While Sandhu knew little about viticulture, he felt that agriculture was something he was familiar with given that he came from generations of farmers. And so he pressed on with a methodical approach and common sense and ingratiated himself into the good graces of the surrounding local wineries and learned what he didn’t know, by speaking with the locals. With his perfect English, inquisitive nature, and gregarious outgoing personality, he found everyone to be helpful. In short order Sandhu produced grapes and sold Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet from his vineyards to surrounding winemakers. So growing grapes had proven to be something that indeed did come naturally to Sandhu. But growing grapes for others and producing your own wine are entirely separate pursuits, so it wasn’t until five years later that he first decided to become a vintner himself, bottling his first private label under the name of Chateau Mushal, which references his village of origin in India.

With his constant workload between the two countries as he continued to work on engineering projects, he took advantage of his time in India to help introduce wine to a culture which was used to tea, whiskey, gin, and beer. As wine gradually gained acceptance in India, Sandu began to supply that market with his own label and has made a name for his wine, which can now be found in hotels and wine shops in Delhi and Punjab. In fact, while Sandhu has retired from engineering, his wine business has become so successful with his exports to India that his workload has not lightened in the least and he spends just as much time between the two countries as he did before, only now he travels for his passion, giving Indians a wine they can be proud of; their own piece of California’s wine country.

For the love of wine
He’s more or less put Nashik on the world wine map and changed the way we Indians drink wine. But now Sula Wines chief executive Rajeev Samant has turned his attention not to what we consume, but where we lay our heads after an evening of fine food and drink.

In the next two months Sula will open a 20 room hotel at the vineyards, and it’s also rumoured that a small spa will be added, including a menu of ‘wine treatments’.

Delivering many different ways for people to enjoy locally-produced wine – as well as international labels – Samant is quite the trailblazer. Young, charming and smart, he’s exactly the kind of bold entrepreneur that gives old school winemakers the heebie-jeebies.

His love affair with wine began quite by chance when he returned to India after studying at Stanford University in America.

“My father had 20 acres of land for sale. I asked him to let me try to work with it. I grew teakwood, roses and table grapes. When I exported these grapes for eating, it struck me that maybe they would be good enough for wine,” he says. The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s not been a long journey though, according to Samant. “Earlier at parties, wine would be left on the table in the corner. These days – if it’s a good wine – everyone will want a glass.”

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Source:gqindia

Deccan Plateau Wines

Deccan Plateau Wines have launched completely natural, sophisticated, classic, regional Indian wines with delicate and complicated flavors. The wines will not only compliment food, but also bring in a statement of traditional values, a sense of style, and refinement, enhancing the wine experience.

The range of wines launched by Deccan Plateau include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz , Zinfandel, Cabernet-Shiraz , Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot .

Speaking on the launch of the new range of products, wine makers and promoters of Deccan Plateau wines Nitin Shinde and Girish Kamble said the brand of wines will raise the quality bar very high and believe it will be finally India’s turn to capture the international wine markets.

The wines will be exported to Europe, United States and South Africa. While domestically they will be launched in Pune, Goa, and Aurangabad immediately and will be soon made available in Mumbai, Mr. Shinde added

Our Wines show a harmonious blend of the incomparable and distinct flavors of the spices (sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, salty and astringent), bringing in a balance of the elements, they added.

The launch of Trivalli (Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot) wines is first for any wine maker in the country, they added. The wine is fresh with intense black currants, blackberries, cherries and a spicy clove character, the wine will soon be a connoisseur’s delight, they added.

The highest quality grapes are nurtured at our organic farms and then blended to perfection; the wines have been produced from grapes ensuring quality control right from the plantation

Deccan Plateau believes in selecting grape varietals, all cultivated using organic fertilizers and pesticides, and is nothing short of a revolution in wines and wine making.

Organic farming at our vineyards ensures limited yield of very high quality grapes, along with meticulous supervision of the grape varietals from Canopy Management, Nutrient management to Water Management, Mr. Kamble added.

He added that Deccan Plateau Vineyards is located about 35 km from the city of Pune, located on the fertile plains of River Bhima, on plush 17 acres of account for one of the most beautiful winery and finest vineyards of the country.

