Some lines below from the owner and the wine maker of campo del Sole.
The tradition and the story

CAMPODELSOLE wines are the result and the expression of the territory at the foot of Bertinoro, where the wine was already well known and appreciated during the Roman times, worthy wine capital of Romagna and great representative of the Italian wine primacy in the world. In this tradition, perpetuated through modern techniques, is inspired today Campodelsole, in a return to the roots of quality.

The Company
CAMPODELSOLE Company was conceived in Bertinoro in 2003 thanks to the Isoldi family that, committed to the continuous search of a better quality of life, decided to bring in the wine sector the same excellence of the claims that they had in the building sector. This is the birth of a new cellar and a new way to produce wine, recovering the tradition with innovation.
The Countryside

The visitor that comes in Bertinoro finds animated taverns and rich vineyards and is immediately infected by an atmosphere inclined to wine and pleasure of living. The wine is an indissoluble part of Bertinoro history, from the ancient Romans to our days. CAMPODELSOLE is the full and accomplished expression of this place, of this hill between a generous land and a clean blue sky – “place” of the wine at the meeting point between earth and spirit.

The Cellar

The headquarters of CAMPODELSOLE is the result of a project dedicating organically to every working the right space, alternating emptiness and fullness that accompanies the transformation of matter instead of dominating it. A great laboratory where each part accompanies and facilitates the process culminating in the wine, in harmony of shape and not-intrusive technologies. The feature morphology of the building and of its interiors, which is opened to welcome their guest, demonstrates the commitment with which it is willed to preserve the natural materials and the wealth of those who work there. The winery is located at the borders of a region of remarkable natural scenary with the desire to integrate with the surrounding environment. It is made on two level building with a height difference of almost 5 meters and it lays down on two contour lines, trying to optimize the natural inclination and making it functional for the production system.

Vineyards

Knowing how to cultivate means how to put what the land already holds. The path of quality that Campodelsole does is therefore a first fundamental stage in his vineyards.
75 hectares of vineyard of Campodelsole, two hundred and seventeen metres above sea level and with excellent exposure to the east south-east, are worked with great care, so as to enhance the resources and expand the potential.

Wines

The very rich tradition of the area of Bertinoro, expression of a sweet and generous land, is collected today form Campodelsole and renewed through new techniques and instruments.
In continuity with those monks that in medieval era knew to preserve and perpetuate the art of wine, CAMPODELSOLE works in respect of the territory, the climate and of the methods of cultivation of the past to produce, with the means of today, wines able to express the potentiality of the land.

Some wine tasting reports

San Maglorio

SanMaglorio: Sangiovese di Romagna DOC superior
Vine variety:

Sangiovese coming from different clones of the Romagna area. Ageing for 8 months in stainless steel tanks. Alcolhol content about 13%. It has nose of Plum Fermentation:
Colour of wine is Dark red and Taste of Cherry flavours.

Food suggestion:

Lasagna, white meat, medium cheese.

San Pascasio

San Pascasio – Pagadebit di Romagna
Vine variety

Bombino bianco, scions coming from an old family vineyard

Ageing for 6 month in stainless steel tanks, with small percentage aged in oak barriques. Alcohol content of about 13%

It has nose of ripe peach.Colour of wine is light yellow. Taste of mango flavor
Food suggestion:

Ravioli with ricotta cheese, sea food.

Vertice

Vertice – Sangiovese di Romagna DOC superiore “riserva”
Vine variety: Small-berry clones of Sangiovese

Ageing of 20 months in French barriques and 6 months in the bottle. Alcohol content of about 14 %. Wine has nose of red fruits and taste of plum and sweet spices. Wine has dark red colour.
Food suggestion:Fowl, game birds.

Reference:

http://www.campodelsole.it

Other Related News and information to share from web:

But five years after the Santa Ynez Valley was featured in an Oscar-winning film “Sideways,” the region is still soaking in the benefits.

Visitors continue to snap up maps that mark the wineries and restaurants shown in the film offbeat comedy about the wine-addled adventures of two hapless buddies. And to the delight of merchants and wine makers, the continued popularity of the 2004 film has helped soften the blow of the worst recession in a generation.

Even today, tourists request the same hotel room and restaurant booths where the movie’s bottle-tilting heroes, Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), sleep, eat and drink.

Read More
Source:latimesblogs

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With the goal of fulfilling industry needs for qualified personnel, the curriculum aims to provide a sound foundation for those interested in a career in wine. The year-long programme includes subjects of wide interest ranging from marketing to viticulture.

