Over centuries, wine has played an important role in culture, food and society. In India wine culture is picking up with new wineries and brands entering the market. At a wine tasting evening, Metrolife caught up with B N Nanjundaiah, Chairman and Managing Director, at the launch of Naka Spurt.
As a young winery, what is your vision?
Our vision is to introduce the younger generation of wine drinkers to our young wines, and cultivate brand royalty.
How do you rank your wine in the market.
We are rated among the first 50 of young wines, the climatic conditions in the Krishna Valley are ideal, and we are looking for outlets at Supermarkets, for easy accessibility.
Your views on stimulated wines?
There are less stimulated wines in the market now, than before, as viniculture has become an industry. Made with table grapes, artificial essence, the high acidity will leave you with a heavy head.
How does a novice wine drinker judge a good wine?
Colour, flavour, taste are the three steps to figuring out a good wine. If it smells sour, it is acidic, and best used as vinegar.
What are the preferences in wine in the Bangalore market?
Dry and sweet wine is popular, but affordability is the prime factor.
We’re promoting our wine to be paired with Indian cuisine.
Do you foresee the middle class being able to drink wine with every meal, as people in other countries do?
The government of Karnataka is promoting the industry by giving incentives to farmers growing grapes. Wine growers have asked the government to form a separate body to govern the wine industry, disassociate it from alcohol and hence reduce duty.
So far we have achieved 75 per cent success in the venture.
Bangalore’s status
Statistics say, Bangalore is the third largest seller of wines in the country.
As many as 28,000 cases of wine were consumed in 2005-2006. Wine should be drunk at a certain temperature, for only then, does its bouquet open. In our climate it is recommended to chill white wines to 18 degrees, red to 20 degree centigrade. I personally assert, red wines go better with Indian cuisine, white wines are for very mild flavoured food.
Perin Ilavia
