Neeraj Sachdeva talks about growing wine market of India

As young Indians seek approachability, affordability, and sustainability in their wine purchases, local brands and vineyards respond by ditching snobbery in favour of cans, easy-drinking spritzers, and Syrah-rinsed cheese. Neeraj Sachdeva, the director of Lakeforest Wines describes the growth of wine market of India.

Indian wines are maturing, and how. During the pandemic, Indian viticulture experienced a resurgence as consumers explored wines across categories and price ranges, to drink on their couches through lockdowns and then, last year's bursts of home dinner parties. “Wine sales have increased as brands innovate to appeal to new consumers, and with pandemic restrictions lifted across the country, which is good news for an industry that thrives on celebratory occasions,” says Neeraj Sachdeva, the director of Lakeforest Wines.

According to a recent report by Technavio, a global research and advisory firm, the industry is expected to grow by $274 million by 2026, with a 29.3% year on year growth in 2022, thanks to a Rosé renaissance, a focus on sustainability, and a growing base of enthusiastic consumers. “Wine consumption has steadily increased over the last two years; currently, nearly 3/4 of our sales are off-trade, with only 1/4 on-trade," explains Neeraj Sachdeva.

Home delivery in the State pushed sales during 2020-21 lockdowns at Fratelli Wines, based in Akluj, Maharashtra, but once stores opened, they observed people across the board prefer browsing through wine selections and are returning to big stores. The All India Wine Producers Association has benefited from excise tax and duty rationalisation in Maharashtra and West Bengal, but the industry wants a separate category for wine in the excise lexicon.

Previously, international tourists drove consumption in the Indian wine industry, but this is changing. Enrollment in wine education courses has increased by 200% among Indian consumers. Single serve wines are popular now because they are inexpensive and easy on the palate. We are also seeing an increase in demand for rosé, the market's fastest growing category. “Once considered a feminine brunch staple, rosé is now a gender-neutral beverage of choice in either it’s still or sparkling variant," Neeraj Sachdeva, the director of Lakeforest Wines says.

White wines are typically preferred by first-time drinkers because they are easier on the palate, while reds with tannins provide a drier mouthfeel. Rosé complements the approachability of a white and the flavour complexity of a red. Grover Zampa, one of the country's oldest winemakers with vineyards in Nandi Hills, Karnataka, and Nashik, Maharashtra, navigated the pandemic with the December 2021 release of its Signet Collection, a range of premium red wines aged in traditional European vessels, a first for the winemakers. Signet is India's first winery to use foudres, amphoras (two-handled pots with a neck narrower than the body, used as decanters in ancient Greece), and concrete tanks to age their wines. While the brand processes its wine in Italian steel tanks, the Signet range uses different earthy materials traditionally used in Europe, which interact with the wine differently, providing a distinct mouthfeel and tasting notes.

Neeraj Sachdeva informs that bringing wines to market during the pandemic was difficult, with pandemic restrictions in place during the April-June harvest season in 2020, and imports of special ageing vessels halted. "Because wine is a living liquid, we had to be mindful of the amount of time it spent in tanks and bottles, allowing the sommeliers to do their part while dealing with logistical challenges."

During the pandemic, India's leading wine brands released a variety of wines with varying treatment and price points. "The Indian wine industry has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, producing some exceptional wines," says Sachdeva. “While the 1,000-1,300 price range does very well, there are higher end wines, such as Rasa, that sell closer to 1,800, and there is a market for that as well,” he adds.

The Indian wine industry is looking to increase visibility and accessibility as well as sales through boutique liquor stores. Making wines more accessible is good for producers, and because this is an agricultural industry, it is also good for those who work on vineyards.