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July 2011 - Posts
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At Hosabale, a remote village in Shimoga district, pineapple wine could soon be made on a commercial scale.
Manjunath Hegade (46), a pineapple grower, is knocking on the doors of the state excise department to get a licence to produce wine from pineapple. If he succeeds, Hosabale will have India’s first pineapple winery.
Discovery Trail
Experimenting at his makeshift brewery located on a sprawling 18-acre plot, Manjunath has successfully brewed a couple of barrels of pineapple wine in the last two years.
Ecstatic over the results, Manjunath has sent a proposal along with the wine samples to the technical committee of the excise department, responsible for permitting liquor production from a new substance. “It is something new and being done for the first time in the country. We are analysing the samples in our laboratory before giving our nod for the actual production,” said Excise Minister M P Renukacharya.
Anti-cancer
Pineapple has medicinal properties and is commonly used in the Malnad area as a cure for various ailments. While tanning areca and tobacco, the major crops in this area, farmers develop mucous fibrosis which can eventually lead to cancer. But this can be prevented with pineapple.
“Also, pineapple wine has bromelain enzyme which can act as an anti-cancer drug. This apart, it is also good for those suffering from asthma and bronchitis,” said Manjunath.
Minister Renukacharya added that pineapple wine could cut excessive cholesterol, reducing instances of heart attack in the long run.
More: Bangaloremirror
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Rs.999 for a Sula Vineyards (Nashik) Estate Tour + Premium Wine Tasting Session (5 Wines) + Veg Buffet Dinner at Little Italy + Unlimited House Wine for One Person.
Little Italy is Sula’s speciality restaurant. If you want to stay on at the scenic vineyards, you may plan a weekend trip next time.
More: desidime.com
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Diageo PLC is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine.
In an excusive interview with CNBC-TV18’s Executive Editor Shereen Bhan, Asia Pacific President of Diageo, Gilbert Ghostine says that he considers India to be a very important market for the company.
“We strongly believe in the big potential of the Indian market. India is a 2.7 billion pounds spirits business and we have decided strategically to only compete in the 10 dollars and above or the Rs 600” he says.
He further talks about the relation Diageo has with the UB Group, and clearly states that they are not looking at any renegotiations with the company.
Q: I want to talk to you about India and the possibility of partnering with an Indian company. We know, and this is of course public information, that you did talk to Vijay Mallya, to the UB group. We understand that negotiations went on for a long time and eventually talks broken down between the two of you. Is there even the slightest possibility that there could be a resumption of conversation between the two of you? Would that be a strategic interest?
A: As you know we cannot comment on a specific acquisition, target or alliances. Overall, Diageo believes in alliances and we see alliances specifically in Asia Pacific as a way of growth for us and we will always be looking at opportunities in emerging Asia. But we cannot comment about any specific transaction.
More: Moneycontrol.com
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12th and Olive Wine Company1125 East Olive St (at 12th Ave)Seattle WA 98122PH-206.329.2399
India has a history of making wine; long before modern Europe, California and yes, Woodinville! Imagine that! Grapes grow all over this fabulous planet and where they grow wine is made. Expand your knowledge and your palate a bit, drop by and meet our friend Rupendhar Kanuri and taste some delicious wine!
Don’t worry, you wont have to learn any new grape types, you’ll recognize them all; Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc to name a few! 12th and Olive Wine Company wants to expand your horizons, try it!
Our tasting are always free and always have been! The way it should be!
More: Capitolhillseattle.com
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According to a study in the Journal of Consumer Research - the authors conducted a study in a Boston-area liquor store. Customers were told the store was conducting a blind taste test of a new wine. After tasting, half the customers were told the wine was from Italy; the remaining customers were told it was from India, a region not known for producing fine wines.
Similar to the previous study, people liked the wine more when they were told it was from India after sampling compared to when they were told it was from Italy, said the writers.
