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Earlier slated to be held in December when the plans were announced in September, the festival seems to have been postponed for a couple of months. DTTDC boasts of showcasing select wines from across the world, tasting sessions, lectures on global traditions and exhibitions of different types of glassware associated with the moniker; all this and more will be on display in the Capital early next year with the city government planning to host Delhi’s first-ever wine festival.
It may sound Utopian but according to a proposal given to the Hindustan Times, “In order to increase the consumption of wine which is food-based and natural - and to wean people away from hard liquor, they have to be educated about the benefits of the drink,” reportedly says the department organising the festival. It would be a significant departure from the government stand thus far, which in general has been averse to delinking wine from spirits and hard liquor which is the favourite drink not only in Delhi but across India where over 600 million cases of whisky and beer are consumed against around 2.4 million cases of wine as estimated by Indian Wine Academy.
Leading Indian and international wineries will be a part of the fest. Officials plan to promote cultural interactions with other countries and attract foreign tourists through the event. Sources said they are consulting wine connoisseurs to make the event successful. “Consumers aren’t aware about the quality of wine, the optimum temperature for proper storage of wine and the different types of Indian snacks that go with wine. The event will answer these and many other questions to help consumers make the most of their wine drinking sessions,’ according to the report. The statement is interesting because not all stores operated by DTTDC which has several wine shops in Delhi, store wine in an air-conditioned space even though they were the first in Delhi to recognise the importance of doing so, and open a separate air-conditioned section for wines about 7-8 years ago in their shop in Greater Kailash II.
The strategy would be to keep the entry tickets high unlike the festivals like Bangalore Wine Festival organised by the Karnataka Wine Board and those in cities like Mumbai, Goa and Pune. This is ostensibly to restrict the festival mainly to those who already enjoy drinking wine. With major Indian and international wineries taking part, the festival is expected to promote cultural interactions and attract foreign tourists, says DTTDC The festival is expected to give boost to the tourism sector since all the countries have their embassies, high commissions or consulates in the capital.
In order to complement and further enrich the flavour of wines, cuisines from across the world will be available at the festival. Officials said a grape stomping session, along with other cultural activities were also being planned.
“We have heard that Latin dances (Salsa, Zumba!?) and several other activities are included in the events such as open grills and tasting contests. We have also heard of the Karnataka International Wine Festival. We want to have a special festival that people will look forward to annually. The pleasant weather at the time of the festival will add to the experience,” a Delhi Tourism official said. Officials believe that there are sufficient wine consumers and wine lovers in the capital to make the festival a success.
The Garden of Five Senses is more than a mere park with spaces and a variety of activities, inviting public interaction and exploration. It was developed by the Delhi Tourism Transportation Development Corporation, and was conceptualized and opened in February 2013 to answer to the city's need for leisure space for the public. It is build on a spectacular twenty-acre site, located close to the Mehrauli heritage area in New Delhi and would offer the possibility of a grand wine event- a long-felt need of the city.
It would be very encouraging if DTTDC could have FSSAI on their side too. Due to the stringent and unclear labelling requirements the import of wine has been severely curtailed. During this year there have been shortages in wine supply and many consignments have been rejected and sent back due to non-clarity of the requirements, It would be in fitness of things if they could get the co-operation of FSSAI and have them participate in the seminar to educate the wine connoisseurs and wine lovers who are expected to attend about the laws and why the government cannot be lenient or practical about following the requirements.
The current financial year will see a fall in the wine sales squarely due to the lack of clarity in labelling requirements. Many foreign producers have refused to supply wine under the new regimen and have already pulled out of the market. The Delhi Wine Festival is unlikely to help bridge the gap.
Subhash Arora
Tags: Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Garden of Senses, Karnataka International Wine Festival, FSSAI |