Sonal Holland, India's first Master of Wine, launches her memoir

The Hindu

08-07-2025

In 2016, Sonal Holland become the country's first Master of Wine. The prestigious qualification is considered to be highest standard of professional knowledge in the field. After 20 years in the industry, Sonal has released her memoir, One in a Billion (Westland Books). The book charts her professional journey with personal anecdotes about family and motherhood.
'In these two decades I have walked an unconventional path,' Sonal says over a call from Mumbai. 'I believe my story is unique. My obsessive journey to get this title, and the sacrifices that went behind it... I wanted to chronicle it all.'
Sonal says the book is aimed the three kinds of people: people in the trade who are curious about what a 'master of wine' is and how does one get to be one. 'Second is for consumers who want a glimpse into the industry, through my lens. As I call it, my rosé-tinted glasses.' And last, she says the book is for anyone who is looking to reinvent themselves and change paths.
The book is dedicated to her father, whom she calls her 'first champion'. It begins on Ganesh Chaturthi of 2016, the day that the results of the Master of Wine exam are due. She is rightfully nervous. 'Consider this: way more people have scaled Mount Everest or travelled to space than have become Master of Wine (only about 512 since 1953).'
'The Indian wine industry then was nascent'
Sonal grew up in Mumbai with her parents who had government jobs. 'The first 32 years of my life, I lived in a Reserve Bank colony in Mumbai. I had a very humble upbringing, a typical Maharashtrian childhood. I am a first-generation wine drinker in my family.'
The book charts her rebel teen years, her initial career in hospitality, and how she met her husband. In 2006, she decided to leave her corporate job. 'Wine as an idea just came to me as a lightning bolt. The Indian wine industry then was nascent.' She looked up what was the highest qualification you can get and came across the Mater of Wine issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom.
At the age of 33, Sonal embarked on a journey to study wines. 'Alongside that was my parallel journey into motherhood. I had a lot of problems with pregnancy. In 2009, I adopted my daughter.' When she started her course in 2010, her daughter was one. 'I have missed so many important milestones.' One in a Billion goes into these vulnerable moments.
The book has added inputs from her sister, her mother, her stepchildren and from the folks at the Institute of Masters of Wine. Writing the book, with her business, was hard. It took over a year to pen. But through her life journey, Sonal wants to inspire other people who are craving a second act.
One in A Billion is published by Westland Books and is priced at ₹438