And nearly twice as many people opted to take a $5 coupon for the wine (instead of a gift of similar value) when they were told it was from India.
So does Indian wine taste better than those from the Italian vineyards?
It just depends on when you find out.
More: University of Chicago Press Journals
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India's free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union is held up over the issue of lowering import duty on automobiles and wines and spirits with New Delhi insisting that it is unable to reduce tariffs for both products that have a strong domestic lobby.
"We have told them (EU) that we are unable to offer any concessions since we have not included these two sectors in our FTAs," said a government official. Besides, fears of similar demands from other trading partners such as Japan and South Korea, with which India has already signed agreements without cutting customs duty on these products, is holding back any concessions from New Delhi.
"Japan has already written to the government saying that it would want duty concessions for automobiles if the same is offered to EU," said another senior government official involved with the negotiations.
More: The Times of India
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About 2,00,000 cases of wine are imported annually in India and Aspri has about 12 per cent market share. "We distribute 42 leading global brands in wines, spirits and beer segments from 18 countries in India. We are planning to add seven more brands this fiscal," Aspri Spirits CEO (Wines Division) Sumedh Singh Mandla told PTI here.
Out of the seven new brands, three will be wines from Spain, Australia and South Africa, three premium spirit brands from Mexico, Poland and Russia, and one cider brand from South Africa, he said.
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The University of Auckland has been given a $4 million section of the vineyard formerly known as Goldwater Estate, which will be the base for the wine science diploma course from next year.
Enrolments for the course are expected to double instantly as undergraduates move from the industrial campus in Glen Innes to the 14ha winery.
Wine Science director Randy Weaver said the new premises would enable New Zealand winemaking education to make ground on top campuses such as Roseworthy College in Adelaide.
"To teach theory is one thing, but to put them into a working environment where they're seeing things on a commercial scale and dealing with real-life problems will take them to a whole new level."
The vineyard, which produces Goldie Wines, will continue to operate and students will live onsite and learn from the existing staff.
There is also a growing number of international students from China and India seeking the diploma, before returning to burgeoning wine industries in their home countries.
More: Nzherald
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Nikhil Agarwal, 32, was working in a telecom company when a friend received a call to join Sula Vineyards. “She wasn’t interested but I literally grabbed the phone from her and asked for the job.
Agarwal persuaded his employers to send him on training courses to gain a formal education in wine. “Real education in wine comes from actually tasting it and experiencing as much of it as possible.” He started the consultancy All Things Nice in January 2010. Today he has four people working for him.
Agarwal chose to invest his savings so he would own All Things Nice outright. After starting the consultancy, he waited three months before launching the company in April with a 10-course, sit-down dinner with wine pairings.
All Things Nice also handles company gifting and has now started importing wine.
Agarwal also conducts training programmes for staff at some of Mumbai’s best hotels and runs classes for hotel management courses in colleges around Mumbai.
More: Livemint
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The 600-rupee glass of Sula wine: We understand that taxes are high on imported wine (although mind you it’s a well-kept secret that many hotels have access to duty-free imports). And we know that the cost of other things, including staff salaries and rent, goes into the menu price of a glass of wine. So we have made our peace with expensive foreign wine, mainly by not ordering it. But when we see a glass of Sula, from Maharashtra, sold for more than the entire bottle costs, as we did recently at New Delhi’s Imperial Hotel, we have to balk. At 600 rupees ($13) a glass, a bottle nets about 3,000 rupees – which is roughly a 500% mark-up. It’s not much cheaper in Maharashtra itself: at Mumbai’s Olive Bar & Kitchen, a glass of Sula comes with a 425-rupee price tag.
More: The Wall Street Journal Blog
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 Talks
between the European Commission and Indian government are in the Final stages.
The Good news is that it could substantially bring down India's high tarrifs on
imported alcohol.
French wine dominates among the Indian imported wines with
an approximate 40 % and even Italian wines now have a 9 % Market share according
to exportimportstatistics.com.
