Now trending on the grapevine…

Bangalore is quickly becoming a top city for wine lovers. We trace the trends that tell us so….

Big(ger) spenders
If the newbie wine drinker in Bangalore started out as a cautious spender, this is now gradually changing. The average spend on a bottle of wine is rising, from about `475-`500 a bottle to a neat jump of `700 plus, which most premium Indian wines cost these days in Karnataka. For a little more, there are a slew of Australian, South African, Chilean wines available and recent reports indicate these are also selling well. That’s not all. Higher-priced wines are selling well too, both in retail and restaurants. Olive Beach’s Chef Manu Chandra says, “Earlier it was the value-driven wine that sold better, as spending on wines was conservative. Now sales have picked up in the premium segment as well, our wines over `5,000 are also selling quickly.”

Bring on the bubbly
No longer is champagne only for those special celebrations. Today there’s more bubbly being drunk in India than ever. Despite those dreaded taxes, champagne sales in Bangalore are following worldwide trends and moving upwards, though slowly. Even more popular are well-priced sparkling wines from France (Crémant), Italy (Prosecco, Asti), Spain (Cava), Germany (Sekt) and Australia which have become must-serves at brunches and parties. Gaurav Soneja, beverage manager, ITC Royal Gardenia notes that there’s a growing tribe of people who are trying sparkling wine for the first time and loving it. “It’s stylish and not expensive, so it’s doing very well.” On the other hand, champagne drinking is also steadily rising. “Recently a large group booked the Champagne divan at our bar and spent the entire evening drinking champagne,” he says. “At banquets too, more people are asking for Champagne for special occasions.”

Indian sparkling wine is also coming to the party. Sula has its Brut, Seco and now Rosé sparkling, and the buzz is that other Indian wine companies will shortly follow suit.

A taste for wine tourism
The intrepid wine lover is getting set to see, learn and taste more these days. From vineyard visits within India to visits to wine regions abroad, there’s much more happening these days. Black Grape Holidays is one of several companies focusing on wine tourism. Tulleeho, a company which conducts workshops and courses on wine, has noted the rising interest. Vikram Achanta owner, Tulleeho, says there’s a surge of interest from corporate houses and individuals alike to learn about wine: “We see a lot more enthusiastic consumers enrolling these days in both our casual and formal wine courses.” While corporates seek to initiate their executives into the wine world, Achanta describes increasing demands from casual groups for hosting wine introduction courses at home, complete with the correct glasses, and food to pair with the wines.

There is also burgeoning interest in touring wine regions of the world. Regular holidays increasingly have winery stopovers planned in the itinerary. “Wine travel is happening at two levels,” says Ramma Basappa, director, Marco Polo Travels. “While companies are planning tours to Indian wine regions like Nashik, we also find tour companies sending us international wine-focused itineraries. Wine tourism is definitely picking up. It’s going to be the next big thing after golf and other sports tourism.”

Club it
Wine clubs, both formal (Bangalore Wine Club, Delhi Wine Club, Madras Wine Club), and informal (groups of friends organising wine tastings with an expert), it’s all happening these days. The advantages? You’re not alone in your wine exploration. Talks by sommeliers and winemakers, tasting new wines and picking up wine knowledge all help build a community of wine enthusiasts. At a recent session for a group of food lovers of varying backgrounds and ages, Sneha Rao, assistant winemaker Big Banyan wines, was questioned on how to hold a wine glass correctly, about wine varietals and to how to pair wine with food. She says the interest augurs well for the wine industry: “The growing interest in wine over the last year and a half is remarkable to see.”

Restaurants get wine savvy
With a wine license cheaper and less bothersome than a full liquor license, smaller cafés, restaurants and wine bars are springing up, selling wine by the glass and bottle, even offering pairing suggestions. Rohan D’Souza, chef and partner, Pepper Café, has just obtained a wine license and he says 60% of his customers now order wine with their food. “Wine complements the food we serve, and we’re happy to offer customers something extra to enhance their meal.” 

The winner in all this? The wine consumer in Bangalore, who has never had it so good. May the wine cork ever continue popping.