Sat-Sriakal, Namaste, Salaam, Pleased to meet you….Enchante.

61 Years Ago The British, ruled India….There were no Indians in Britain, and in India – ‘Wine’ if uttered at all meant ‘a distilled drink so potent in alcohol it would knock your socks off on a cold night’

Figure 1 Bronze Dancing Girl from Mohenjo-Dara circa 2500 B.C

61 Years later and Indians in India are responsible for their own fate….Indian food is the most popular dish in the UK, and in India – wine is beginning to mean wine again.

Why do I say ‘Again’. It seems to me that the current inhabitants are discovering something that has long been known about in these lands.

India has had its fair share of civilizations. Last Century Archaeologists discovered evidence of the Harappan Civilization circa 3000 B.C – now thought of as one of the three Ancient Civilizations. Such was the skill and knowledge of this civilization that they crafted magnificent works of art including the famous ‘Bronze Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Dara’ circa 2500 BC.

Since then we have, amongst others, had the Vedic Era, Mauryans, Alexander and the Macedonians, The Guptas, The Mughals, The British and now The Indians….How will this Civilization come to be known in Centuries to come…..

The point is that Cultures, Technologies and Foods have ebbed and flowed with these epochs as surely as the tides of the seas. The Great Bronze Craftsmanship of the early Harappans disappeared on their demise and only re-surfaced hundreds of years later.

The story of wine treads a similar path, flourishing in certain era, floundering in others – but one thing is certain – it was always In India.

….And now 60 years after Independence, Indians are coming out of the shadows of previous epochs and are reaching a new period of self definition – with themselves and the world around them. At present in India, it is almost as if wine is that bridge which links Indians to the notion of the developed world. If the Caste System has been Shed, The Class System is stamping its authority.

Wine is many things to many people. My own romantic vision is based in the Feudal times of European and Russian history, as hard working peasants having worked hard in their Masters’ fields, would at the end of the day, in their small abodes, find solace in each other’s company, a hunker of bread and a caraffe of wine. For the likes of Napoleon or Jehangir, it was drunk out of Golden Cups and cemented their status in society as Imperial Monarchs.

At its most simple and sublime, it is a food which allows people to more easily connect with people and even themselves. The aromas and tastes, evoking new thoughts and memories, emotions and needs. These things are not taught – they are felt. Indians do not need experts from this country or that swilling glasses this way and that, to be educated about wine. In every Indian, the history of wine abides deep within themselves. It is just a memory that needs to be re-awakened.

So where will the Indian wine revolution go from here….One of two ways I think – you can discuss the merits of each. The path of Marketing need, of Global Capitalist requirement….Wine as the Symbol that exclusively Champions the aspirations of the new breed of Indians – The burgeoning Middle Class – The magic number ‘200 million’, a prize to be had. This wine will have difficulty being Indian. When Indians taste this wine, they will taste Paris, Milan, Los Angeles – Not Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore….perhaps that’s what is wanted.

Or….The path of ‘Indianess’. An Ancient product, long known to Indians, re-introduced to its people – all people - as a product that has no class owner, but rather symbolizes classlessness itself. The natural empathy between people.

I am not advocating either path, and am not saying that they are mutually exclusive, but I do wish in talking to Indian winemakers and Indian wine-drinkers, that at this stage of development, there may be less insistence to look outside India to find the answers

Having Studied Viticulture and Oenology, I worked in winemaking for several years in New Zealand - in particular at Sacred Hill in Hawkes Bay, where I worked with Senior Winemaker Tony Bish and his team. Since then I have worked as a Fine Wine Merchant at Fine and Rare Wines in London. During this time, I have observed the Indian Wine Culture, spoken with many farmers, tasted many wines and have also mapped out Viticulturally optimum micro-climates for various Varieties within India.

To all the pioneering winemakers, merchants, farmers, wine clubs in India – I applaud what has been achieved thus far. What I throw out there is, if this is really a Revolution, then each one of you who has been involved in the journey thus far needs to ask themselves now ‘What is the philosophy and ideology that drives Indian Wine’. In France they do have a term for this. It is called ‘Terroir’
 

Author: Puneet Dhall