If he could, Nikhil Agarwal would wash the world with the warm and rich colours of wine

I s it a club? Is it a platform? No, it’s “All Things Nice”. This one-year-old company defies simple definition. Like a cocktail, it’s a mix of all flavours: take half-a-club, half-a-platform and a bit of a food, an events consultancy firm run by lovers of fine dining and voilà! You get All Things Nice (ATN). For a start, ATN helps clients host parties — dos that you don’t want to miss: those which serve foie gras, caviar, cognac and Cuban cigars. It also hosts members-only taste sessions — some with a twist. For it’s most recent party, ATN blindfolded its members for a “more decadent experience” and to taste, feel and understand what’s being plated better. ATN also educates airline crews, hoteliers and people involved in the hospitality business on what qualifies as good wine, on etiquette, great food, even better desserts and the accompaniments and cutlery to serve it with. All this work is performed by a close team of five, headed by Nikhil Agarwal. The young entrepreneur, with the “world’s best job”, is a former employee of Sula, Moet Henessey and Diagio. His stints also include some bigger Indian wine export houses. Interestingly, Agarwal snatched the phone from a friend to beg for a post in Sula after she refused their offer. It’s hard to keep the man away from the topic of wine for too long. As we all know, wine is a product obtained from fermented fresh grape juice. That’s the simple bit. Complications arise when you ask a sommelier which one’s the best of the lot — either battle axes are drawn or sommeliers maintain a stony silence. Agarwal takes the more diplomatic route. “Wine’s a subjective topic. Whatever tastes good to you, is good enough. A good wine is one which contains balanced amounts of sugar, acidity and tannin. Personally, I love a full-bodied bottle that has a heady bouquet. I adore a wine that lingers on my tongue and makes a drink an event.” It was this adoration that led to ATN. As a boy, Agarwal knew that one day he was going to be his own boss. When the time came, he toyed with the idea of an exclusive store selling highend luxury food and, of course, wine. The thought, however, was abandoned. “I knew that the concept of a platform for people interested in luxury spirits and gourmet experience was a better one. Today, we have created a community that comes together to celebrate good food and drinks. Eating should be joyous and inclusive.” And educative? “Yes, it’s our responsibility to create a language for wine drinkers in India which has a relevance to this country. Instead of saying that a wine has a hint of Ananas Reinette (an apple found in northern Europe), I would rather evoke a taste or smell that’s familiar. Why not create our own ideas, smells and sensations?” Though conversation with Agarwal is sprinkled with words such as “high-end” and “luxury”, he doesn’t approve of sky-high price tags. Left to him, he would lower prices and throw more parties. And make chocolates non-fattening. Wait, he would have to be God to do that one. In his own words, he often “struggles” with taboos: that wine’s a ladies’ drink and it doesn’t really “give you a high”. And the one that kills him — that it can’t be accompanied by Indian food. His final point? “Most of the countries that we talk of have had a head start. We have only been making wine for the past 20 years and can learn from others’ mistakes. Though the French are steeped in history, they sometimes can’t breakaway from how things have been done for centuries. We can and we should. However, it will take time.” A toast to the thought.