Uncorking the good times with Indian wine

Mumbaikars seem to agree that wine is synonymous with happiness. Every upwardly mobile Mumbaikar is uncorking VCODs or a table wine.

“The Mumbai socialite must be seen with a glass of wine,” says Vinod Ahuja of Century Wines at Tardeo.

But K Shetty, owner of Kinnara Bar thinks only foreigners ask for wine with their meals.

“They want to try Indian wines. Locals still prefer beer or whiskey.”

Despite Mumbai’s penchant for spirits and locally brewed drinks, wine consumption is expected to grow 30 per cent in the next five years, says Gajanan Nayak, distributor of Sula Wines.

To promote this nascent industry, the state has abolished the excise duty on all wines produced in Maharashtra and introduced a duty of Rs100-200 on imported wines.

“Today, domestic wines cost between Rs100-700 per bottle,” says Nayak. Retailers say that if the producer passes on the savings to the consumer, it will push up the sales

“It will bring wine in the homes of the common folk,” says Ahuja.

Ahuja, who sells to a predominantly Parsi neighbourhood, says Parsis buy wines for both personal and formal celebrations.

“My sales are good,” he says. “But most of my customers feel that Rs400 is too steep for a bottle of wine.”