Wine tasting will be an important part of the course along with lectures on subjects such as the history of wine, wine regions of the world, grape varietals, styles of wine, and winemaking. Other topics include understanding wine labels, quality designations, wine service and storage, food and wine pairing and responsible consumption.

The partnership with United Vintners Limited (UB Group) means students can look forward to practical experience through winery visits and tastings at Four Seasons Winery in Rotti village, Baramati, Pune.

The course is open to students registered at Christ University as well as those already employed in the wine and hospitality trade. Classes will have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 students. At the end of one year both written and practical exams will be held for Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels, with joint certification by the University and the UB group.

Ably guided and assisted by the business head of UB’s wine division and Director of Four Seasons Wines, Abhay Kewadkar and his colleagues, the University expects the course to be fully subscribed.

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Currently the wine industry is driven by favorable conditions resulting in growth in disposable incomes. Wine is being made available, to the consumers, in the market due to urbanization & rise in various modern markets. Exemption in excise duty & the development of wine parks & wine institutes has provided the required stimulus for the establishment of new wineries.

There have been new entries in this industry which is leading to an expansion in the Indian Wine Industry, but few continue to dominate the industry. The new entries include grape growers & winery owners as well as many international breweries. Selling wine is much more different than selling beer or spirits. The industry is expected to unfold & intensify in competition resulting in high investments in distribution, promotion & advertising thus expansion. Due to increased competition & pressure on price, there’s increase in competition.

Indian Wine companies cannot compromise on the quality of wine they produce as it may ultimately impact their sales as the consumers are increasingly becoming well versed about the quality, also these companies need to compete with the excellent quality of wine produced worldwide. This is easier said than done as all competitors are aiming to increase quality. Quality starts at the basic level of ‘terroir’ (the expression of soil & micro climate), consistent quality of grapes harvested & finally the wine processing. All these processes should be directed towards quality. The industries should aim at brand building, bottling & strategic alliances for selling imported ‘bottled in origin’ wines. Larger players are expected to enter into contract manufacturing with smaller wineries. There’s one possible way of entry for foreign wine companies, aiming to target the Indian wine market, that is to enter into alliances with the Indian companies.

The Indian government has been the major reason behind the current scenario of the Indian wine industry. Due to the high import duties imposed on foreign wines the import has reduced considerably giving Indian wines an opportunity to get a hold in the domestic market. Though in the long term, a decrease in import duties will give way to international brands trying to enter the Indian market, which will result in a head to head competition.

Introduction-
Although the Indian wine industry is in its early stage of development, it holds a promising & impressive growth of the consuming class. The sale of wine is relatively negligible as compared to the alcoholic beverages, consisting whisky, vodka, beer, rum, country liquor etc. though this condition, wine has interested a great deal of the country’s population in the past few years. There has been an average growth of 25% in the last 5-6 yrs.

Our (Winenxt) main objective is to provide a clear understanding of the current scenario and the challenges in the Indian wine industry, so that there can be better exploitation of any potential growth opportunities. The survey has been done by carefully studying the trends in consumption, retail, production, processing, distribution & trade.

Growth-
The Indian wine market is expected to grow by 20%-30% in the next 3-4 yrs. The annual/ capita consumption of wine in India is only 0.006lt which is very low as compared to the consumption of 50lt in France & 10lt in USA.

Consumption Trends-
Almost 80% of the wine consumed is in the metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Kolkata & Bangalore. The major areas in the west are Mumbai consuming 35%, Goa consuming 10%. Other major wine consuming cities are New Delhi 25% & Bangalore 12%

Increasing Demand-
Major of the Indian population consists of youngsters. 54% of the population is below 25yrs of age & 80% of the population is below 45 which is 522million people who can be the potential market. The new India is largely exposed to the western lifestyle at the same time urbanization & overseas travel all together have accounted for a steady increase in growth, which will continue.
Also the average economy of India has increased by 6.6% annually which has thus increased the spending capacity of the Indians. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Due to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, the disposable income is increasing leading to reduction in poverty, also increasing the consumption & purchasing power.
Out-of-home-food consumption is on the rise as seen in the expanding food & beverage chains such as Pizza Hut, Mc Donald’s etc. For the wine industry to emerge there should be development of lounge bars & gourmet restaurants. With increase in Wine tourism & wine tasting, there are chances of tremendous growth in the wine industry.
To promote tourism the government of India allows hotels to purchase imported goods including alcoholic beverages up to a limit of 5% – 10%, which maybe higher in case of five-star hotels.
Also due to the various health benefits of wine, wine is gaining popularity in the Indian market as people in India are becoming more inclined towards health foods and health beneficial beverages. Also there have been various events where different wine varieties are matched with spicy Indian food. Some wines have shown great compatibility with Indian food. Also most of the Indian opt for wines priced at INR 200-600.
In India red wines clearly dominate the market, while rose and sparkling wines make up a very small percentage. Wine is now also being made available in retail outlets & grocery shops.

