India is becoming one of the formidable wine-producing countries in the world and one of the fastest growing consumer markets. Team Viva reports
Contrary to the perception of India not being a patch on the world wine map, the wine producers of India are swiftly making their mark on national and international markets. The home-grown brews are now being picked up by retail majors and restaurants in the West which is traditionally believed to have a more evolved nose for the good stuff. Marks and Spencers, in fact, recently picked up Sula for its shelves. Over the past decade and a half, wine culture has been making steady inroads into the drinking habits of Indians. Consumption of wine has led to a steady 20 percent growth of the industry, the most consistent growth in the spirits segment despite the tough years between 2005 and 2011.
“The Indian drinking culture was dominated by whisky and beers for a long time. But wines have been accepted at last, courtesy women, the youth and the lifestyle seeker. And slowly and quietly, India has worked on terroir, technique and grapes to get the finer taste and finish”, said Sonal Holland, the first Masters of Wine here. “We are one of the fastest growing economies in every aspect and wine is no exception. At the pace at which it is growing, we are well on our way to making our impact on global wine forums,” she added.
India is becoming one of the formidable wine-producing countries in the world courtesy the makeover induced by massive spends on research and development. Wine producers also think that this is the right time for the evolution of a wine culture. “Being the fastest growing wine market in the world, there is a great opportunity for Indian wines to gain popularity and compete against the Western brands. India is the market for the next decade”, said Rajeev Samant, founder and CEO of Sula Vineyards. “We sell 95% of our wines in India and only 5% is exported. Our export bouquet has the finest and the most premium range. We have clearly broken the image of being average. This shows the growing market India is becoming.”
So what are the growth driversIJ “The health benefit of wine is one of the major reasons for increased consumption. The red variety, especially, has medically proven health benefits,” said Ravi Gurnani, director, York Wines. “Apart from that, wine is a perfect social drink. A glass of wine in your hand will say elegant, not hungover or wasted the next day”, he added. Talking about the experiments done in wine-making, he said “The experimentation with wine-making is not extended to the wild limits. We do experiments but not on the cost of quality of wines.
The Indian producers of wine are also keen on keeping their product the best. The regular quality check of vines, surveying palate fests worldwide, getting international oenologists from both the new and old worlds for testing and competitive pricing are some of the reasons, The extensive research and adapting the correct procedure for wine-making is also pushing the wine markets on the growth curve.
Historically, wines were there over 3,000 years ago. The Moghul kings, who ruled India before the British, are known to have been wine connoisseurs and there is record of wines imported from Persia for them and the nobilities. They also encouraged wine production for their consumption but phylloxera destroyed all the vines in 1890s. No new vines were planted till about 30 years ago. Now that India is enjoying its wine, there are still some problems that need to be attended. “Duties of up to 300% or more make imported wines extremely expensive. There are several other latent costs and procedural barriers since wine is still categorised as liquor. The Indian Constitution is anti-alcohol and exhorts the States to introduce prohibition and gives them the power to form independent policies,” said Subhash Arora, founder president of Delhi Wine Club. “It’s like dealing with different countries, each with its own complex policies,” he added.