Domestic wines have become key players in changing preferences from hard liquor to wines Sonia Martis can’t believe she’s nursing a bottle of Rose wine that costs Rs 670 without taxes. While this is the approximate cost price for a regular bottle of Indian wine in a local liquor shop, her glee must stem from the fact that she’s sitting at Ivy Grande in Khar, listening to lounge music, while a waiter refills her glass. “Now this is what I call value-for-money,” she professes.
But Indian-origin wines such as Zinfandel, Shiraz and Chardonnay aren’t the only ones that are affordable. The cafe also stocks international labels from Chile, France, Argentina and Australia and one of the priciest bottles will only set you back by Rs 1,800; approximately the same price as the cheapest bottle of wine on a usual restaurant wine menu around town. “Our international wines are bought in bulk. So, we negotiate rates with our suppliers,” says Sanjay Mirani, a partner at Ivy Grande.
With wine attracting more subsidies than hard liquor, its popularity is rising. For casual diners, it’s a staple for an evening out with friends, even on weekdays. It seems to be filling the large gap between soft drinks and hard liquor. What’s more, it isn’t international wines they want to fork out money for; it’s the local produce.
A big reason for this is the wine producers in India aggressively marketing their products, often tying up with restaurants to promote their wine. “In return, the restaurant is offered royalties or benefits like a bottle free for every bottle purchased,” says Moshe Shek, restaurateur and chef at Moshe’s in Mumbai.
0 comments:
Post a Comment