1. York Sparkling Cuvée BrutJust a few months after this baby hit the market, it’s raked up rave reviews. The York Sparkling is made of one hundred per cent Chenin Blanc, a grape variety that the wine house has always worked well with (their still Chenin Blanc makes for a lovely glass as well). The nicest thing about this sparkling wine is that the owners – the Gurnani brothers – have retained a fair bit of fruit while still managing to make a dry sparkling wine. This will be the Brut to beat in the coming year. Cost: Rs 975 in Maharashtra 2. Zampa Soirée Brut RoséWhen it comes to a sparkling wine, there are two main things to look out for – the quality of the effervescence and the overall balance of the wine. This one scores high on both counts. The blush-coloured bubbly is made from the Syrah grape and has a refreshing palate of red cherry and hints of strawberry with a creamy mid-palate. Cost: Rs 1100 in Maharashtra 3. Charosa Selections Sauvignon BlancThis Nashik-based winery debuted their wines in 2013 and has had everyone floored since.

Among the whites, they produce an ace Viognier but it’s their Sauvignon Blanc that hits it out of the park. In fact, the Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc has outdone some well-reputed New Zealand and Australian wines in blind tastings. Cost: Rs 750 in Maharashtra 4. Fratelli Sangiovese BiancoPiero Masi, the well-known Tuscan winemaker, is the man largely behind the success of Fratelli’s wines. Their range is extensive but this one is by far the most peculiar. The Sangiovese Bianco is a white wine made from red grapes. As you can imagine, it’s not an awfully easy task. Because you’re left with a crisp and fresh white wine with the vigour and body of a red one and that, if done right, can be a winning combination. An unusual wine by all measures, Fratelli’s Sangiovese Bianco is a wine you either love or hate. It’s a rarity even by international standards. Cost: Rs 880 in Delhi 5. Krsma Sangiovese As a wine house – which would probably fit into the ‘boutique winery category’ – Krsma Estates in Hampi makes some of the best wines in the country.

Producing quality wine in India was a dream for Hyderabad-based owners Uma and Krishna Prasad Chigurupati (along with running a marathon in every continent for which they hold the Guinness World Record) which was realised in 2003. best wine under 20 dollars 2014Among the wines they produce, their Sangiovese is particularly impressive with fulsome notes of dark chocolate, warm spices and nuts.wine and food chicagoAvailable only in Bangalorebest wine under 20 dollars 2014 6. Charosa Reserve TempranilloTempranillo is likely to be the next big grape on Indian soil and this is probably why: It is most suited to hot climes and the people at Charosa have used this fact to their advantage. best wine glass the sweet home

Their first vintage of the Reserve Tempranillo was so outstanding that it has inspired other wineries in the region to experiment with it.dry red wine starts with c Cost: Rs 1700 in Maharashtrabest red wine brands in india 7. Zampa Chêne Grande ReserveChêne, meaning oak in French, is the new red blockbuster from the house of Grover-Zampa. It is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah and aged for 15 months in oak making it more of a New World style exploit – decidedly dominant and unabashedly oaky. Long after the sip, one can still recollect the taste of toasted coffee on the palate. It is a bold wine and, going by the international awards it has won so far, well-liked not just on home turf. 8. Fratelli Sette (2011)Sette is the most premium among the reserve wines from the house of Fratelli. Sette, meaning seven in Italian, alludes to the men behind the winery.

Three sets of brothers – the Mohite-Patils, the Sekhris and the Seccis – and the winemaker Piero Masi make for a total of seven. The current vintage 2011 is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon and is elegant and beautifully balanced. Cost: Rs 1800 in Delhi 9. Myra Reserve Shiraz This wine coming out of Nashik is perhaps the friendliest and most unassuming of the wines bearing the ‘Reserve’ label. It is also the most affordable of the lot but given how the word Reserve isn’t quite governed by any formal law yet, it remains open to interpretation. The Myra version shows notes of ripe red fruit with generous amounts of vanilla from the oak, making for an elegant wine that is quite approachable. Cost: Rs 800 in Maharashtra 10. Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz Dindori by Sula was the first wine to use the name of a region on its label, so in a way it was almost like a single-vineyard wine. For what it’s worth, it made the region of Dindori famous and other winemakers soon sprouted up around.

For years, Sula’s Dindori held fort as everyone’s go-to red wine. This wine shows deep fruit extraction followed by ageing and finishing in expensive oak. It was recently adjudged #25 in the top 100 wines of 2014 by Wine Enthusiast magazine and that is definitely a commendation worth celebrating. Cost: Rs 890 in DelhiAccording to the Asian Development Bank, India’s middle class is expected to grow from 250 million to 550 million by 2025. Based on the high growth rates of the last decade, there has been a discernible increase in purchasing power in many parts of the country and rising affluence in urban pockets. The economic growth and rising disposable income levels of the upper middle class will continue to drive consumer demand and influence buying behaviour. According to industry sources and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and grocery retail in India was valued at US$317 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow to US$425 billion by 2016. Food and grocery retail accounts for 60 per cent of overall retail in India.

