The Government is shortly going to amend the Karnataka Excise Rules 1968 to pave way for the new Grape Processing and Wine Policy 2007.

The Finance Department has readied the draft amendment and is waiting for approval.

“The policy came into being in March this year but has not been implemented in toto mainly because the State Excise Rules have not been amended to facilitate the policy,” said Horticulture Department Additional Director S V Hittalmani.

One of the major recommendations is to relax the licence and permit rules regarding the wineries, which are declared as Horticultural and Food Processing Industries.
License
“As of now, the licence and permit to the wineries are issued by the State Excise. But the policy recommends that they can be issued at the district level by the deputy commissioner, within 30 days of applying. Further, to promote wine tourism, the licensed wineries will be allowed to sell the wines at their premises to visitors for personal consumption,” said the officer.

The government also intends to establish two wine parks at Krishna and Nandi Valleys.

“Bangalore - urban and rural and Kolar districts come under the Nandi Valley and Bijapur, Bagalkot and Belgaum districts have been declared as Krishna Valley. Basically, these valleys comprise those regions which produce good quality wines. More districts will be covered at a later stage as vine cultivation picks up. We have 40 varieties of vines grown indigenously in Karnataka,” said Dr Hittalmani.

He pointed out that as per the European countries, where some of the world’s finest wines are manufactured, it is important to specify the geographical location of the vineyards and wineries.

“We are already selling some wine brands in Europe, which indicate the valley they come from,” he added.

Land for wine parks
The land for the parks will be acquired through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and the facilities to the wineries will be provided under the Industrial Policy 2006-11, from the Commerce Department through the Department of Horticulture — the nodal agency for the implementation of the Wine Policy.

There is also a proposal to set up wine taverns, kiosks and parlours in Bangalore, to boost the sale of wine.
“In comparison to other countries in the world, the consumption of wine is much less in India. By simplifying rules and promoting it as a horticulture product and not an alcoholic beverage, we will be able to boost the production of vines and wines. It will also help farmers. Many farmers are coming forward to set up vineyards,” said Dr Hittalmani.

A Wine Board has been constituted to implement the policy.