New world wines take India by storm

When it comes to wines, the well-worn cliché is there is no one to beat the French. French wine is still the first choice the world over, but the toast of India seems to be wines from the new world. Wines from Argentina, Chile, Australia, the US, South Africa and New Zealand go off shop shelves faster than French wines in India.
“The so-called new world wines have greater acceptance in India as they are more approachable, their labels are easier to pronounce, the bottles are easier to open and they are fresh and fruity,” says Dharti Desai, chief executive officer and founder of Finewinesnmore.
Above all, they are cheaper and marketed more aggressively by wineries – the reason why these wines sell more at retail stores. But wine consumed at ritzy hotels presents a different picture. That’s because connoisseurs still prefer a good vintage, says Desai. European wine, particularly French, rules their palate. “If you talk about quality, they prefer wines from Burgundy or Bordeaux. But diversity is never a bad thing.”
Another factor that weighs in favour of new world wines in India is their high alcohol content, a definite draw for a nation that has grown up on hard liquor and is willing to try wines, long considered a lady’s drink and not macho enough.
Ritu Dalmia, celebrity chef, author and restaurateur, too sees the new world giving the old a run for its money. “The opening of several wine clubs has helped in spreading awareness,” says Dalmia.
Neethu Seth, managing director of Wine Rack, a company which imports and distributes wines from seven different vineyards in South Africa, agrees that new world wines are less expensive and more approachable for their simplicity and style.
Adds Vishal Kadakia, a wine enthusiast and the proprietor of The Wine Park, which bottles and distributes foreign wines in India, sees it as a global trend. “New world wines are popular and have gained acceptance not only in India but around the world.”
In India, which took to wines only recently, white wine is a preferred choice. “When you are drinking for the first time, it is good to start with white. But I expect red to catch up soon due to it’s health benefits,” says Stephane Soret, a sommelier at New Delhi’s Imperial Hotel. “As you graduate in experimenting wine, you develop your palate and begin to enjoy vintages from France, Italy and Germany.”
Desai too sees an Indian bias towards white, specially among women, “because it is more suitable to the Indian climate and is light on alcohol.”
Sooner or later, say vinters, India will see wines sold in tetra prisma packs and cans, innovations already being marketed elsewhere. One reason why many Indians are switching from hard liquor is the growing awareness about wines and their health benefit. It has also to do with the influence of western culture, lifestyle, and living standards. Wine clubs and wine educators are doing their bit by spreading awareness about wine. Big hotels and swish restaurants regularly hold wine promotion weeks.
“Indians travel abroad more frequently to places where wine is almost a way of life. This exposure is reflected in the growing demand in India,” Arindam Chakraborty, F&B manager at Shangri-la Hotel in the capital. According to one estimate, wine consumption has increased at an annual growth of 15 per cent in three years.
Soret credits the growing business to women, who began drinking wine, “which was socially more acceptable than hard liquor.” There has been a general consensus on a 20-25 per cent increase in the market for domestic wines over the past four years.
Like everything else, the economic downturn has touched wine drinking too. Calendar 2008 saw a slight drop in imported wine sales. That has not deterred the wine business from raising a toast to the future. “India accounts for just one per cent of the global wine market. But this will grow. Kadakia foresees China, Brazil and India emerging as major wine drinking markets.