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DrinksRus Beverages Pvt. Ltd, owned by the Australian distribution company DrinksRus Pty Ltd, has introduced its Macedonian wine brand Dalvina in India. Launched last Saturday in Chennai at a function attended by H.E. Mr. Toni Atanasovski, Macedonian Ambassador to India, the distribution is planned for Tamil Nadu followed by Andhra Pradesh this year.
Babu Srinivasan, CEO of the Indian arm reportedly said at the Launch, "We are exclusive importer and distributor of the Dalvina brand of beverages in India. Our plan is to launch seven categories out of the total 15 under the brand in India and will focus on the two states for current year".
The company is banking on the annual growth of 10% in the Indian market and uniqueness of the domestic Vranec range of grape used to make these kinds of wines which are available only in Macedonia, according to Srinivasan. Vranec is the most important red wine grape in Macedonia. But in fact, it is also a very important grape in the neighbouring countries of Montenegro and Serbia; all three were part of the erstwhile Yugoslavia, (where it is known as Vranac)- all considered to make wines with very interesting personality and which should hopefully be accepted by the Indian palates.
‘Considering that the competition in South-based companies in wine segment is nil, the company expect a first mover advantage in the segment’, added Srinivasan. Price starts from Rs 350 a bottle excluding duty and would go to Rs 1,500-2,000 per bottle.
The company would gradually expand the sales of imported wine in major cities and towns by 2015, Srinivasan said. "With the launch of Macedonian wines, the company is aiming to capture a 20 per cent market share in the next two to three years in the imported wine segment, he said.
A rather bold statement! This would translate to over 65,000 cases in the next two to three years. The leading importer Brindco sold 62,000 last year with Pan India presence. Really an uphill task considering that in the first thousand cases sold in a year of imported wines call for popping Champagne, especially in non Mumbai-Delhi-Bangalore-Goa belt. What’s more, the company claims it would gradually expand the sales of imported wines in major cities and towns by 2015- a clear indicator that the company is either not fully aware of the market dynamics or is being guided by the spirit of late Alexander the Great.
Madiza Wines started by Ravikant Popuri in Hyderabad in 2011 with wines from an Italian company sold 1200 cases till March 2013. Totally focused on wine sales, he was reportedly has been able to sell 1500 cases despite the difficult political situation in the state this year. That was a big an achievement to merit an article in DelWine last June. In terms of numbers, this is a miniscule number.
An ambitious target but it Macedonia has made a statement that it is in a hurry to conquer India and we welcome them to the world of imported wines. Watch out for this space to see if they succeed in their mission.
Subhash Arora |