Exclusive Interview | Avanti Mehta, India’s Youngest Certified Water Sommelier
/“Mineral rich waters with a mid to high TDS work really well for stews, risottos and paellas since the calcium can help seal the complex flavour of ingredients. One can even cook glazed vegetables with naturally carbonated waters, Vichy carrots have been world famous since decades.”
Avanti Mehta, India’s Youngest Certified Water Sommelier
Editor: Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
My journey as a water sommelier began with my family business - Aava Natural Mineral Water that’s been internationally awarded and recognized as one of India’s premium natural mineral water brands since 2005. Aava and my family’s focus on ethical water sourcing, biodiversity conservation, and efficient recycling is what interested and inspired me to become a water sommelier.
The highest grade of water is “Natural Mineral Water” – an accreditation that means the water is bottled straight from a single protected natural source. In wine terms, it’s the closest you get to water with terroir i.e the geology and conditions at the source give the water a unique minerality and taste. When paired with the right food and spirits, natural mineral waters can elevate a dining experience.
Natural mineral water is gently bottled without purification processes such as RO, UV Radiation, Ozonizaton or Ionization which can cause tremendous water rejection. Hence natural mineral water is intrinsically connected to the source and its natural environment. As a water sommelier my role includes actively advocating for protecting this biodiversity. We are so conscious about our diets and what we eat, yet we seldom think about the water that we drink in spite of the fact that 60% of our body is water.
Natural mineral waters like Aava contain naturally occurring minerals like calcium, magnesium and other essential electrolytes which are essential for wellness. Especially the last two years of the covid-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of our diet and nutrition for wellness, and mineral rich natural mineral water is an integral part of that. A big part of my journey was also launching Aava’s sustainable glass bottle range and robust e-commerce network so more consumers had easy access, and today we have a loyal network of over 1,50,000 patrons across India.
Today, Aava is India’s only natural mineral water brand to have an in-house water sommelier to share these experiences with clients and customers. As a certified water sommelier I taste, evaluate and educate others about the value of natural mineral water.
Editor: Why Water?
Water is the most important beverage on the planet and an ubiquitous part of our busy lives, so easily available to us that we almost take it for granted. There is a big misconception that all bottled water is the same. In India for example the words “mineral water” are synonymous with packaged drinking/purified RO water which ironically has no minerals in it.
To give you context, there are about 6000 packaged water licenses in India, and only 30 licenses of natural mineral water. Hence the natural mineral category is extremely niche, and rightly so since it is very hard to come by good quality natural mineral water that’s untouched by pollution.
Natural mineral water is ethically sourced without water rejection, contains natural minerals that impart wellness and give it a unique taste. I see myself as a millennial water sommelier, since it is up to our generation to make choices which can help us as well as the environment. Being a certified water sommelier equips me with the ability to learn and share that knowledge with others, so they can make informed choices. Water is our more precious resource and the more we care about what we are drinking, the more we will care for the planet.
Editor: What should hoteliers / restaurateurs who want to develop a water bar or want to move in this direction do?
Water menus are quite popular in countries such as Italy and America where you have a curated list of natural mineral waters which pair well with the food served.The easiest way for hoteliers / restaurateurs to develop a water menu is to work with a water sommelier. Water sommeliers work with chefs to understand the cuisine, ingredients and flavour profile and design a water menu. Water is very much a part of an epicurean fine dining experience and a water sommelier can suggest some great complementing and contrasting pairings to bring out unique aromas.
Taste is subjective, ever evolving and unique to each consumer. A water sommelier is able to understand these preferences and curate a menu which would appeal to customer preferences, while doing justice to the flavours and integrity of the ingredients and produce being served.
Editor: Are there any dishes that taste better with water than wine? If so, name a few for us.
Most people do not realize that water has a huge impact on everything presented on a plate or in a glass. Water is not a palate neutraliser, that’s a common misconception – it is a palate enhancer and works well even when paired with wines. For example, A water with low minerals and no carbonation is great for tannin rich red wines or acidic white wines, like a Sauvignon Blanc. The low minerality and the smoothness balances the tannins and the acidic notes of wine, bringing more fruit complexity forward.
Water can also enhance flavors of salty / umami and balance the flavour of spice, bitter and sour in food. Natural mineral waters with higher natural sodium content pair brilliantly with dark chocolate. The right contrast can amp up sweet notes in food and spirits. For very spicy foods where the spice is quite sharp, a mid minerality sparkling water with very fine bubbles helps break down the spice. Rich foods also pair perfectly with sparkling water to refresh your palate. A still water with less complexity when paired with a salad with vinaigrette helps lower the acidity, and get more aroma from the greens.
A water sommelier will tell you that just like wine, there is no such thing as the perfect water. Taste is subjective and water menus are designed to help round the palate and achieve more balanced flavors. Water enhances the aromas of the food and the wine.
Editor: What would you tell chefs who would want to look at cooking with better water?
From the ice used for cocktails to cooking – water is so versatile. Tap water has a different mineral composition and might contain chlorine, lead etc which can impact the flavour of the food as well. Especially while cooking or boiling foods such as pasta or soup stock, it is better to filter out these elements. Mineral rich waters with a mid to high TDS work really well for stews, risottos and paellas since the calcium can help seal the complex flavour of ingredients. One can even cook glazed vegetables with naturally carbonated waters, Vichy carrots have been world famous since decades.
Whereas for Japanese cuisine especially for dashi and japanese rice a lower TDS water works better since it can complement the subtle flavours of that cuisine.
Editor: What is your opinion on the carbon footprint of bottling water?
For any food and beverage enterprise, efficient waste management is the key to sustainability. This waste management has to be viewed within a regional context as well since waste management ecosystems differ for every country and region. PET plastic for example is 100% recyclable and gets converted into fabric, yarn and even used for road building. Within India, there is a robust recycling ecosystem involving ragpickers, kabadiwala and recyclers which ensures 90% of PET plastic gets recycled.
There are plastic waste management laws and the EPR (Extended Producers Responsibility) regime ensures efficient waste management and also allows producers to track what they are producing and recycling, with increased targets each year. This is not the case for other countries, where only about 45% of PET gets recycled. In the EU there is widespread use of recycled PET for bottling water, where a bottle is recycled into a new bottle without utilizing excess resources which is also slowly filtering into India as well. Water is also being bottled in tetra packs/paper cartons, however paper cartons are multi layered packaging with plastic and aluminum layers and not recyclable at all. They need proper composting facilities. The samegoes for biodegradable plastics – there is a common misconception that such plastics biodegrade in the environment, but they do not. They need special composting facilities with controlled temperature and humidity that can help it compost over a period of time. Any food and beverage operator needs to ensure whatever material they choose to bottle in is easily and efficiently recycled or compostable within the region they operate in.
Most natural mineral waters that are frequently used in fine dining are available in reusable glass bottles. When compared with packaged drinking/ purified water and other beverages, natural mineral water actually has the lightest carbon footprint since it is ethically bottled with zero water rejection.