Basic customs duty on wine has been 150% since 2007. A
secondary duty was removed that year in response to European and U.S. complaints
to the World Trade Organization. But there are also a slew of local taxes that
vary from state to state as well on top of that.
In the April-February 2010-11 period, India recorded a 47%
increase in import ofalcoholic beverages to Rs 482 crore, from Rs 327 crore in
the same period of the previous fiscal.
The government was also proposing to sign similar
agreements New Zealand and Australia, with India-NZ free trade negotiations also
in the final stages and the agreement is likely to be concluded by March next
year.
The day is not far away, that we can taste cheaper imported
wines in India.
- Siyamalan
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Keeping in sync with changing times, Delhi's original fast food chain Nirula's will also start serving alcoholic drinks
such as wine and beer to its customers. Of late, other restaurant chains such as Barista Lavazza, have also started
serving alcoholic drinks. Nirula's currently operates about 85 quick service restaurants across India and plans to add
50 new by the end of this fiscal. "We have plans to enter six new cities and
expand presence by setting up 50 new Nirula's outlets with an investment of up
to Rs 15 crore, a combination of company's funds and franchisees' money," he
said.
Nirula's also operates five casual dining outlets called Nirula's Potpourri. More: timesofindia.com
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Import Procedures. All alcoholic beverages may be imported into India under an
Open General Licence (OGL) which means no specific licence is required to import
wines into India. However, for any general imports, the import company must get
an Import Export Code (IEC) issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade,
Ministry of Commerce. There are several levels of taxes. The main taxes on wines in India are:
A. Custom duties on imports
Custom duties are imposed on the CIF value and are roughly 160%. There are some
additional fees like a Government education tax and as mentioned in the import
note above, there is also interest payable.
B. State
taxes
EXCISE PERMITS: State taxes (Excise duty) payable to
obtain a permit to transport and consume wine within that state. Alcoholic
beverages are a state subject in India, so each state has its own rules and
regulations and duties & taxes on wine.
Excise duties vary from state to state, with Rs 300 per bulk litre in Karnataka
(Bangalore), similarly in Maharashtra (Mumbai) and nil in Haryana (Gurgaon).
Taxes were 30% of final MRP in Delhi (this is roughly 150-200% of CIF) in
2010-2011.
The new tax rates, announced on 7 June 2011 will be effective
from 1 July, 2011. The tax rate in Delhi has now been revised to 65% of the
importers wholesale price (WSP) up to Rs 1000 and 50% on the additional value.
Wholesale Price, WSP has been defined as the duty-free import price plus
importer's margin. It does not include Custom Duty, Duty, VAT and other levies,
if any. It does, however, include CIF (cost, insurance and freight), margins and
all other charges of the importers/L-1F Licencee. OTHER COSTS:
In addition to this, if the wines are to be
retailed, a sales incentive of around Rs 100 ($2) per bottle is payable to
retail sales staff as to sell the wine. Since every supplier is offering this,
the shop boys do not sell wine unless they receive cash incentives. Customs and excise 'babus' must also be paid monthly incentives to process
paperwork.
More: 4hoteliers.com Sommelier India is India’s first and only magazine dedicated to
wine and wine lovers. Filled with news, feature articles, wine profiles and the
culture surrounding wine, Sommelier India is written by international and Indian
writers, wine experts and aficionados. http://www.sommelierindia.com/
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OIV is globally recognized for its competence for work concerning vines, wine,
wine-based beverages, table grapes and raisins. Delhi-based wine expert Subhash Arora, founder-president of the Indian Wine
Academy, was honoured with the prestigious Merite de l'OIV by the International
Organization of Vine and Wine at its 34th World Conference held in Porto,
Portugal. OIV director general Federico Castellucci observed that India was the ninth
biggest producer of grapes worldwide and will benefit from the OIV membership by
having access to all scientific information available with it. More: The Economic Times
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