Addressing the media last week, Katti said that seven licenses would be issued to set up wineries at the wine park in Bijapur alone. The licensing system has been liberalized to attract investors particularly from Maharashtra, the major wine-producing State. The license fee has been fixed at a very nominal Rs. 1,000 (€ 15 only). Those who want to set up wineries can obtain the license by applying to the Deputy Commissioner's office and get it within 30 days of submission of the application, according to the minister.
As already reported by DelWine in an earlier edition, the grape-growing districts of Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban and Kolar have been named Nandi Valley while Bijapur, Bagalkot and Belgaum districts have been named Krishna Valley.
The Government would provide infrastructure such as roads, electricity, drinking water and drainage in the parks, Mr. Katti informed. He added that the growers would be offered incentives to set up wine production and processing units.
Grover Vineyards is the major wine producer in Karnataka on the foothills of Nandi Hills near Bangalore (Nandi Valley), while Hampi Heritage Winery owned by a local politician is located in Bijapur (Krishna Valley).
Kapil Grover, Managing Director of Grover Vineyards is pleased with the announcement. He says, 'we welcome more wineries coming up in the state. We have always believed, based on our extensive viticulture studies that Karnataka and parts of Andhra with similar topography are the best vine growing areas in the country.' As a member of the Karnataka Wine Board, headed by Mr. M.D. Krishna, he has been an ardent supporter of Wine Parks.
Another bit of support comes expectedly from John Paul, Chairman owner of Chateau de Banyan. Based in Bangalore, John has bought vineyard land in Karnataka, a winery next to his distillery in Goa and buys grapes from Maharashtra for his wines. 'We are already thinking of a setting up a boutique winery in Karnataka, where we can also promote wine tourism. Paul is also in the hospitality industry owning a hotel in Bangalore and a resort in the backwaters of Kochi.
Wine Board
The Wine Parks are based on the recommendation of the Wine Board constituted by the government last year, to inspect and regulate the fruit and wine quality, frame rules, approve labels, conduct research, organised exhibitions and take grape growers and others connected with the industry to wineries in India and abroad to create marketing facilities. About 9,700 hectares of land is under grape cultivation in the State, and the estimated annual production is 167,000 tons. Bangalore is the third largest market for wine in India after Mumbai and Delhi.
It appears the Karnataka government has finally decided to use the winery manual that was air-lifted from Maharashtra years ago after the success of the policy announced in Maharashtra.
In the meanwhile, the announced policy of charging Rs.300 a bulk liter on the wines from out-of state- Indian as well as imported, has been put on hold despite the state cabinet approving it, presumably because of the recent changes of government which is undergoing bouts of introspection and lobbying.
However, there is no denying that Karnataka is finally shifting gears towards a respectable place in the Indian wine industry map, which it richly deserves. |