Government support to the wine industry-
The state government & the central government have shown a great deal of interest in the wine industry as it is labour intensive & is an attractive source for taxes & duties. Maharashtra is provocative in its policy towards the development of the Indian wine industry. Maharashtra is the leading state in consumption as well as production of wine.
There is establishment of the Grape Processing & Research Institute & also the establishment of wine parks has provided grape farmers access to common infrastructure, which they otherwise cannot afford due to high capital requirements. There are various financial assistance schemes offered by the government, which provide funds for new wine entrants to invest in various raw materials & technologies.

Recently the government removed the Additional Customs Duty (ACD) on imported wines & spirits from an exuberant 177% – 265% to an affordable 20% – 75%. Also the Special Additional Custom Duty (SAD) on imported wines has been removed, proving to be a boon for international wine brands awaiting to make a mark in the Indian wine market. Due to the removal of these duties the price range has come down incredibly, thus making it easy for them to compete with the domestic wines. Though there has been a reduction in various duties, the Maharashtra state government has increased import duties to 200% or INR 200 (USD 5) per liter, whichever is higher. An import duty of 40% also exists on technical equipments, machinery & other accessories for wine production, thus making winery set up expensive.

Marketing & Promotion-
The Indian government has banned any kind of direct promotion or advertisement of wine however allowing in-shop advertising. Lifestyle or brand advertisements featuring vineyards & culture surrounding wine are allowed. Due to these limitations in wine promotion, wine advertising is taking different routes, such as public relations, wine tasting events, wine bars & wine clubs are coming up in major cities. Wine tasting & sampling is being organized by various wineries. Also wine is being discussed in magazines & news papers.

Conclusion-
India is basically not a wine drinking country & thus the per capita consumption is very low. However there is a large segment of potential consumers in India that could take up wine drinking. Beer & other alcoholic beverages have been ruling the Indian market, making it difficult for wine to form a mark in the market. India has one of the largest alcohol markets in the world. It is necessary to create awareness about the wine culture in India in order to improve the wine market & wine consumption amongst the Indian consumers.

Written by kunal chug

BANGALORE: In what can be seen as a possible truce between the two largest wine producing states, the Maharashtra government has proposed to bring down excise duty being charged for wine obtained from outside the state, if Karnataka agrees to reciprocate.

In a letter to the excise department of Karnataka, dated January 27, 2009, the Maharashtra excise department said a proposal for reducing excise duty to Rs 100 per bulk litre is under consideration.

According to industry players, from a 200% excise duty on the manufacturing cost for out-of-state wine, the move would bring down the duty from Rs 150-200 to Rs 75% per bottle.

It is understood that Maharashtra government’s proposal was prompted by the willingness of Karnataka to make changes in its excise duty and import fee structure.

In 2001, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had announced a 10-year excise duty exemption for companies manufacturing wine in Maharashtra. Since then, competing states of Karnataka and Maharashtra have tried to outdo each other in identifying protectionist policies for their grape farmers.

Maharashtra, the largest wine-producing state, also charges an annual registration fee of Rs 7.98 lakh for alcoholic beverages from outside the state. According to the letter, the state government has prepared a proposal to reduce the registration fee to Rs 2.5 lakh for wine manufacturers.

This move is designed to benefit wine manufacturers as unlike other alcoholic beverages, the volume sales are much lower.

“This could mean a huge saving for wine manufacturers, as they would have to pay only a third of the earlier fee. The change in excise duty would also result in a fixed price for manufacturers across cheap and premium wines,” independent wine consultant Alok Chandra said.

A few months ago, Karnataka, home to vintners such as Hampi Heritage Winery and Grover Vineyards, increased its import fee to Rs 300 per bulk litre and Rs 70 a bottle as excise duty for over 3,000 cases, increasing the retail price by about Rs 280 per bottle.

“The Karnataka excise department could possibly respond to the proposal by dropping the import fee to Rs 100 per bulk litre, an effective drop of Rs 150 per bottle. It is unlikely that they will reduce the excise duty. However, any move would take at least three months to implement,” Mr Chandra said.

The 1.5 million cases Indian wine market, which has also been affected by the economic slowdown, is growing at 15-20%. The Indian wine industry has registered a per capita consumption of 9 ml so far presenting a strong growth opportunity to reach the global average of 4.5 litre.

Industry players say, if competing duty issues are resolved, the two markets can boost overall growth by at least 10% this fiscal.