He's the managing director of a 27-year-old wine company, and few in India can rival Ranjit Chougule's knowledge of wine and the business itself. But then, it's a family concern — his father, the redoubtable Shamrao Chougule, rose from a humble farming background to set up Chateau Indage, currently India's biggest wine producing company.

Today, with over a hundred international awards and medals under their belt, the most recent being the silver medal at the Mondial Du Merlot awards in Switzerland (they beat 277 Merlots from 24 countries), the Chougules certainly know a thing or two about reds, whites and bubblies. Which is why it's so interesting to hear Ranjit almost off-handedly demolish the French elitism that has spawned so many myths about how to drink the stuff.

Rule 1: It ain't a bomb

"First of all, a bottle of wine isn't a bomb — or a baby. Most people hold it like it's at least one of the two. It's just a beverage. There is so much apprehension about ordering the 'right' wine for the 'right' time and the 'right' food. I mean, wine isn't something mysterious that you need to understand before you buy it. You just need to try it and decide for yourself which one you like. And this can be a continuous, evolving process," says Ranjit.

Rule 2: It's not rocket science

"There's so much talk about wine pairing. Red wine for red meat, white wine for white meat — it doesn't exist. I have drunk Pinot Noir with fish —and it's considered one of the most difficult wines to drink with fish. If you take the average light white fish, you can drink red with it, there's nothing wrong with it. The only principle, really, is that neither the food nor the wine overpowers the other."

Rule 3: Red wine can be chilled, if you prefer

"Frankly, if you want to add a cube of ice to your red wine — if that's what you like, it's perfectly fine. Actually it's very refreshing to put some ice into a glass of warm red wine. There are so many other things that are considered sacrilege, but really aren't. You've bought the wine with your money — you don't need anyone to tell you how to drink it."