Mint Luxury Conference | Lessons from Italy on fine wine and food

Mumbai: At the seventh edition of Mint Luxury conference, Stefano Agostini, president & CEO of premium Italian mineral water brand San Pellegrino, spoke about how India’s culinary diversity and heritage can give it a distinct advantage in the luxury sector. Agostini began the session on luxury food and beverages with an introduction to the San Pellegrino brand and its associations with gastronomy showcases such as the Michelin Guides and World’s 50 Best Restaurants list produced by British magazine Restaurant.

San Pellegrino does not retail in India currently but Agostini said if the brand were to enter the market, it would afford Indian chefs and hospitality brands an opportunity for global networking and visibility. “Chefs are the big stars these days,” said Agostini. “But we don’t see a lot of Indian chefs in top spots like we do from China, other Asian countries and Australia. India has rich culture and regional diversity when it comes to hospitality and gastronomy but what it’s missing is visibily. ”

Agostini, who is also on the board of the Altagamma Foundation, a conglomerate of several high-end Italian companies, also spoke about the organisation’s latest venture, Larte, a concept store that promotes the country’s food, wine, art, design and fashion. He spoke of the enterprise as a model India could perhaps find inspiration in and added that Larte stores will soon expand to the Middle East, Turkey and Asia.

Agostini ended the session by stressing that Indian hospitality would benefit from celebrating its regional diversity and cuilnary history. “Like Italy, India too has a variety of cuisines and deep-rooted traditions,” he said. “In order to break into the global market, it will be important for India to promote its history and culture and all the tradiaional recipes but also look at how the cuisine can be presented in modern and innovative ways.”