Italian vintner Moncaro strikes it good in India

Italian winemaker Moncaro Winery is game for a greater share of the Indian wine scene, and is scouting for several markets across the country.

Moncaro, which already has a presence in Maharashtra through its association with distribution company Riona Wines (in which it holds 34 per cent share), will expand its footprint throughout the major cities in North and South India.

According to Moncaro President and Riona Wines Partner Doriano Marchetti, “Moncaro is looking at India as a connoisseurs market. The country is opening up to the wine drinking culture, and many people are opting for wine as an alternative to hard liquor. Indians know their wines very well and that has helped us to create a brand image within a short span of time.”

As part of its pan-India push, the company has already held discussions with distributors in Delhi, and is also is looking at introducing its wines to Bengaluru, and Karnataka, for which distributors are being identified.

Moncaro grows native grape varieties across 1,500 hectares of vineyards in the Marche region of Italy. The wines are made in-house, and then exported. It plans to roll out its brands Anfora (type of grape, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi), Le Vele (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi), Elianto (Marcher Cabernet Sauvignon), Templi (Sicilia Nero D’Avola), Le Silve (Del Parco Rosso Conero), Bel Colle Vino (Da Tavola Rosso), Tordiruta (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi), and Passito (Dessert wine) wines in Bengaluru soon.

“We started business in Maharashtra, but later learnt that the South is a promising market too, and hence, will be present here soon,” Moncaro Director (Export Sales) Luigi Gagliardini told Deccan Herald.

South India boasts of a retail strength of over 56 per cent of India’s liquor and wine retail stores. Following its push into Karnataka, it is bullish on entering Kerala, where it expects a spurt in the proposed beer and wine parlours.

In India, Moncaro sells wines in the range of Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,500, while a niche dried grape wine is sold at Rs 4,000. “In three years, we sold 50,000 bottles in Maharashtra through hotels and retail chains. While we have an annual global turnover of €25 million, our aim is to sell between 50,000 and 100,000 cases in India, a year, going forward,” Gagliardini said.