Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, CEO - All Things Nice & The Wine Cellar
Schenelle Dsouza
All Things Nice has built its name as a successful consulting and marketing agency for wines and spirits helmed by Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal. Expanding its expertise, All Things Nice has now forayed into the modern retail space for premium wines with The Wine Cellar.
Located in the prestigious Malabar Hill, The Wine Cellar is systematically designed to resemble a fine wine cellar will deep-toned interiors and minimal décor. The walls here are stacked with over a hundred different labels from every wine-producing region in the world. To add to the experience, Nikhil Agarwal himself will be available at the store to guide customers with their purchases, gifting and wine pairings.
Photo Courtesy: The Wine Cellar
Talking to LuxeBook, Nikhil Agarwal shared his thoughts on this new venture, its unique aspects and of course wine!
How did the company’s background help with the ideation of The Wine Cellar?
We certainly know wine and also, we know direct customers and their preferences which come from All Things Nice’s history of over 14 years. I think the one major difference is that we know our wines, we love and drink wines ourselves and are hell-bent on ensuring that we give the best suggestions to our clients based on preferences and not based on profit margins that can vary per wine. We want to be able to extend from our top-end wine dinners and tasting events that happen frequently so that not only can we introduce wines but also take it a step further where the wines can be bought from us.
Photo Courtesy: The Wine Cellar
How would you define a modern retail store? How are these different from traditional stores?
Modern retail stores are, for one, a store that you can walk into, where the selection of wine is abundant, curated and catering to every style out there, from the styles that are popular, to the ones that are unknown so that we can continue on a journey of discovery. where you have someone knowledgeable who can guide you on your choices. The wines are stored properly as well.
What are some of the different wines showcased at The Wine Cellar? Which of these are among your favourites?
I love the Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore, Chateau Mont-Redon Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc, Castello di Querceto Cignale (Super Tuscan) and Chateau Haut Logat which is a Cru Bourgeois from the Haut Médoc in Bordeaux. The Alta Vista Terroir Selection Malbec from Argentina, Dominio de Cair Seleccion La Aguilera from Ribero Del Duero and Bodegas Luis Canas Riserva from Rioja are some of my favourites. We also have Masumi Sake which allows us to sell to our distinguished customers some seriously good sake.
Photo Courtesy: The Wine Cellar
Apart from wine retail, what are some of the other offerings at The Wine Cellar?
We are about to include wine glasses and decanters from high-quality producers from around the world.
A lot of liquor retail stores today have a café or dining space built inside or attached to the store. Does The Wine Cellar have any plans for such inclusions in the future?
We plan to open dining spaces but we will keep them separate from our retail stores.
Photo Courtesy: The Wine Cellar
What is your opinion on the position of Indian wines today? How do you think it is faring/evolving?
Indian wines made by the top cream of wine producers have consistently gotten better each year. Look at what Grovers has done with the Signet Range or The Source from Sula and Jnoon from Fratelli, these are outstanding examples of what wine can be in India. Overall, however, I think the wines from the not so well known wineries need to improve and we need more wineries to set up quality production.
Photo Courtesy: The Wine Cellar
Do you think more people are trying to learn about and understand wine today? How do retail stores like The Wine Cellar help?
Definitely, I’ve been in the wine industry for 24 years and have never seen this level of interest. People want to taste, learn, experience and travel for wine.
For example, All Things Nice The Wine Cellar put together a Discovery Box every month with 6 wines chosen by me. These wines are all different in style and from different parts of the world and at different price points. We have a steady following of clients who take these our Discovery Boxes every month, these boxes introduce them to wines that are outside of their comfort zones. Since The Wine Cellar is part of All Things Nice, we consistently give people opportunities to taste and experience with us and our growing community of wine enthusiasts.
