» Getahead » Time to savour 'Make in India' winesRaise a toast to good health with wine. But this time, says Alok Chandra, let's go for the desi ones. Not so long ago, there was no Indian wine priced above Rs 500 per bottle (of 750 ml), and no imported wine below that level. How times have changed -- today, the Zampa Chene Grand Reserve (a red wine) is on offer in Bengaluru at Rs 1,850, while the Grover La Reserve (which used to be at Rs 450 just 10 years back) is now Rs 1,000. The majority of wines on sale by the better-known Indian wineries are priced today at above Rs 600, and everyone has increased prices in 2016 by 10 per cent to 20 per cent. "Oh, but that's not even $10 per bottle," some might well remark. Well, that's okay if one is earning in dollars, but for the vast majority of the consuming populace this is a premium pricing that inhibits offtake. Indians are among the most price-conscious consumers in the world, a fact recognised by that Maruti TV ad where the protagonist asked 'Kitna deti hai?'

We query 'Kitna padta hai?/ ('How much does it cost?') when exploring any purchase, and it is well known that most Indians first scrutinise the right hand side of a menu (where prices are given) when deciding what to order.buy and send wine online So what's led to this 'premiumisation' of prices of Indian wines?best boxed red wine uk As always, it's a combination of strong demand for better wines, together with constraints in the supply of decent-quality wine grapes which has pushed their cost upwards.buy wine online cheap There is no doubt that the quality of many Indian wines has been improving over time due to better viticultural practices yielding better quality wine grapes as well as improved winemaking and the use of oak casks to mature some reds.amount of wine to buy for a party

Prices of the best Indian wines are hence benchmarked against those of imported wines which suffer double taxation in India -- customs duties (currently about 162 per cent) and state excise duties (which should really be exempt but which states impose in various guises).best wine estates south africa Consumers are starting to recognise that the best domestic wines give a better QPR (Quality Price Ratio) than imported wines at comparative prices; best two zone wine cooler reviewshence the strong demand.man o war wine The top three wineries in India today by volume are Sula (850,000 cases in 15/16), Grover-Zampa (150,000 cases) and Fratelli (estimated 100,000 cases).best italian wine book

All three have wine portfolios spanning a wide spectrum of prices and quality levels -- Sula from the Port 1000 (Rs 160) to the Sula Rasa Shiraz (Rs 1,395), Grover-Zampa from Red Lips Port (Rs 86) to the previously mentioned Zampa Chene (Rs 1,850) and Fratelli from its Sidus Range (Rs 200/250) up to the Sette (Rs 1,642).top wines 2015 australia There is also the boutique Krsma Estate near Hampi in North Karnataka (3,000 cases sold between Bengaluru and New York) whose range starts with the K2 (Rs 780) and extends to its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon (Rs 1,500). On the supply side, this was a good year for grape growers as demand outstripped supply in Maharashtra, leading to prices for even Chenin Blanc (the most widely grown white wine grape) touching Rs 40 per kg (as compared to Rs 25 to 30 in 2015) and going up to Rs 80 per kg for the red varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz). New plantings take two to three years to start delivering fruit, so the high prices are expected to continue till 2018, something that wine producers have factored into their pricing strategies.

Four of the best Sula wines -- Rasa Shiraz 2014, Dindori Reserve Shiraz 2014 (Rs 1,030), Dindori Reserve Viognier 2015 (Rs 810) and the Sula Riesling 2015 (Rs 830) at a tasting conducted by its new vice-president (marketing) Cecelia Oldne. While I was most impressed by the Riesling, a grape that normally thrives only in cold temperate places and almost impossible to grow in our warm tropical climate. The wine is very aromatic (lychee, grapefruit, nuts and honey) and a delicious citrus taste that is actually dry while seeming to be a bit sweet. Well balanced, this would be a perfect match for both Indian as well as Oriental cuisines. Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant. Lead photograph: Kind Courtesy Grover Zampa Vineyards/InstagramCelebrating the best of Indian wines Get a taste of award-winning wines paired with gourmet cheese and fine chocolates this weekend. In February this year, over a hundred wine connoisseurs gathered to judge over 136 Indian wines from 21 labels.

The wines were scored on three criteria: colour, aroma and palate. Over the next few hours, the judges emerged with a list of winners; Soma Brut Cuvée 2014 was judged as the best wine in the gold category, Good Drop’s Frizzano Semi Dry 2015 in the silver and Sula Brut Tropicale NV got the top spot in the bronze category. For the past four years, the Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards (IWCCA) has been inviting wineries to participate in the awards and pick the best wines through a blind tasting by consumers. As a follow-up to the awards, Celebrating India’s Finest (CIF) is an upcoming wine tasting event organised by All Things Nice, in association with HT48Hours. To be held at Le Pain Quotidien in Colaba, it will celebrate the winning wines, which will be paired with artisanal cheese and gourmet chocolates, making it a truly indulgent evening. “This year, the winners include new wineries that have just been launched in Mumbai. Consumers need a guide to help them decide which wine to pick up,” says Nikhil Agarwal sommelier and CEO, All Things Nice, a wine and spirits consultancy.

A lot of consumers pick up a bottle because they spot an award sticker. At this year’s event, nine wineries including Sula Vineyards, Myra Vineyards, Good Drop Wine Cellars and Charosa Vineyards will be participating. “Events that promote Indian wines are like a shot in the arm for the nascent wine business. CIF not only promotes the best of Indian wines, but it also helps consumers pick wines and brands they think are good. So that’s more power to the average consumer,” says Ajay Shetty, CEO and MD, Myra Vineyards. Apart from helping consumers make an informed choice, events like CIF also help the wine industry overcome challenges such as lack of knowledge among customers. “I have seen big progress since I came to India, almost 10 years ago,” says Cecilia Oldne, vice president (marketing), Sula Wines, adding, “The wine list has gone from one white and one red to 30 different varieties. People know and appreciate their wines. The quality of many wine producers is of international standards — and there is a consistency too.”