Nikhil Agarwal

All Things Nice celebrates 16 years amidst countless wine conversations — and one unwavering mission: to make India drink better.

If wine in India has evolved from an intimidating, occasion-only pour into something far more accessible, curious and confident, Sommelier, Wine & Spirits Expert, Writer & International Wine & Spirits Judge Nikhil Agarwal, Founder & CEO, All Things Nice, has undoubtedly played a spirited role in that evolution.

But what makes Nikhil particularly memorable is not just his formidable knowledge of wine — it is his extraordinary ability to bring people into the conversation. A natural host and animated entertainer, he can hold a room with an engaging wine conversation as effortlessly as he can turn it into a lively quiz, blending wit, warmth and expertise with remarkable elan. Whether he is talking terroir or testing wine trivia, Nikhil has a rare knack for making wine feel less intimidating and infinitely more fun.

For Nikhil, wine has never been about showing off how much you know, choosing the most expensive bottle or solemnly swirling a glass while discussing tasting notes. In fact, he has little patience for the wine snobbery that can make the category feel intimidating. His philosophy is refreshingly simple: wine is about pleasure, discovery and finding what you like. And yes, Indian food and wine absolutely belong together.

Over the past 16 years, Nikhil has travelled through wine regions, met winemakers, introduced brands to India, hosted tastings and helped build a more informed wine culture along the way. But perhaps his greatest achievement has been something less tangible — helping Indian wine drinkers become confident enough to say, “I don’t like this wine,” without assuming they are the ones who got it wrong.

Today, as All Things Nice enters its next chapter, Nikhil remains as irreverent, curious and unabashedly passionate as ever. He dreams of opening a wine bar of his own, believes wine ratings should never dictate your palate, has a soft spot for Margaux, loves the Australian approach to wine, and would happily raise a glass to a future where India drinks with greater awareness — and considerably more pleasure.

In this candid, spirited conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, the amazingly animated Nikhil Agarwal looks back at 16 years of changing India’s relationship with wine, the myths that still need to be uncorked, the joy of discovering a great bottle, the audacious dream that remains firmly on his wine bucket list, and of course, All Things Nice.

So sit back and pour yourself a glass. Nikhil Agarwal is ready to talk wine — without the snobbery, of course.

Over To Nikhil Agarwal

Sixteen years is a long time in wine — and an even longer time in the business of convincing Indians that wine is more than just something you drink at a party. What did you believe 16 years ago that the Indian wine consumer still hadn’t quite discovered?

I think awareness of wine itself was limited. Although India had been making wine for about 10 years and new imported brands were entering the country, drinking wine and knowing about it tended to be limited to the handful rich. The challenge has always been to grow the market rather than to preach to the converted so to speak.

You have spent 16 years making wine feel less intimidating and much more fun. What is the biggest wine myth you are still trying to kill — and which one makes you secretly roll your eyes every time you hear it?

The notion that more expensive is always better bugs me because your taste buds cannot tell the price of a wine; they like what they like. Another is that Indian food and wine doesn’t work; I think that perception just needs to disappear. Myths like those don’t make my eyes roll; they certainly frustrate me. What makes me cringe and do the whole eye roll bit is when people boast about the bottles of wine they have been drinking. That to me, is a red flag and not the mark of a true wine enthusiast.

You’ve tasted, travelled, hosted, educated and evangelised your way through the wine world. But after all these years, what still makes you genuinely excited: discovering an extraordinary bottle, meeting a fascinating winemaker, or watching someone experience their “aha!” wine moment for the first time?

I love to see their eye brows go up when someone loves a wine. I always wonder how many people around the country on a Saturday night for example are having a moment with their spouses, loved ones, or friends over a bottle of wine that either I have brought into the country or one that they have discovered through our efforts.  

I was born to travel; there is always excitement when traveling to a wine region to meet the winemakers and taste their wines. I don’t think that excitement will ever go away. Even today, when opening wine, Cheryl and I will always excitedly talk about the wine first, even when sitting at home.

If All Things Nice were a wine today, what would it be — a bold Barolo, an elegant Burgundy, a mischievous Champagne or something completely unexpected? And why?

Great question! We’ve always considered ourselves to be in the world of wine and spirits, a little rebellious, anti-establishment, and definitely a little rock and roll—defiant enough to choose our own path rather than walk down someone elses. From that point a view perhaps we align ourselves in philosophy with the likes of those made the first Super Tuscans or the ones in Bordeaux making top end, what is called as “Garage Wines”. I also sincerely love the Aussie winemaking ability to create top-end, beautiful wines while still retaining that casualness, sense of humour and friendliness that I particularly love about them.  

Sixteen years also means sixteen years of watching India change. How dramatically has the Indian wine drinker evolved — and what do you think today’s consumer understands about wine that we simply didn’t understand when you started?

We’ve come a very, VERY long way. In certain demographics, you can’t have a party without serving wine now; that’s how main stream wine has become. It wasn’t the case earlier. With India, its always a game of numbers. You have a lot of people who are clearly well into the world of wine and are evolved. They know what they like; they’ve tasted hundreds and hundreds of wines and are confident about their likes and dislikes.

This number is growing, along with people who are just starting their journeys in wine too. India is one of those unique countries that will have people on all steps of the ladder. The one thing that I am certain about is that the evolved wine drinker in India is confident. That because he or she doesn’t like the wine, they are confident enough to say that, that particular wine was not for them rather than think that they were at fault for not understanding the wine or that wine as a category itself is not for them.

And finally, if you could raise one glass tonight to the next 16 years of All Things Nice, what would you want that glass to represent—and what is the one audacious dream you still haven’t ticked off your wine bucket list?

I would want that glass to be raised to the future world class India, where its people drink better, are more aware, and enjoy the very best, like the rest of the developed world. And that in that journey, All Things Nice will be remembered for playing its part. 

I would love to open a wine bar; it’s the one thing I want to do, a place of our own, serving wine to our friends the way we would like to do it. That’s the dream

16 Years, 16 Sips of Fun: The All Things Nice Rapid Fire with Nikhil Agarwal

Red, white, rosé or Champagne — the one bottle that can instantly fix a bad day? Any of them

Wine snob or wine lover — and what is the one thing that instantly exposes a fake wine snob? Wine lover all the way. Wine snobs have forgotten pleasure, they have become more intune with the need to express how much they know or what they have had. The moment they speak to show off rather than to share, I know who I am dealing with.

Your most controversial wine opinion — the one that could get you uninvited from a dinner party? That Vivino scores or wine ratings should not be taken too seriously; find your own preference. It’s like reading a movie review and deciding not to watch it because someone else thought it wasn’t good.

One wine you would happily drink for the rest of your life… and one wine you would happily never see again? – I can drink wines from the Margaux region within Bordeaux endlessly. On the flipside, I really can’t think of any region that has been so offensive that I would never try it again.

The most outrageous wine-and-food pairing you’ve tried — brilliant genius or complete madness? It may be outrageous to many, but to me, Indian street food/Indian food and wine is a must try.

Sixteen years, countless bottles and probably a few questionable decisions: what has wine taught Nikhil Agarwal about life that no business school ever could? That in order to succeed in the market, you must be responsible for building the market.