It’s party time for wine lovers in the country. Following the domestic brands launched by liquor major Diageo, another player, Chateau d’Ori is set to launch its own brands in the country in a couple of days. The company, which has been in the wine market as an importer of global brands, also plans to expand the winery at Dindori, Nashik from 100 acres to 450 acres by 2010. The Rs 150-crore Indian wine market produces about 13 million bottles of wines per year.
Chateau d’Ori is launching the brands, namely, Viva (Chenin Blanc), Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Merlot and Cabernet Syrah, in Mumbai this week. The prices range between Rs 380 to Rs 650 plus taxes. Currently, Chateau d’Ori has been marketing French wines (Bellevie) from the Bordeaux region since 2003.
The per capita consumption of wine in India is only 0.07 litre against 60-70 litres in France and Italy, 25 litres in the US and 0.4 litres in China. The three major players, Chateau Indage, Sula and Grover Vineyards together hold about 90% of the domestic market. Ranjit Dhuru, promoter of Chateau d’Ori and chairman and CEO of Aftek Limited, claims that the company has brought in the best international practices in the wine industry from Bordeaux, where the grapes themselves are grown using European viticulture practices, a first in India. “We aim to sell about 90,000 bottles of our brands in the first year with 30,000 of imported brands and hope to make it four times more in the next couple of years. “We are planning to enter into SE Asia, Vietnam, Singapore and the US through JV routes in future,” he said. The company also plans to sell brands through malls and retail chains across the country.
The Indian wine industry is set to witness a flood of domestic brands as UB wines is also expected to launch six new varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel Red, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Zinfandel Rose – this month.