After Games, a wine contest?

Commonwealth nations and their wine story

Since at least seven of the 53 countries that comprise the ‘Commonwealth of Nations’ produce wine (Australia, Canada, Cyprus, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and England), the thought comes to mind: why not a ‘Commonwealth Wine Competition’?

Of course, like in the recently concluded Games, Australia would win such a competition, if production was the criteria, and the UK would lead hands down if it came to consumption.

The statistics of wine production and consumption are fascinating: Australia is the sixth largest wine producer worldwide with nearly 1.5 billion litres produced in 2008. But it consumed only 460 million litres itself, leaving 1.0 billion litres for export.

The next largest producer (in the Commonwealth) is South Africa, which produced 1.03 billion litres but consumed only 351 million, leaving some 680 million litres to be exported. The UK, on the other hand, produced practically nothing, but consumed 1.16 billion litres, thereby gaining the distinction of being the single largest wine importing country worldwide!

New Zealand produced 130 million litres and consumed only 89 million, while Canada produced 54 million litres but consumed a respectable 405 million. Even tiny Cyprus made 40 million litres of wine and consumed 16.5 million. India was last, with a production of 10 million litres and consumption of 12 million of wine in 2008.

Come to think of it, perhaps it’s premature to hold a ‘Wines of the Commonwealth nations’ competition. Let’s see what happens next month when many Indian wineries are going off to participate in the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair — since that island reduced its customs duties on wines to zero, and since it’s the entrepôt to China (the fifth largest wine consumer worldwide), there’s huge interest and participation by producers from all over the world.

Our country is, however, no laggard when it comes to spirit consumption, downing an estimated 2.5 billion litres of the stuff last year — no wonder that United Spirits Ltd. is all set to become the world’s largest company by volume next year. While most of what is quaffed here is cheap spirits (the ‘pauwa’ or 180 ml ‘nip’ bottle retails for as little as Rs 20), the volumes indicate the potential for future growth (for wines) along with disposable incomes and the changing lifestyle of a burgeoning middle class.

Of course, for that to happen, prices would need to fall and quality improve — which, in turn, requires sensible state policies (along the lines of Maharashtra and Karnataka), and a recognition that just because all retail vends are called ‘Wine Shops’ doesn’t mean that wine is the same as rotgut daaru!

Meanwhile, if anyone is interested in the wines produced in the key Commonwealth nations above, look through either www.thewinedoctor.com  or www.wineanorak.com, both of which have good general notes on wines from around the world. More specialist websites can just be googled, (eg ‘Wines of Canada’ or ‘Wines of South Africa’).

Wines I’ve been drinking: Yaana, from a new winery near Bidar, in North-West Karnataka — they had been supplying grapes to Sula since 2007 and decided to set up their own winery when the state’s new wine policy was announced in 2008. Pretty good among conventional varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon) — but will probably take time to become available outside Bangalore.

[Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant]