 Sula has a fairly wide range of premium wines which are quite reasonably priced. Sula Brut at $7 (Rs. 310) is probably the best value-for-money wine in the whole wine section followed by the slightly lower quality Seco at $6. The most expensive wine is Dindori Reserve Viognier ($10) though one could not spot the more popular red, Shiraz.
The other wines fall within the range with the ubiquitous Chenin Blanc toeing the line at $6, the popular Sauvignon Blanc at $7 and Shiraz at slightly expensive $8 and Zinfandel at relatively unattractive $9, according to the price display. The Zin Rose is at a modest $6, making them all good buys at different price points. It’s a pity that their Rosé bubbly is not there in the current portfolio.
In contrast, the complete range of Four Seasons varietals is priced at the original $10 including the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc while the Barrique Reserve range sticks out like a sore thumb at $20 a bottle, despite the excellent display.
Wincarnis Health Wine
A pleasant surprise was the availability and display of Wincarnis Ginger and Tonic wines. Fortified with herbs to an alcohol level of 17%, the ‘natural, revitalizing and nourishing wine’ from the London based, Hedges and Butler Ltd, had raised many enquiries from the delWine readers when an article had been earlier written about these health and tonic wines. The Ginger version has been priced at $14 and the Tonic at $12.
Indifferent wine service
If Wincarnis has not sold much since its introduction a few weeks ago, it is partly because the sales staff is neither well informed nor motivated enough to sell it. They had no clue about the wine’s characteristics. Surprisingly, when I could not hide my excitement about finding the wine and my telling them I would like to add it in my planned wine feature, the sales supervisor was reluctant to let me take a proper picture after I had realised that my blackberry had not made the best possible picture.
However, he did connect me to his supervisor, one Mr. Aneesh sir, who was even less enthusiastic and more suspecting of my motive for the picture and regretted, slapping the company policy at my face. My plea that it would be welcome by many of our readers who are interested in this wine and the picture might help them increase their sale of this wine had no effect on him, though he was quite polite. (to put things in proper perspective, no winery has ever refused me or any other journalist from ever taking a picture even when they have installed a unique equipment or process-that is truly the wonderful world of wine)
Not that the staff on the floor was any more motivated. Prices of the majority of Sula wines were not displayed anywhere. I hand-carried at least four bottles to the cashier who read the bar code to give me the prices. There was no way for a potential buyer to know the price without going through this price. In my presence, two walk-in passengers-one Indian group of wine enthusiasts and another-a young foreign girl, spent a few minutes with confused looks on their faces and walked away without buying and missing great deals, with Sula being at almost half the street price.
While I found it almost impossible to keep my mouth shut and offer unsolicited advice, here were just a couple of examples in front of my eyes, out of thousands of occasions when the potential wine sales are perhaps being missed out every day in Retail and restaurants in India.
It was not surprising to see that there were absolutely no ‘specials’ on any wine-foreign or Indian-including Champagnes which hog bigger than earlier space with Dom Perignon Vintage champagnes priced at up to around $250. The whisky and liquor counters close-by-like Chivas, Teachers and Grey Goose had practically every shelf showing off some deals that made once stop and at least take a second look.
 Most of Sula labels selling at almost half of their street prices, made me wonder about the customs rules. Two bottles of foreign wine or liquor is allowed without duty but 5 liters of legitimately purchased alcohol can be carried personally while flying from one state to the other. Does it mean that one can buy 6 bottles of Indian premium wine- at half the street price? I would love to carry 6 bottles of Sula Brut at $7 every time I return from my foreign assignment, if someone can clarify- despite the indifferent attitude of the sales staff.
So far as the Wincarnis is concerned, if you believe in the health benefits- the label on the bottle suggests taking a small glassful 3 times a day, just go to the wine counter and insist on it-if you are lucky the sales clerk might be aware where it is displayed and may even direct you towards it.
For our earlier article, please visit Blog: Wincarnis Wine- Tonic yet not Tannic :
Subhash Arora |