JOIN USAs the Indian wine consumer continues to remain aspirational, the market itself is opening up to splendid opportunities.
According to a Vinexpo survey, wine consumption in India is likely to touch 2.1 million cases, a 73% increase compared with 2013 statistics. Further, it predicts that Indian sparkling wine consumption will be doubled by 2017.
While the market currently stands strong in terms of red wine consumption, claiming 60% of the market share, sparkling wine, which claims a lean 10% is growing strongly driven by consumers’ interest and is set to grow up to 20-30%.
In this regard, Four Seasons Director and Chief Wine Maker Abhay Kewadkar said, “The Indian wine consumer is always uptrading. Across the globe, it is seen that sparkling wine consumption is increasing,” adding that the company has lined up several launches in the category for 2017.
Bengaluru’s Grover Zampa Wines CEO Sumedh Mandle said, “At Grover Zampa, the sparkling wine segment grew 30% last year, and we are looking at a similar target this year also,” adding, “April 2017 will see the company’s first batch of sparkling wine from its Bengaluru vineyards.” The company is keen on pushing its wines in the premium segment going forward, especially after having received overwhelming response for its debut magnum launch — Insignia priced at Rs 5,000 — 200 bottles of which were sold out in a month.
“The Indian consumer is willing to pay for good quality wine and wants to indulge, so we want to exploit this opportunity and offer premium wine in the market,” he added. India’s top vintner Sula Vineyards, which claims a market share of over 65%, added, “One exciting new addition is our recently launched and India’s first 100% Chardonnay wine, Sula Chardonnay Brut. It is also the first vintage dated sparkling wine in the country and we produced a limited 40 cases in the first year.”
As Indian wine consumers go on to upgrade their knowledge and tastes in wine, the producers appear to be equally committed.