By next year they plan we plan to introduce Rose Wine as well as Sauvignon Blanc (white) wines. Rose’s will be semi-sweet and refreshing; while Sauvignon Blanc, traditionally grassy and herbaceous, will come with a fruity flavor with a hint of eucalyptus.

Mr. Kamble and Mr. Shinde said that Deccan Plateau also offered professional consultancy services right from plantation vineyard to vinery techniques because of their rich background and hands on experience with renowned international vineries.

The services include Vineyard design, development and management , wine-making, Winery design , Building design , Process design ,Machinery and Contract Production , and Contract Wine-making and contract Bottling.

Good Earth Winery adds another wine to their collection and launches Antaraa. Antaraa, which means “verse” in Hindustani classical music, is a new twist on the classic blend of two varietals with deep roots in the Nasik Valley.

Like a duet, it is a subtle, seductive coupling of new Cabernet Sauvignon and oak-aged Shiraz. Listen carefully as the younger Cabernet weaves spirited riffs around the formal melodic structure provided by the more mature Shiraz We have “tuned” the blend just as you would a musical instrument.

Subtle flavours of plum, blackcurrants and spice are held together by a backbone of soft tannins. Antaraa enhances various milder curries and both hard and soft cheeses. Experience the music of Antaraa with spicy pizzas and creamy pasta dishes.

Antaraa is a red wine that is particularly designed for the warm Indian climate. Serve it chilled, between 12 degrees C and 15 degrees C. Drink it year round, but especially in the monsoon.

Good Earth winery is a boutique winery; and have launched with a range of three varietals. They are a “virtual” winery in that they lease state-of -the -art winery facilities and draw upon best production practices, but use their own raw materials and know-how to make their own wine. To this end, they source, age and bottle their wines in Nasik, focusing on the very highest parameters of quality.

Across cities there is a differing association on the beverage. Wine has a high association with business occasions in Delhi. However Bangalore, considers wine a drink for successful people and for relaxation purposes. In Mumbai wine is perceived to be a drink suited for any season.

When it comes to price, both Delhi and Bangalore consider wine an expensive drink. However in Mumbai price is not a concern for consumers of the beverage. Possibly the existence of a more evolved consumer base with a higher proportion of entrenched users that cuts across age groups might be a reason for this attitude towards wine prices in Mumbai.

Among the different variants of wine available in India, the red wines are consumed the most with 82 percent consuming it in the last three months and red wine has a more stable base of consumers. They are the category drivers. Though consumers have experimented with white wine, after a brief flirtation they prefer to go back to red wine. The level of experimentation with different variants of wine and different brands is higher in Delhi and Bangalore and amongst men. Bangalore despite having a younger consumer base is conservative when it comes to wine experimentation.

“Wine holds a distinct position in the Indian consumers’ mind. It is seen as a sophisticated, stylish drink as compared to other alcoholic beverages, like Whiskey, Scotch and Rum that are considered men’s drink or Gin, which is considered a woman’s drink. Lately with more international players entering the market, the Indian consumer has only progressed in their indulgence of wine,” said Arti Verma, Associate Director, The Nielsen Company.

Perceptions about wine

Perceptions about wines are galore, including some myths and some realities. Nearly eight in ten (78%) Indian wine consumers believe that wine should be served in wine glasses only. While 76 percent believe that the wine should match the type of food eaten, very few actually put that to practice.

“Wine does not dictate the choice of food. Lack of proper knowledge about wines is a reason for such consumption patterns. There is scope to educate the Indian consumer on the right pairings of food and wine so that the experience with the wine can be enhanced for the consumer,” said Verma.

Consumption habits

More than six out of ten (62%) Indians consume wine only out of home, typically at a friend’s place or in restaurants and pubs. Even for those who consume wine both in and out of home (32%), out of home consumption is much higher. Wine consumption is mainly during special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. for both in home and out of home consumption. Other occasions include change in taste and before or with any meal, for in home consumption and business meetings and giving company to someone, for out of home consumption.

About the Survey

Nielsen Syndicated Wine Study 2010 delves into the growing wine consumer base in India to understand consumer perceptions and interaction with the category and brands. The survey was conducted across three cities, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, among SEC A over legal drinking age. Respondent was someone who consumes wine at least once a month and who has been consuming wine for the past six months. A total of 460 respondents were surveyed.