The vast majority of the food and grocery retail sector in India is unorganised e.g. street markets, kiosks and small vendors. Organised (modern) retail is only a small part of the overall food and grocery retail segment, currently worth US$9 billion and expected to grow to US$34 billion by 2016. The organised hospitality sector currently US$1.6 billion is forecast to grow to US$4.6 billion by 2016. The imported food segment was valued at US$269 million in 2012 accounting for 10 to 15 per cent of organised retail shelf space growing at 30 per cent per annum. Imported products have had higher acceptance in urban pockets. The experimental nature of shoppers has been encouraging for the growth in imported and gourmet foods. Consumer awareness of packaged foods is increasing in India with good sales growth that is expected to continue. Australian manufactured foods are establishing a reputation of ’clean and green‘ and assurance of quality, competing for shelf space along with other foreign imported food categories from Europe and North America.

Austrade South Asia has been focusing on both ‘modern retail’ as well as the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HORECA) segment for key product lines of dairy, seafood and meat, wine and processed food. There are opportunities for Australian exporters in: Counter seasonal fresh produce that includes apples, pears, oranges, stone fruits, grapes and grapefruit. Australia formalised protocol arrangements with the Government of India in September 2012 providing access for import of lamb, pork and goat. Demand for lamb racks is growing in the HORECA and organised retail segments. There is a growing demand for cheese and cream in the hospitality food service and retail sectors. Wines are one of the fastest growing import categories in India. Wine imports are valued at US$15 million with France, Italy and Australia accounting for 60 per cent of the imports. Beer is the next fastest growing segment in India. The Indian beer market grew from 0.98 billion litres in 2006 to 1.68 billion litres in 2010, an annual growth rate of 14.4 per cent.

In the same time period, beer imports grew from 1.5 million litres to 3.1 million litres. There are also opportunities in non-alcoholic beverages such as juices. The leading categories are jams, cheese, honey, pasta, ready to eat, canned meats and vegetables, breakfast cereals, health foods, baby foods and sauces. In India, tariffs are generally 30-50 per cent on imported food products and to 150 per cent on imported wines, which, when coupled with local excise and sales taxes, distributor margins, and transportation costs, retail prices can end up three to four times the Free On Board (FOB) value of an imported product. In India, refrigerated warehousing and transportation facilities are limited and costly, but are gradually improving. In some cases, high electricity costs and/or erratic power supplies have constrained cold chain development. The recent decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector is expected to lead to improvement in infrastructure.

Currently however, the huge demand-supply gap of support infrastructure acts as a constraint in the supply chain of imported products. The Government of India has recently consolidated its food laws under a single regulatory authority, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). Exporters from all countries have to follow an array of food laws covering use of additives, colors, labeling requirements, packaging, weights and measures, and shelf-life. Guidelines for food imported into India are available on the FSSAI website. Certain animal based foods are banned or considered a taboo in India. For example, imports into India of beef, or products that contain beef, are prohibited. Cheese containing animal rennet would not be preferred by a majority of Indians. Alcohol is also considered a taboo (this view rapidly changing though) and is banned in the states of Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland, and parts of Manipur. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has recently updated the labelling requirements for food imports into India.

A summary of the current labelling requirements is available (PDF, 295KB). India is a country of markets within markets, involving numerous languages, varying tastes and cultural preferences - posing challenges to nationwide advertising and marketing and hindering pan-Indian distribution. Given the complexity of the market, it is advisable to engage with a partner that is reputable and to start small, ie. consolidate the business in a specific geography and demonstrate success before expanding across India Retailers Association of India – www.rai.net.in The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India – www.fssai.gov.in Forum of Indian Food Importers – www.fifi.in Please note: This list of websites and resources is not definitive. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement by Austrade. The information provided is a guide only. The content is for information and carries no warranty; as such, the addressee must exercise their own discretion in its use.

Australia’s anti-bribery laws apply overseas and Austrade will not provide business related services to any party who breaches the law and will report credible evidence of any breach. For further information, please see foreign bribery information and awareness pack. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission – Austrade – contributes to Australia's economic prosperity by helping Australian businesses, education institutions, tourism operators, governments and citizens as they:Working in partnership with Australian state and territory governments, Austrade provides information and advice that can help Australian companies reduce the time, cost and risk of exporting. We also administer the Export Market Development Grant Scheme and offer a range of services to Australian exporters in growth and emerging markets.For more information on how Austrade can assist you, contact us on:Australia ph: 13 28 78 | Email: info@austrade.gov.auA list of Austrade offices (in alphabetical order of country) is also available.