Tourists can taste strawberry wine

Mahabaleshwar has ideal climate for berry cultivation

Twin hill stations of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani, nestled in the Sahyadri ranges in the Satara district in Maharashtra, are known for their ridges, valleys, evergreen forests and, of course, strawberries. The hill ranges are flooded by tourists almost 100 days in a year besides the weekends. And they have has a new attraction now: strawberry wine.

It has a striking pinkish-red colour and a balanced acidity which marvellously complements sundowners and afternoon parties. Light Indian snacks, chicken and fish go well with the strawberry wine. It is also good pairing for oriental food. Fruit wine is specially fermented to go well with most festive dishes, including Indian cuisine, and all types of barbecues.

It can be enjoyed with all type cuisine because of its off dry and semi-sweet taste. It goes even well with kebabs and simple salads.  Visitors to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani-- that have been featured in several Bollywood films-- ensure that its all about wine, strawberries, desserts, hills,  jams, jellies, shakes and even pizzas for you to enjoy! Plus a variety of combination of Indian food.

Strawberry, along with raspberry, mulberry and gooseberry are produced in a large scale in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani  and in 2010, the Mahabaleshwar strawberry obtained the geographical indication (GI) tag. Since 1992, the strawberry production has seen a boom and penetrated into pan-Indian and international market.

Strawberry, which was brought by the Britishers during the Raj era, has become extremely popular across India. The Mapro Garden here now holds the annual Strawberry Festival during the Easter weekend and has become a much-awaited annual event--similar to the themed events of the US and Europe. The Mapro Foods Pvt Ltd is the maker of Mapro-branded jams, crushes, jellies and ice creams.

The All India Strawberry Growers Association (AISGA) is now encouraging strawberry wine and visitors are allowed to sip. “It is growing popular over the years,” said Babasaheb Bhilare of the Strawberry Growers Association of India. “For long, strawberry produced in Mahabaleshwar is being exported and we have carved a niche and have a name in the international market. Slowly wine would also be exported in a big way,” he hoped.

“Mahabaleshwar region is the largest producer of strawberry in India. Presently, 1,350 farmers cultivate strawberry in 34 villages and produce about 13,000 tonness every year. Frozen strawberries are exported to Belgium, France, Sri Lanka, Australia and other countries,” said Sagar B Parkhe, Director, Wild Berry Beverages Pvt. Ltd.

“Canada is quiet serious in fruit wines. South east Asian countries also make some fruit wines,” added Akalpit Prabhune, Director, Rhythm Winery.

“The strawberry produced here accounts for about 85% of India’s production,” said Dilip Shinde, block development officer of Mahabaleshwar. The rest come from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. “The climate is the important reason for growing strawberries  here,” he said.   

The maximum production is of the Sweet Charlie variety of California, with Camarosa and Winter Dawn being the other two major varieties.

Bhilare, whose company produces Kingberry, said that like grape wine of Nasik, the strawberry wine of Mahabaleshwar is going to be popular in the times to come. “Wine is a matter of appreciation...interest in different types of wines is growing significantly,” he said. To produce 750 ml wine, 7 kg strawberry is required.

Septuagenarian Bhilare has been into strawberry cultivation for over three decades,  while Prabhune and Parkhe are into wine making. “A huge segment which has not tried wine can be attracted to this wine,” Prabhune said. Parkhe added: “There is good opportunity to capture new and open market in India and abroad.” Parkhe’s company makes ‘Come On Charlie’ brand wine.

According to Parkhe, penetration of wine is low as only 3 million people consume total 24 million litres. Alcohol sales are rising (9% CAGR 09-14); wine (12%) is growing faster than spirits (7%) and beer (10%). Rapid urbanisation, exposure to western lifestyles, rising disposable income, increased availability of locally produced and imported wines are changing the scene. As of now it is popular in urban areas  - Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru and Pune. Totally these four places record highest wine consumption, that is around 80 per cent of the total production.

On strawberry wine making, Bhilare said it is not very different from other wines. “However, since Mahabaleshwar is a eco-sensitive area, plants cannot come up here. We have to transport fresh strawberries to the plants outside,” he said.  The process of wine making nearly takes nine months. “It is fermented in oak barrels,” he said. Strawberry wine is good source of Vitamin C,calcium and iron. “No sugar is added,” he said.

The scope for strawberry wine is very high. India has 123, 000 acres of vineyards, of which only 1% is used for wine production. The two  major players in wine production in India are: Grover Vineyards Limited, Bengaluru,  Sula Wineyards, Nasik. These units produce approximately 1,50,000 cases, each case comprising of 12 bottles. In addition, they also import about 20,000 cases of wines in bulk and bottle them  in their  plants.  The  small  local  winemakers  produce  about 1,00,000 cases of inferior quality wine.

Strawberry cultivation is an art as climate and altitude drives it. Besides, newer techniques are emerging. Bhilare allows tourists to his farm just across the road. “Beyond the traditional farming methods, we are also using coco peat,” Bhilare said. It is completely organic, he stressed. “The pots are layered with coconut husk as it has excellent water retention capacity. If it is grown on ground, the plants occupy a lot of space. In pots, we can have three rows as they can hung from loops,” he said. This helps in getting better yield. “We are doing it and are getting good results,” he said.