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Every good bottle of wine has a history, geography,
culture and viticulture, among many other characteristics. No one knows
it better than the market savvy Rajeev Samant, CEO of Sula who is always
working towards improving the brand image further-when he is not plotting
and scheming to increase his production further, that is.
It feels like only yesterday that the first crop had
been rather quietly harvested in his small family owned orchard-converted
vineyard in Nashik in 1999. He has come over half a million cases since
then. There was a cause for celebrations and what better way than sharing
a few cases with wine lovers who could be enticed to join in from Mumbai
and also shell out money for every glass they drank!
About 500 revellers popped in from the close-by Mumbai
(it usually takes me over 5 hours to cover the 200 km distance!) last
Saturday sunny afternoon to find out why that weather is great for the
grapes. After a tour of the vineyards and the winery they got into the
groove by sipping some of the wines Sula had to offer by the hundred (cost
per glass).
There were stalls peddling paintings, food and of course,
there was free, live music throughout at the recently opened, beautiful
amphitheatre. Watching the beautiful sunset and breathing clean air were
also complimentary.
Most of the wine labels were available for tasting by
the glass. Some loyalists did wonder aloud about the missing top-end Dindori.
Admits Rajeev regretfully,' we had produced only 4000 cases this year
and were completely sold out.' Hopefully he would factor it in for such
events in future. It is not uncommon for wineries around the world, promoting
wine tourism to even keep some wines only at their tasting rooms to attract
more people to taste and buy at the winery.
But why couldn't they serve in proper wine glasses,
one wonders. Said the young and pretty Cecilia Oldne, the new International
Business Manager imported from Sweden, who was present at the fest with
the rest of Team Sula,' We had wanted to serve in those glasses and debated
the issue but concluded there were some practical problems.' Perhaps they
could consider selling the empty glass like they do in California and
many such fests around the world, where the consumer is encouraged to
take the glass home as a souvenir.
Sula's founder wine consultant and a minority shareholder
Kerry Damskey who is in India to oversee the red grape harvest was also
present, having a great time.' Wine is a social consumer driven product.
Music, food and wine go very well together in such events celebrated all
over California as well,' he informed delWine.
Sula is not the first one to have such fun-filled fests.
Indage has been organising them not only in Mumbai but all over the country.
Sula is also not the first to have the great grape stomping session either-
the Indian and Indage version has had pretty models stomping them in small
wooden tubs all over.
I find the practice almost repulsive as it reminds me
of men stomping over grapes in the traditional pre-Press period in Europe,
with juice squirting over their naked bodies and wondering how hygienic
it might have been. Laughs Kerry though and says, 'this is just a part
of the social side of wine and fun, and frankly I like it.'
Festivals and such on-site wine programs are the best
form of wine tourism. The French style vintner Ranjit Dhuru, CEO of Chateau
d'Ori in Dindori says, 'we plan to promote such events in a big way from
next vintage onwards.' He is on the second harvest for his newly constructed
winery (he sold off the grapes from the earlier 3-4 harvests) and such
on site wine tourism activities are an integral part of his plans.
Exploring such wine trails will soon become a new form
of travel destination in India and a new source of addition to the bottom
line for the vintners with a vision.
Subhash Arora
March 20, 2008
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