Retail Plus
Hyderabad
Success, says the Grapevine
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Wine drinking is now fast gaining wide social acceptance as more and more homes are stocking up wines
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WINE drinking was never a major habit irrespective of age and social segments in India, more so, Hyderabad. But all that is fast changing. Spreading awareness about wine drinking is actually influencing many to abandon regular spirits in favour of the more healthy wine. Mr. Madhukar Bhangay of Myst pub says “There’s no doubt that drinking is injurious to health. But drinking wine in moderate quantities actually is good for health. Wine has some nutritional and medicinal values making it an ideal alternative to regular liquors.” The concept of wine drinking originated in the west and soon caught on in the gulf countries as well. India was a late starter as awareness pertaining to varieties of wine, their benefits and other related stuff was very low.
But now things are looking up as is evident in the fact that the wine market has registered a manifold leap in sales. The market is witnessing a host of wine brands making their entry into the local segment. “Sula is one of the first and foremost wine brands to hit the market in a big way. In fact Sula pioneered the concept of healthy drinking by promoting wine as a better alternative” says Mr. Kishan, regional head of Sula. The brand which started off with just 35 acres of vineyards in 2000 is now spread across 1200 acres at Nashik. “It is responsible for introducing the Indian consumer to some of the most premium wine products manifested in the impressive product line.
Names like Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot, Reisling, Shiraz, Viognier and Zinfandel which were Greek and Latin to most of us till recently are now having eager takers with their own preferences and choices. Wines can be widely classified into 3 categories, Table wines, Sparkling wines and fortified wines. Most of the red and white wines we see belong to the Table wines category. Wine drinking is now fast gaining wide social acceptance as more and more homes are stocking up wines and more number of people are opting to drink wine in the place of conventional alcoholic beverages” says Mr. Kishan.
Wine awareness campaigns featuring a host of activities including wine tasting sessions, wine & food pairing sessions and wine & cheese festivals are on the rise in the city’s social circles. Wine always had its own share of connoisseurs, but the focus is now on the mass market where it still comes across as a poor country cousin of its more illustrious alcohol brands.
According to Mr. Kishan, wine consumption has registered a steep increase of 500% in the past few years thanks to increased awareness. “Wine actually has a lot of medical and health benefits as it helps in reduction of risk caused by cardiac ailments, aids in digestion, contains vitamins, prevents fast ageing, contains anti-cancer agents and is a proven stress buster” adds Mr. Kishan.
The fact that AP’s premium wine market is registering sharp growth and is contributing more than 12% of total alcohol sales in the state is only an indicator of things to come. Satish, an avid wine lover adds “The culture of wine drinking is fast catching on and we’ll be soon on par with the west. In the western countries, consumption of wine is acceptable even within families and is not perceived to be equivalent to guzzling alcohol.
The same awareness is going to spread in our country too as there’s a world of difference between consumption of wine and alcohol.” While the market warms up to the wine phenomenon, biggies like Sula are chalking out ambitious plans to flood the market with tempting wine options. “Wine is now going to give regular alcohol brands a run for their money. The count of wine connoisseurs in the city is going up by the day” concludes Mr. Kishan.
C P RAJ
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