{"id":5931,"date":"2022-10-31T20:59:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T15:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/?p=5931"},"modified":"2022-11-02T18:41:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T13:11:28","slug":"item_5_919","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/item_5_919\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashwin Rodriquez: \u00a0Man with a Mission from Rio and Casablanca"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5931\" class=\"elementor elementor-5931\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4720b6a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4720b6a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-53f09f7\" data-id=\"53f09f7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70aab53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70aab53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Posted: Monday, 31 October 2022 21:13<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ad9e937\" data-id=\"ad9e937\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cccb2a7\" data-id=\"cccb2a7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b4aea3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b4aea3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<u>If you Like this article, please click\n<iframe style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden; width: 120px; height: 21px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?app_id=173955395995712&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwineguyindia&amp;send=false&amp;layout=button_count&amp;width=120&amp;show_faces=false&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;font=arial&amp;height=21\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/u>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9669605 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9669605\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b62f3ec\" data-id=\"b62f3ec\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0e78f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0e78f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n<div>\n<h1 class=\"articlepagetitle_heading\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Ashwin Rodrigues:<\/span> Man with a Mission from Rio and Casablanca<\/h1>\n<div class=\"articlepageintroline\">Oct 31: Ashwin Rodrigues, the founder Director of Good Drop Cellars Pvt Ltd is a man with the mission-besides being the Sparkling wine specialist making a full range of wines from Rio to Casablanca, he wants the wine to be democratised and believes in advocacy with the government in various states to make a dent in the supply as well as the demand side and make wine more approachable and affordable for the masses, writes Subhash Arora who chatted with him at length<\/div>\n<div class=\"articledata\"><figure id=\"attachment_lft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-lft\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Ashwin.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Ashwin-300x200.png\" alt=\"Ashwin Rodrigues\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-lft\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ashwin Rodrigues<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ashwin Rodrigues is a man in a hurry-and a Mission. You talk to him about the production and sales of his winery at Vinchur Park and he is not excited, talk about bigger things he has on his mind -bigger market for everyone and participation of middle classes in the revolution and there is that sparkle in his eyes. He is savvy enough to have taken part in both the Vinexpo India Wine Shows in Delhi and Mumbai and the Masterclasses and is ready again to participate in Delhi with full gusto and vigour with a Stand and a Masterclass with a difference. He also participated in both the editions of ProWine Mumbai and also in the North-East Food Fest powered by Vinexpo India, earlier this year in Shillong with a Masterclass to boot-truly democratic!<\/p>\n<p>Talk to him about his time during Covid and he opens up. \u2018I decided to go meet the excise guys during Covid. They were very receptive and helpful in discussions. In fact, I must have been to their office about 50 times from May- October, 2020. The problem I put in front of them was the survival of Good Drop Cellars and the Maharashtra wineries in general. Tanks were full-there were no takers for the liquid. At this rate, it would not be possible to crush in 2021, he told them and they were all ears.<\/p>\n<p>So what was the solution, they asked him in a very positive state of mind. \u2018Supply side is one thing where the government has helped us all along. It\u2019s the demand side which is constricted with a few retail stores demanding their pound of flesh. We want to increase the availability of wine to the consumer.\u2019 So he suggested the Shelf-in-shop concept-incidentally, the term was coined by him. \u2018We want the consumers, especially women to come to the grocery shop and order a bottle or two of wine along with groceries.\u2019 The department and excise officials were very receptive and later the AIWPA (All India Wine Producers Association joined hands and made it an Association agenda.\u2019 We know what happened to the concept \u2013 with Anna Hazare\u2019s opposition and the change in government, the concept was kept on the back burner.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;But something interesting happened in the meantime. The retail license for wine at retail shops for a nominal 7.500 for wine only was granted and currently I am encouraging small grocery shops to apply for a license for this \u2018shop in shop\u2019 concept where they can stock wine in a small corner within the grocery store. This FLW2 License is the only retails license at Rs. 7,500 only, that can be used for a standalone shop or a shop- in- shop (like Nature\u2019s Basket, for instance), but Tasting is not allowed with this license.\u2019 So you might soon see these shops selling wine through these shop-in-shops.\u2019 His emphasis is that every bottle of wine sold is money in the pocket of the farmer. There is money in it for farmers even when there is distillation or fermentation of grains but fruit wines have the maximum benefits for the farmers. He says the benefit to the farmer can be 20 times more than the molasses-based spirits!.<\/p>\n<p>Maharashtra also has a E2 license for wine bars. From this year onwards, retail sales will also be permitted through this license. This License can be used for \u2018Taste and Buy\u2019 concept. License Fee is currently Rs. 125,000 only (for the highest population slab), he says.<\/p>\n<p>Full of fire in his guts, Ashwin wants the Association to move pan India and promote not only marketing of wine but also making fruit wines as the fruits are in abundance all across India even if grapes have their limitations. `We must organise seminars all across India and help the States to increase production which will be eventually sold within the state, getting money for the farmers. Incidentally, he was the lead organiser for the UP Fruit Wine Symposium which was co-organised by the AIWPA and the UP government. It has kick-started the UP Wine Industry. Today, 17 wineries are in the pipeline in UP, he says.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Presidential Candidate for AIWPA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having worked as the Managing committee member of the Association, Ashwin is all charged up for the Association to play a national role and would not mind trying a hand at heading the Association when elections are held next. Due in September, 2022, they have been inexplicably postponed till December but he will be ready when the elections are held. \u2018We need to tackle each State individually. I have worked with Orissa and Kerala on a couple of issues where we had a winning hand. We have to visit the markets and do advocacy to help the farmers and expand the market.\u2019 He does not mind spending money from his pocket. \u2018I am willing to keep about Rs. 20 Lakhs from my pocket for the Association. After all, when I go to the new states, I am also doing a quasi-market survey for my products there. We do have funds available at Rs. 0.50 per bulk liter sales. So funds cannot be a limitation.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He is also disappointed that the industry is not utilizing the resources of the Grape research organisation which has focused on the eating grapes instead and has made grape exports a very successful industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I want Indian wine industry to be a leader in social responsibility by taking up initiatives like drink-and drive, Alcoholism and reducing carbon footprints,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n<p>Ashwin is bubbling with ideas as much as his wines are bubbling in the tanks. Hopefully, given a chance, he might be able to change the Indian wine scene in a big way \u2013or at least start moving things in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>DelWine wishes him all the best in his passion and commitment to make the wine industry discover the sheen that it has been lacking-despite a helping hand by the Maharashtra government.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also Read- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/item_1_639.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Rodrigues: Sparkling Man from Rio and Casablanca<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Subhash Arora <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Posted: Monday, 31 October 2022 21:13 If you Like this article, please click Ashwin Rodrigues: Man with a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other-headlines","category-wine-food-feature"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","slider-bg":"","card-grid":"","card-list":"","morenews-featured":"","morenews-large":"","morenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/author\/admin\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/category\/other-headlines\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Other Headlines<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/category\/wine-food-feature\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Wine &amp; Food Feature<\/a>","tag_info":"Wine &amp; Food Feature","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5931"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6017,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5931\/revisions\/6017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.indianwineacademy.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}