is a gigantic ultra-modern glass box sitting atop a small hillock amidst a sea of… Read More ›

• India Wine Awards 2019: How Relevant Are They?

  By Lavina Kharkwal on October 16, 2019 • ( 2 )

  

  It was Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of the United States who said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”. Sonal Holland, India’s one and only Master of Wine, not only lives by this adage but also loves quoting… Read More ›

• The Basque Tradition of Txotx

  By Lavina Kharkwal on July 16, 2019 • ( 1 )

  

  The best way to understand the culture and traditions of a place is to travel to the region. No amount of reading or searching for information on the internet will give you the kind of insight, that only travel can… Read More ›

• Txakoli: Unique Wine of the Basque Country

  By Lavina Kharkwal on July 15, 2019 • ( 2 )

  

  All I am yearning for in this oppressive Delhi heat is a glass of crisp, dry, refreshing Txakoli wine from Spain’s Basque country. Not the easiest of names to roll off the tongue, I agree, but a rather easy wine… Read More ›