When BBC News reported recently that the total wine consumption for India last year reached 3,5 million litres, it was difficult to know how to react. That?s not a lot of wine for a country that has such a vast population but then again, it is an impressive figure if you consider that grape wine has never formed part of mainstream Indian culture.
A decade ago, the average per capita consumption was 7ml, a little more than a teaspoon per person. But by next year that figure could rise to as much as a 1 litre a head, in effect translating into one billion bottles, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson.
If the BBC statistics are to be believed and Rajeev Samant, managing director of Sula Vineyards, one of India?s three big wineries, says they are, then the contributor to Robinson?s tome is a tad too optimistic. Samant reckons it will take at least 20 years, if ever, before one billion bottles of wine are consumed a year.
A Stanford graduate in industrial engineering, he learned about wine when he studied and then worked in California. His pioneering decision to produce New World style wines in India has spawned other followers. When he started six years ago, he was one of just three wine producers in the entire country. Now there are at least 10 and he expects to see another 30 establish themselves in the next year or two.
The potential for wine sales in India is huge, asserts Samant, who, apart from selling his own wines domestically and internationally, imports South African, Chilean, Australian and French wines. He is also working assiduously to develop generic awareness of wine in his country, to such an extent he now bears the title, Mondavi of Mumbai.
Right now though, growth is impeded by central customs duties that range from 140% to 250% on the landed costs of each case of wine imported, plus state taxes and label registration fees.
That is why some 80% of wines sold in India are domestically produced. However, a growing awareness of wine, its perceived health benefits and its aura of sophistication mean there is still a sizeable portion of the population willing to pay a starting price of around US$12 for a bottle of South African, Australian, Californian, French or other European wine.
?Even if we reach the wealthiest 1% of the Indian population, we are talking about 10 million people.? Wine is regarded very much as an aspirational beverage, earning its cachet from its early status as a drink of aristocrats and warriors and then, more recently, when it became the drink of the colonizing British sahibs.
Samant says the steady decline in central customs duties that is dropping by 20% a year is definitely fuelling consumption and that within the next 18 months or so, some imports will drop to the $10 mark, when he really expects them to take off. Industry analysts say total wine sales are growing between 20% and 30% a year.
He is carrying imported lines now in an effort to build brands so when prices drop he will be ideally placed to intensify his marketing efforts. Last year he sold 40 000 cases of wine, of which 30 000 were from his own vineyards, located 600m above sea level in the Sahyadri Hills of Nasik, in the state of Maharashtra, some 200 km north-east of Mumbai. The other 10 000 cases were imported wines and contributed significantly to turnover.
Whether domestic or imported, most wines, he says, are consumed in trendy bars or as a pre-dinner aperitif but still very seldom with meals. ?People buy wine to take to dinner parties and a lot of attention is given to selecting impressive brands. These days, many men will think twice before choosing a whisky, often going for a fine red wine instead because of its snob appeal. Women are drinking wine too, but mostly whites. Wine?s socially acceptable because it?s lower in alcohol than spirits and considered chic.?
But TV food personality and food and wine columnist for Bombay Times Karen Anand, who is about to publish her fourth book on food and eating in India, believes wine pairing with food is gaining currency, and fast. Most fancy eateries already offer wine. Anand is one of the leading exponents of what is called Indian Contemporary cuisine, fiery coastal food, lean, healthy foods and crunchy salads. ?I find New World wines are more popular here than classic, traditionally styled European wines. They are fruit-sweet and easier to understand if you are new to wine.?
While she wouldn?t recommend serving wine with dishes made with coconut milk or tamarind, she says dry meat curries and kebabs pair well with Shiraz and Bordeaux-style blends. Sauvignon Blanc is a good partner to coastal fish dishes, so are white blends. Fruity Chenin Blancs are popular, as are Rosé wines.
?But people here are also experimenting more and more with international styles of cooking, where wine is called for.? She should know, having opened Mumbai?s first salad bar and also the city?s first European style cheese shop and delicatessen. Next in line is a restaurant, scheduled to open later this year.
In her opinion, food and wine promotions among the trendy are the way to grow awareness and consumption of wine. She says a tendency among some marketers to hold launch or promotional functions at formal five-star venues is a mistake. ?You need to go to hip places with current appeal.?
With demand for wine outstripping supply, it?s not surprising several French, German and Australian companies are exploring joint ventures in India. |
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