by Subhash Arora
Seagram India, the wholly owned subsidiary of world´s second largest spirits and wine company, Pernod Richard Group, is the newest entrant in the Indian wine market, launching four varietal wines in Mumbai earlier this week. Labeled Nine Hills, since Nashik is surrounded by nine hills, these wines are made from grapes grown in Nashik, informed Mr. Rukn Luthra, general manager for business development of Seagram from Mumbai. Earlier the head for the Indian operation of EJ Gallo, he has been involved in the wine project from the start. It is also a name which is easy to pronounce and remember, he added. The label from the company that owns the Jacobs Creek brand in Australia also sounds `Australian´.
While the Chenin Blanc is priced at Rs. 400 MRP ( 7), the other three varietals Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvingon and Shiraz - are tagged at Rs.450 ( 8) and thus competitively priced against the existing brands of Indage, Sula and Grover, the three largest producers. These wines are soon to be launched in Goa, Karnataka and West Bengal. `Due to the label restrictions, they will come to Delhi only in May next year´, informs Luthra.
The company erected a winery near Nashik, next to their existing distillation facility, last year.` We crushed 150 tonnes of grapes and produced about 10,000 cases for our first harvest,´ adds Luthra. The company does not own any land and had contracted with 21 farmers for the grapes grown under their viticultural supervision.
Jean Manuel Jacquinot has been engaged as the fulltime master winemaker. He is from Champagne and owns Champagne Jacquinot Fils. `I am proud that I am part of this very first harvest of Seagram. People have been raving about our Sauvignon Blanc and the young ladies are enjoying the off-dry Chenin. People have complimented me for the Cabernet Sauvignon as the best ever produced in India so far.´ Nashik Valley has been concentrating on these four varieties. Recently Grenache has also joined the group and we shall soon have wines from this varietal or as a blend.
