Quenching a Thirst

By Mahmood Hossain

For 31-year-old Avanti Mehta, it was an unlikely journey that led her to become India’s youngest water sommelier and play a pivotal role as the brand manager in her family’s business of producing natural mineral water.

“I actually used to study literature, sociology and anthropology, with a focus on fashion and lifestyle,” began Avanti as she took me by surprise. “That’s an industry that I actively chose to work in for many years, alongside finishing my master’s. I interned with magazines, such as Vogue, the fashion e-commerce space, and the advertising space. So, coming into this field wasn’t exactly something that was planned, but given that I was into advertising, I was also working on social media on the side. And that’s how I slowly started building Aãva’s (the family brand) social media presence.”

“There is nuance to comparing natural mineral water, spring, filtered, and purified packaged water,” she explained. “I had to understand why it mattered and the exact source of my family’s natural mineral water. I learned that spring water has the highest accreditation; it’s water that nature intended us to have, yet the planet now has very limited access to fresh water. Ninety percent of that fresh water is used in agriculture, and 0.02 percent of that does not require the purification process; it already possesses al the healthy minerals – nothing added nor subtracted. This made me realise the importance water has on health and wellness. Over time, I got more involved in the family business and decided to become a water sommelier.”

In layman’s terms, what exactly is a water sommelier?

I think the simplest way to kind of explain what a water sommelier does is to compare it to a wine sommelier. With wine, you have something called terroir – a French term that refers to the geology of the source; how the grapes are grown, how the grapes are fermented, and the fermentation process itself, all of which affect the taste of the wine. It’s the same with natural mineral water or spring water because these waters come from a singular, protected natural source. It could be a glacier, an iceberg, an underground aquifer, a well, or an overground spring. Depending on the source, it will feel and taste very different on the palette. For example, if you have sushi or sashimi which is really delicate, it will require water that is super light. Take our brand of water Aãva – it comes from a sandy terrain, which means it absorbs silica. Now, silica is a common mineral found in different produce and products. Another water that has good levels of silica is Fiji Water, but that comes from volcanic rock, so it lends to a sweet aftertaste. If you drink another natural mineral water that probably came from the Himalayas, its mineral composition would differ, and the taste, experience, and wellness aspects of it would differ from maybe a natural mineral water originating in the Aravillis (oldest fold mountains on earth located in India).

What is the process of becoming a water sommelier, and what is your main focus after becoming one?

I think it’s similar to a wine sommelier. You have certain levels and practical exams that you take. There is a similar training process. There are a couple of water sommelier organisations across the world. South Korea is very well known for its water sommeliers. They have some of the finest water sommeliers in the world; language can become a barrier if you want to train there. There is another one in Italy. Then there is the European Water Sommelier Association. I received my certification through Fine Water Academy, which is run by Dr. Michael Mascha, as well as Martin Riese, who is also one of the more popular water sommeliers in the world, he appeared on the Netflix series Down to Earth with Zac Efron. So, it really depends on which association you would like to get certified with, but it’s a similar process where you are tryin to understand the basics of how water functions in the world, right from the water cycle to different natural resources from where water is found.

What I try to do as a water sommelier is raise awareness about natural mineral water and educate. When it comes to bottling natural mineral water, it’s the lightest water footprint of any packed beverage. You know, water is not a palette cleanser. It’s actually a palette enhancer. So, it really depends on the pairing that you give. For example, if you are having a very tan and rich red wine or a very acidic white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, you don’t want to pair that with sparkling water because the carbonation of the sparkling water clashes with the tannins of the wine. To balance off the tannins of the wine, it’s better to have a low minerality water, which will instantly complement the wine.

When it comes to spicy food, as you would find in Thai or South Asian cuisines, it should be paired with mid-minerality water that has a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) between 200 to 400, which is not supremely light. It’s not going to get lost in the food; it kind of holds its own. At the same time, the minerals that are present in it can play a role in either cutting down on a certain spice or elevating a certain spice as well.

When it comes to fresh water, especially water as nature intended, full of healthy minerals, devoid of impurities with the TDS, and if you have access to that, you should be drinking it or using it for agriculture, because that’s directly related to health and wellness. One of the reasons I chose to join my family business is that if we have access to a resource like this, I am happy that I’m sharing it with the world and giving it to other people to drink, and not making T-shirts out of it, or not using it to make denim, or not using it as a byproduct in an industrial process. I think it’s more about educating people, asking them: Where is your water coming from? How is it bottled? Is the process eco-friendly? Is the process respectful? Does it keep nature as its core focus?

How would you like to be remembered, what do you wish your impact to be on society when all is said and done?

I think if I can make mineral water in India synonymous with actual mineral water versus the reality of RO-purified packaged water, that would be my biggest achievement. If can reach enough people, make them simply think about the water they are drinking, where it comes from, what it’s doing for the environment, and how it affects their health is a great accomplishment for me. It is an absolute luxury to have access to water that does not require purification, additions, or anything removed from it. This is under threat from various elements such as global warming, and we must realise the value of it. Ultimately, if I can make people genuinely value water, I would consider that to be a job well done!