 Good Earth has finally introduced a new line of wines designed to demonstrate the synergies of wine and Indian food pairings, says a company release, hopefully not implying that the earlier wines costing as high as Rs. 1450 for their Reserve Concerto Collection offered no such possibilities. The regional player does not have these wines in Delhi yet, but they are readily available in Maharashtra.
“We want to demolish the myth that Indian spices and cooking techniques are not compatible with wine, “said Girish Mhatre, founder owner of Good Earth Winery while announcing that his team had developed the taste profiles of their new line of wines to match and enhance some of the most popular Indian dishes. ‘Everyday wines for everyday meals’ seems to be the mantra for marketing this range though it seems to send a signal that after trying their hand selling high priced wines, they are ready to face reality and compete with the rest in the pack to increase volumes and the market share.
Blanca is a white wine made from Nashik Chenin Blanc and is priced at a reasonable Rs. 495 as compared to the Sauvignon Blanc (Aarohi) costing Rs.725. Bella rosé made from Shiraz sells for Rs. 575 while the red Shiraz- Cabernet blend labeled Bleu is priced at Rs. 555- still higher than some of the established labels but within the compare and compete range. All the wines have been ostensibly crafted to match different Indian dishes. The company has also been prudent to introduce them in half-bottle sizes (375 mL).
Existing range includes Concerto Collection- a Reserve range which has Basso (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Brio (Shiraz). Raga Collection has Aarohi (Sauvignon Blanc), Antaraa (Cabernet-Shiraz), Taal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Tarang (primarily Shiraz), in tune with Girish’s love for classical music.
The company has a virtual winery, which means that they do not own any winery physically but buy the selected grapes and make their wines in a rented winery where their Director and winemaker Rajesh Rasal produces the wines. The website now has it addressing itself as an artisanal winery, perhaps as a marketing strategy which has been a forte with them right from the beginning, with naming and designing labels and giving marketing support and incentives in various forms to the consumers including a membership to the Concerto Club, a loyalty programme for its customers.
After an interview with the owner Girish Mhatre in November 2009, delWine had expressed concern that priced at Rs.1450 for Basso, Rs.1375 for Brio it seemed to be a tough ride ahead for the company to sell high volumes and make profits. But it was possibly their plan to build the brand. Getting registered with the Indian Embassy in Washington DC as a wine supplier this year is another feather in its cap and has helped its brand image.
The introductory offer of the new range gets you one complimentary bottle when you buy the taste pack of all three. Membership to the Concerto Club is a bonus. It makes sense to try out these wines at this price point with the attractive offer.
Good Earth wines are extensively available in Mumbai as also in Pune and Nashik. Several hotels and restaurants also stock these wines. For the complete listing and more details, visit www.goodearthwinery.com
For an earlier article in delWine, visit Get Set to Taste the Good Earth
Subhash Arora |