PARTICIPATION IN JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION EVENTS QUICKLY VALIDATED NAIDU WINES
By Alan Goldfarb
“Yes, let’s do it! I was pleasantly surprised, excited, thrilled, that they had heard about me. It was nice to be reached out to by them. It wasn’t just anybody, it was the James Beard Foundation”
That’s the immediate reaction of Raghni Naidu, founder of Naidu Wines, upon learning she and her wines had recently been invited to pour – sometimes the only wines – to be presented at dinners by one of the most prestigious food and wine organizations in the country, The James Beard Foundation.
To be invited by the James Beard Foundation to present your wines in New York, Chicago and San Francisco – especially considering that Naidu Wines is still in its nascent years – is an honor, a privilege, and a great recognition of Raghni Naidu’s tireless efforts.
At the dinner in Chicago – held for the JBF Greens event at Bloom Plant Based Kitchen – the Naidu Brut Rosé, the 2021 Estate Pinot Noir and the ‘22 Viognier, were the only wines poured. In New York in February, Naidu’s wines – Sparkling Brut, ’22 Viognier and the ’22 Estate Pinot Noir, were a revelation to the crowd – at Market 57. And in San Francisco, Naidu’s North Coast Sparkler, ’22 Catie’s Corner Chardonnay and ’22 Russian River Pinot Noir were the sole wines poured that night at the restaurant Besharam, paired alongside Beard semifinalist chef, Heena Patel’s cuisine.
And to add to the list of acknowledgements, in March Raghni’s wines were presented at the British Consulate in San Francisco at a dinner that honored author Gurdeep Loyal, and which was hosted by Tammy Sandhu, the British Consul General. There, Sandhu and Loyal listened as Raghni addressed the guests. Afterward, people came up to her, singing her and her wines’ praises. “It’s very encouraging that at such events, where people tend to be very knowledgeable about food and wine, our wines seemed to receive such a strong positive reaction,” Raghni recalls saying.
One gratifying example occurred when the James Beard vice president – sitting next to Raghni at the Chicago dinner – told her she also had been following Naidu Wines. “Which tells me there’s something here that people are connecting with.”
Raghni acknowledges that the myriad praise is generating brand recognition for Naidu. “To participate in these events is a validation of the quality that I’m bringing forth,” said Raghni Naidu.
I must say it was well deserved and a testament to Raghni’s hard work.