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications. The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

India is a trillion dollar economy with a total population of 1.1 billion people. One has only to take a short trip to the country to experience first hand the increased growth and prosperity that has taken over the Indian economy. Whether it is the overwhelming presence of call centres and other outsourced service jobs, the increased number of universities and institutes to train its people or the plethora of day labours working on improving the business and transportation infrastructure, one can feel the progress that abounds in this country and its people.

The economy of India is the eleventh largest economy in the world by nominal GDP. And the fourth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). In the 1990s, following economic reform from the socialist-inspired economy of post-independence India, the country began to experience rapid economic growth, as markets opened for international competition and investment. In the 21st century, India is an emerging economic power with vast human and natural resources, and a huge knowledge base. Economists predict that by 2020, India will be among the leading economies of the world.

India was under social democratic-based policies from 1947 to 1991. The economy was characterised by extensive regulation, protectionism, and public ownership, leading to pervasive corruption and slow growth. Since 1991, continuing economic liberalisation has moved the economy towards a market-based system. A revival of economic reforms and better economic policy in 2000s accelerated India’s economic growth rate. By 2008, India had established itself as the world’s second-fastest growing major economy. However, the year 2009 saw a significant slowdown in India’s official GDP growth rate to 6.1% as well as the return of a large projected fiscal deficit of 6.8% of GDP which would be among the highest in the world.

India has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for wine on the global map with a population of 1.1 billion. The per capita consumption of wine in the country was estimated at around 9 ml in 2008, indicating huge potential for growth in the coming years. Various factors such as favourable government policies, increasing disposable income, amplified wine marketing and influence of western culture are helping to drive India’s wine consumption. India’s main wine consuming market lies in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and the state of Goa. These cities are expressing significant growth in consumption of imported wines. This trend can be an effect of wine becoming a cultural symbol of refinement, affluence and sophistication for many, and particularly those exposed to Western lifestyles. The expatriate community is sizeable and there is a significant tourist market. The growth of tourism market has help drive the alcohol market especially wine has experienced immense growth in recent times, driven by the influx of foreign companies, expatriates and tourists.

- Kunal
© 2010

Recently read an article on fox news.com wanted to share it with you guys

Wine lovers rejoice. A study out of France has found that people who drink up to a half a bottle of wine a day are healthier than people who abstain from drinking, the Daily Mail reported.

Researchers from the Public Assistance Hospitals in Paris looked at nearly 150,000 people and concluded those who enjoyed low or moderate intake of alcohol tended to exercise more, have higher social status and suffer from less stress compared to people who never touched a drop or drank to excess.

The volunteers included more than 97,000 men and 52,000 women. Researchers split them up into five groups that consisted of no alcohol consumption, low alcohol consumption, moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers and former drinkers.

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Source: foxnews.com

Twenty-five million Indians are drinking wine as you read this piece
25 million is just 2 per cent of India’s population. And they consume a mere 1.1 million cases of wines annually (each case contains 9 litres of wines).
Market watchers predict that by 2012, 10 per cent of Indians will be drinking wine

Red wines rule the taste buds of Indians

There were only 6 Indian wineries in 2000.

Today, the number has grown to 65

Indians consume 9.9 million litres of wines annually. It will touch 18 million by 2010

A survey conducted on the members of a wine club in India showed that nearly 50 per cent of consumers were women and this segment is growing at 5 per cent every six months

There were only six Indian wineries in 2000. Today, the number has grown to 65. Around 85 per cent of these are located in Maharashtra—Nashik, Pune, Baramati and Sangli

Between them, the top five players (Château Indage, Sula, Grover, Vinsura and Reveilo) produce over 920,000 cases of wines every year—a figure projected to be 1,700,000 by 2011 as relative newcomers on the block (Pernod Ricard, Mallya’s United Spirits and the multi award-winning new brand Château d’Ori) produce a further 480,000 cases by 2011

Nearly 75 per cent of India’s population is under 25 years old, so this is an audience that is yet to really mature to wine drinking. So, nothing, not even a recession, will stop the wine industry in India from booming,” says Cecilia Oldne, Manager (International Business), Sula

The 80 registered wine importing firms in India currently bring in over 120 foreign wine labels to the country

Statistics show that the French, control 45 per cent of the imported wine market share.

But their dominance is being challenged by new world wines from Australia and Italy, which together control almost 30 per cent of the market

Source:indianwine