One of the wine markets discussed but not acted upon by many Australian wine producers is that of India. Potentially prohibiting a dramatic sales uptake is a tariff of around 250% and a market described by the Australian Wine Export Council’s David Dean as populated by ‘bootleggers, parallel distribution and counterfeit products, off-premise restrictions in some states and a complex state bureaucracy’. While smuggling and counterfeits – which are guesstimated around 20% of total consumption – make it difficult to quantify exactly the size of the market, it is presently in the vicinity of 400,000 cases, and growing at around 20% each year. Imports represent around 50-60,000 of this figure. However, the size and wealth of India’s rapidly growing middle class does represent a genuine opportunity, and there are signs that Indian women are enjoying the opportunity presented by wine to share in the social interactions of their male partners. Key Indian wineries working hard to capitalise on this growing demand, which is focused around Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore, are Grover Vineyards, Chateau Indage and Sula Vineyards. In 2003 Grover Vineyards produced more than 40,000 cases and is aiming for 50,000 in 2004. Grover has also captured export markets to Indian restaurants in Britain and France, and its Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Shiraz are now available through the Galleries Lafayette in France. Chateau Indage exports to 18 countries. My recent tasting notes for the two Grovers wines mentioned are: Grover Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2003 14.5 Rather cooked, simple melon and gooseberry aromas, lightly grassy and confection-like. Broad, rather advanced palate starting with forward fruit, but becoming fat, slightly stale and short, lacking length and freshness. Drink 2003-2004. Grover Vineyards La Reserve Dry Red 2002 (Cabernet Shiraz blend) 14.7 Light, clear aromas of raspberries, cherries and stewed plums, over rather dusty oak. Lightly fruited, relatively simple and straightforward, but framed by rather an astringent and unbalanced grip of drying, slightly bitter extract. Drink 2004-2007. These wines are both from the Nandi Hills, near Bangalore. Their quality level is about on a par with what I have seen from other Asian producers like Chateau De Loei in Thailand. These, however, are early days, and I would expect some genuine improvement to stem from what is apparently some pretty serious investment. The first thing any major Australian wine producer might be doing right now is to place a call through to the management of Australia’s recently retired cricket captain, whose profile in India almost knows no bounds.
