Wine State Of Mind

With wine attracting more subsidies than hard liquor,its popularity is rising. For casual diners,it’s a staple for an evening out with friends,even on weekdays. It seems to be filling the large gap between soft drinks and hard liquor. What’s more,it isn’t international wines they want to fork out money for; it’s the local produce.

A big reason for this is the wine producers in India,who are aggressively marketing their products,often tying up with restaurants to promote their wine. “In return,the restaurant is offered royalties or benefits like a bottle free for every bottle purchased,” says Moshe Shek,restaurateur and chef at Moshe’s in Mumbai.

Ravi Gurnani,Director of York Winery in Nashik,believes that the ease of marketing strategies in a local market has been a key to pushing wine to the right audience. “Imported wines are more expensive,so it’s easier for Indian wines to promote themselves. Being local,it’s easier for us to market ourselves,” he says.

But of late,wine lovers aren’t confining themselves to the Indian labels just because of its reasonable price tag. They taste good and some,like the Sula,have gained international recognition. Mirani says around 80 per cent of his sales come from domestic wines. “Only 20 per cent of the customers want international wines. It’s going to be a task to make that number even,” he says.

This is something a lot of restaurants are picking up on. “Only well-travelled people or expats show interest in international labels. Indian customers straight away ask for Indian wines by the glass,because that’s what they are most familiar with,” says Brijesh Pande,Operations Manager at the Salt Water Café in Mumbai.

In fact,a majority of small restaurants now only serve Indian wine by the glass,preferring to sell their international wines only by the bottle. While this might irk the odd international traveller,who is pining for a glass of soave to wash down a Caesar salad,it seems to suit most Indian diners fine,as it works well on the pocket. “The Indian wine market is opening up to a customer base that is gradually showing interest in international wines as well,” says Jackie Matai,Director of Aspri Spirits,a Mumbai-based company that imports and distributes international spirits.

But while Indian wines provide an avenue into the world of imported wines,Myles Mayall,buyer for the Wine Society of India,believes it will take more time before Indian consumers take to it. “Wine is still niche,with around 2.5 million crates sold every year,” he says. “Domestic whiskey sales are still dominating the alcohol market,” he adds.