What do Indians like to drink? It seemed at first like a simple enough question when someone asked it the other day. But do we really know?
The problem is not merely that we don’t have anything remotely close to a proper survey on Indian wine drinking habits. Also, the wine produced in Indians is not diverse enough to throw much light on consumer preferences. Yes, domestic production accounts for a little over 6 lakh cases, something like 75 per cent of the total wine consumed in the country. But despite the increase in the number of varietals, the consumer is pretty starved of choice when drinking wine produced in India. Red wines is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz or a blend of the two. Most whites in the market are either Cheney or Sauvignon Blanc.
Yes, Voigner, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and other varietals are growing in the country, but it is the Big Four that seem to find a way into most bottles. When it comes to domestic wine, people largely drink what is available rather than what they want to.
Perhaps, the pattern of imports may throw up some clues? (Imported wine accounts for some 2 lakh cases of which an estimated 1.6 lakh cases are bought in retail stores or ordered in restaurants. The remainder is sourced from duty free shops or consumed on international flights.)
I asked Aman Dhall, Executive Director of Brindco, the question during his visit to Chennai, where he generously showcased a splendidly diverse and rich range of mid and high-end wines at the launch of Terroir, the Madras Wine Club, at the Taj coromandle hotel. His company is not just India’s largest importer; one out of every two bottles that make its way into the country is a Brindco.
His answers went something like this:
There is a preference for reds over whites. Sixty five per cent of the wine he imports are reds.
Younger people consume a lot of wine. Over 50 per cent are within the 25 to 35 age bracket and possibly another 25 per cent between 35 and 45.
In retail sales, there is a marked preference for new world wines-from countries such as Australia, Chile and South Africa. It’s possible that consumers see better value in them.
The picture is somewhat different in restaurants. Old world wines sell as much as new world ones.
Preference in varietals is hard to gauge. Though among reds, Cabs, Shirazes and Merlots do well.
There is a small but distinct move to experiment with some evidence of a growing preference for Riojas from Spain and Malabecs from Argentina.
Of course, even these broad generalizations need to be qualified. States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh do not sell imported wine in retail stores, so it’s hard to say what people prefer here. In Karnataka, the flat state duty of Rs.225 a bottle imposed in late 2007 (in addition to the central tax of 150 per cent) has probably skewed preferences in favour of mid and high-end wines. Why buy imported plonk if you are paying more in tax than for the product? In Maharashtra, the sudden and thoughtless hike in state taxes has dampened the consumption of foreign wines beyond imagination.
The answer is that we don’t really know –beyond some broad hints at least- about what Indians really like to drink. This may seem like a very longwinded way of professing ignorance. In my defence I can only cite my Philosophy professor, who would insist- that in the absence of conclusive answers- the challenge is to ask the right questions.
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