Other
Viraj Sawant
Master Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Viraj Sawant moved from a brand ambassador role with Berkmann Wine Cellars India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India into wine education and founding work, building a career that now spans InACan, the Indian School of Beverage, and a life centered on wine. The Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier credential sits at the center of that path, marking the technical discipline behind a career that has become increasingly teaching-led.
Early Years
Sawant’s first named role placed him in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, working as a brand ambassador for Berkmann Wine Cellars India. That is the commercial side of wine in practice: speaking for a label, reading its audience, and moving between product and people with fluency. The role set the opening chapter of a career that did not stay in one lane for long. Rather than remaining only on the market-facing side of wine, he moved toward education and toward building institutions of his own.
Making a Name
The next step was credentialed rigor. The Advanced Sommelier credential from the Court of Master Sommeliers signals command of wine service, tasting, and communication, and Sawant earned it as a formal marker of that discipline. For him, the qualification did more than validate experience; it gave shape and structure to the work that followed, supplying the technical backbone for a path that became increasingly public, instructive, and entrepreneurial. Wine is the craft that links every stage of his work. The ambassador role connected Sawant to the market and to the practical language of bottles, producers, and drinkers. The credential confirmed depth and discipline. The move into teaching gave that knowledge a wider purpose, turning expertise into something that could be shared, translated, and carried forward by others. He went on to found InACan, the project identified as his primary role, and also founded the Indian School of Beverage. Those two ventures mark a shift from representing a wine business to creating spaces for learning and access. One is a brand he built; the other is an educational platform he built alongside it. Together they point to a professional identity shaped not only by wine itself, but by the work of making its culture more legible and more reachable.
The Present
Today, Sawant works as a Wine Educator while leading both founding projects. That combination matters: he is not only teaching wine, but also shaping the frameworks through which others encounter it. InACan remains his primary founding identity, while the Indian School of Beverage reflects the educational side of the same ambition. The throughline is clear. A commercial start in Mumbai became a credentialed wine career, and that career settled into a form that blends education with entrepreneurship. Rather than treating those as separate tracks, Sawant has made them part of one continuous movement, with the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier credential standing as a quiet but essential marker along the way.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Viraj
What is Viraj Sawant's current role?
As of 2026, Viraj Sawant is Founder.
What is Viraj Sawant known for?
Wine.
What recognition has Viraj Sawant received?
Advanced Sommelier, Court of Master Sommeliers.
