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 Sileni were earlier represented by the Mumbai-based Finewinesnmore (FWM) who discontinued the import business earlier this year. Says Sumit Sehgal, Director Prestige Wines, 'we met with the Averies in Vinexpo after some initial contact and since we did not have New Zealand wines in our portfolio, we decided to start business with them. The shipment is expected to arrive in December and we shall start marketing in January though this fiscal year will be more or less tasting and sampling with the trade.’
Sileni is the 8th largest wine company in terms of sales and is ranked at no. 3 as a family owned winery-behind Villa Maria (imported by Brindco) and St. Clair (importer: Wine Park), says Simon, the elder of the two sons, both of whom are involved in the family business. Simon was on his first visit to India. ‘My brother had met FWM around 5 years ago when the business was started with them. Unfortunately, that was the only time we had a direct contact.’
Sileni came into existence by chance. Their father Sir Graeme Avery had been a successful medical books publisher who sold his business twice and finally decided to semi-retire in 1997 and bought a farm mainly as a retirement project and proposed to sell around 4,000 cases a year. Obviously, that’s not what happened. With a sale of 75,000 cases today and land holdings of a total of 700 acres- 40% of which are privately owned by him-the balanced being under long term tie-ups, it’s become a serious business, Simon says with a smile. 'Australia is our biggest market at 350,000 cases. They would take 500,000 if we could supply them,' he says. The US follows at 100,000 cases. UK and Europe buys 100,000. Japan is a good market with 50,000 cases where they have 20% market share and Sileni is the biggest selling New Zealand brand. In Singapore it is around 30%-again as the top New Zealand Brand.
With a total market of around 5,000 cases in India and the importers and the hospitality industry persons expecting frequent visits from the principals, how viable is the market for them, I ask. Admitting it is a Catch 22 situation, Simon says it is not remunerative to visit India frequently but knowing the huge potential for New Zealand wines, he says they would be willing to make more efforts this time around to get a share of the Indian market which really likes Kiwi wines but finds them a bit expensive.
Why New Zealand wines are better
Without denigrating any other wine producing nations, especially in the Old World with a lot of history, Simon believes that New Zealand wines are better than any other region for the following reasons:
- High UV light due to the ozone hole in their part of the world, causing the fruits and vegetables including grapes to have more concentration of flavours than other places.
- The soil has not been spoilt due to continuous use and misuse. Since New Zealand is relatively a virgin territory, the land is still not spoilt and with the sustainable growing commitment of New Zealand growers, it offers better soil.
- Sharing of information amongst the winemakers who are a tight knit group, makes it easier to work with competitors and sharing the knowledge for common benefits and improvements in the winemaking techniques. The winemakers meet each other regularly, taste each others’ wines and discuss ways to improve the quality constantly.
Simon adds that being relatively new in the business, the Kiwi producers are willing to experiment with different styles of wine. The New World producers including New Zealand have innovative ideas.
 One example for Sileni is in their Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc which is under shipment along with the Pinot Noir. Although most of their land is in Marlborough, they also own vineyards in Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District in Hawke’s Bay. The wine has 85% Sauvignon from Marlborough, blended with 11% from Hawke’s Bay and 4% Semillon, giving a more balanced and flavourful wine that is slightly lower in acidity and delicious, as I discovered from the Nano sample he was carrying.
Nano- Na, not only the car
Sileni Estates has developed NANO-a special 187mL PET bottle with a patented technology as a joint venture. The bottle has a serving glass of the same material that makes it easy to store and serve. The airline size makes it very convenient for retail sales-great for picnics, parties and lunches-on-the-go. ‘Though it is expensive-we need to sell 10 million bottles to recover the costs, it has gained in popularity. The PET is of special grade where it has shelf life of 2 years-and that too only after the liquid comes in contact with it. Thus, it can be used comfortably without the fear of any toxins, it’s unbreakable and has multiple uses. Moroever, it is the same liquid that goes into the regular bottles so one is assured of the same quality as the Cellar Selection but in a fourth of the regular bottle size.’
Nano might be a bit more expensive than the equivalent in the bottle, but its convenience and non wastage features might make it extremely popular with the younger set and one hopes it will be available to the consumers in India along with the regular sizes. Both variants - Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir -are expected to be retailed at around Rs. 2400-Rs. 3000 range, says Sumit Sehgal, the Director of Prestige.
Subhash Arora |