Why Sonal Holland continues to remain India’s only Master of Wine

“Self-investment pays the highest rate of interest,” says Sonal Holland, India’s first Master of Wine. 

At the age of 33, Holland walked away from a seven-figure salary, cushy corporate job to charter the unknown waters of wine. After 10 years of study and research, she was honoured with the Master of Wine title by London-based The Institute of Masters of Wine—a title held by fewer than 450 people worldwide. 

Master of Wine is a globally recognised credential that signifies the highest standard of knowledge in the wine industry. The exam tests candidates’ knowledge of the art, science and business of wine. 

In 2025, Holland continues to remain the only Master of Wine from a country with a population of more than 143.8 crore. YS Life asks her the reason behind this rarity. 

“I’m not trying to be self-conceited in trying to be India’s only Master of Wine…Firstly, it’s a very difficult title to earn. The pass rates are in single digits. Although the institute never publishes its pass rates, they are quite notoriously low…(Secondly), the Master of Wine course requires a very high level of commitment, sacrifice, focus, grit and perseverance. If you’re not up for any of this, it’s impossible to make it on that course,” Sonal tells us over a video call. 

She adds that it is also a big investment—not just financially, but in terms of the travel, self-study, and experiences the course requires. “It requires investing in yourself to get to that level of expertise and demonstrate in your exams.” 

With over a million followers on Instagram and more than 13,000 subscribers on YouTube, Holland uses her reach to educate enthusiasts on wine and beyond. She is also the founder of India Wines and Spirits Award, and holds global certifications in spirits, sake, and beer. 

After democratising wine in India for over 20 years, she recently published One in a Billion—a memoir under Westland Business, simplifying her journey from a traditional corporate life to becoming a prominent figure in the alco-bev industry. 

Charting her way 

Two decades ago, Holland stood at the peak of a successful corporate career as the head of national sales at a Nasdaq-listed Fortune 500 recruitment company. This was when she decided to walk away. 

“Everyone thought I was successful, but I no longer found that job fulfilling. I had reached a mental stagnation and my learning curve had flattened…I felt that the job and the industry that I was in were not playing to my strengths and skill sets,” she says. 

During the early days of her transition, the path was not immediately clear. The first instinct was to start her own recruitment firm, but having realised that at that point in time it would probably be the “10,000th recruitment firm in Mumbai alone”, she dismissed the idea. 

Her second instinct was to start her own restaurant—with a degree in hotel management and having earlier worked with Taj and Oberoi Hotels, this was the obvious choice. “Then I realised that I enjoy eating at restaurants much more than I enjoy the thought of running one!”

“I was looking for something unconventional and unique, a path that had not been walked before…I was looking for sunrise (unexplored) industries that existed in India, a sort of virgin territory…The idea of wine came to me like a bolt of lightning,” she adds. 

At that point in time, wine education was non-existent in India, let alone having qualified wine experts to seek help from. Imported wines were limited to luxury hotels.  

“...But when I looked in the West, there was a serious profession like that,” Holland says, adding that an article by British wine critic and journalist Jancis Robinson influenced her to take up wine education. 

“My father, at a very young age, instilled in me that I go for gold, only then will you enjoy the ultimate credibility and expertise. I set myself a goal post of wanting to be India’s first Master of Wine.” 

She then travelled to London to enrol on beginner courses with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). She spent a total of 10 years studying wine, including the six years she took to pursue the Master of Wine title—widely considered the most difficult and prestigious qualification in the world of wine education. 

Simplifying wine

After earning the title, the challenges didn’t end for Holland. The Indian wine landscape was still in its infancy. She says, “Whilst the world may be talking about biodynamics and precision viticulture, India was grappling with how to open a bottle of wine, how to swirl your wine glass….We were dealing with basics.” 

In 2020, when the world came to a standstill, she realised Instagram reels became the strongest mode of communication. She started making videos about wine that were met with great enthusiasm. “I realised that this was a path-breaking idea…the global wine industry always talks about simplifying wine, uncomplicating it and making it less intimidating, because the wine industry acknowledges that we have made wine a very complicated subject…so I got into the front seat.” 

Calibrating her expertise with the realities of the Indian wine market, Holland organises tastings, collaborations, and delivers wine education through social media to meet the enthusiast where they are. “If I fly at 30,000 feet above sea level with my knowledge…what good is it going to do? I must meet the consumer where they are and then grow along with them…Take them along on the journey so that over the next 20 years India becomes a superpower in the world of wines.” 

She has created a bank of over a thousand videos in the last five years, democratising wine and spirits. Last year, Holland was honoured as the Outstanding Alumni of the WSCT for changing the narrative of wine globally. 

Looking ahead, she says her only agenda is to simplify and demystify wine, making it more accessible. ” The growth of wine is inevitable,” she says. 

“I look forward to a future where I can personally groom somebody or mentor somebody towards achieving that title towards being the second master of wine (from India),”  Holland concludes.