Draught from the Valley

Mumbai, April 2, 2008: The French discovered it long ago, and made it their monopoly. The Indians discovered it nearly a decade ago, and now Kolkata is swearing by it. Well, it’s not too hard to guess what it is that the gentlemen in the city are swearing by these days. It is but a bottle of wine and best of all it is homegrown in the valleys of Nashik. For those who associated wine with French valleys think again, for Indian wines are here to stay. Bichitra Saha, a Kolkata based architect and builder, has been a wine drinker since his early days and he admits that these days he has a glass of Indian wine each evening with his dinner. “To be honest French wines are so expensive that it is impossible to even think of having them every day. So my expensive bottles of wine are reserved for very special occasion. But on a regular basis, or when I am throwing a party at home, it is the Indian variety, which I serve,” says Saha.

Be it a bottle from the Chateau Indage, or Sula or Grover vineyards, today it’s all about raising a toast with some indigenous wine, and there are not any complaints. The main reason, feels restaurateur and wine enthusiast Shaun Kenworthy is that the quality of Indian wines have improved in leaps and bounds. “In the last five years wine consumption has gone up by nearly fifty percent and the city has discovered a wine culture,” he feels. And it is certainly evident with patrons like Saha, increasing wine-tasting sessions in the city and the growing demand of Indian wines in Kolkata restaurants.

At Mainland China, nearly 175-200 guest order drinks each night of which nearly 100 people opt for a glass of wine. “Though very few people might be connoisseurs, there is a rise in the number of people asking for a bottle or glass of wine with their meal. Moreover, wines like the Rose wine and the Red wine from Sula really go well with Chinese food, hence they are becoming popular. If people are ready to experiment, at times we make them taste the Indian varieties and ask them for their opinion, which in most cases is positive,” says Tanveer Farooq, Assistant manager of the restaurant.

Most restaurants usually offer a choice to their guests between the imported variety and the local, and most banquet managers agree that the demand for the Indian wines have far exceeded that of other exotic varieties. The main reason, they opine is due to the affordability of these wines. While a glass of Sula or Riviera usually cost Rs 295, for its French counterpart, the prices normally starts from Rs 445. Says Arindam Bannerjee, Restaurant Manager of Grain of Salt, “With the growing awareness of Indian wines, more and more people are getting interested in wines these days. Most of our guests who order wine usually do so with their dinner, rather than their lunch. In fact, we have large families coming over for dinner and ordering wine with their food. It’s no longer just a drink that’s shared with friends or colleagues,” feels Bannerjee.

With the growing popularity of wine in the city, it’s the 25-40 age group who are becoming its main patrons. From Whisky, Scotch and Rum, it’s wine that is becoming the gentlemen’s drink. “Earlier men preferred ordering something heavy with their dinner, but with most people exposed to the western culture where wine is the drink of choice, it’s gradually found acceptance. Hard drinks spoil the taste of good food, where as a good wine enhances it. The wines from the Sula Vineyard are most popular in our restaurants, with over 60-70 percent opting for them and not just the Indian. Many of our foreigner guests too have been sampling them and seem to like them,” says Anirban Simlai, Food and Beverage Manager of The Park. Another reason for the popularity is the easy availability of the wines in the market. Apart from wine shops even departmental stores like Big Bazaar have started stocking a number of Indian wines. Agrees lifestyle columnist and food critic, Anju Munshi. “For the middle-class today splurging Rs 250 on a bottle of wine or even Rs 100 on Port Wine is hardly a big deal. Moreover, even mindsets are changing and the middle-class no longer feel apprehensive about picking up a couple of bottles from departmental stores since it’s not really viewed as an alcohol. People are also becoming quite experimental with their food, and like to mix Indian and Western cuisine and a glass of wine usually compliments such cuisine. Personally, I love a glass of the Sula white wine. The only difference that I can feel between a French and a Sula white wine is that the latter is a little prickly on the tongue, which is the reason why I like it so much,” says Munshi.

- Source: Express India