Off the shelf and over the Internet

While purchasing wines online has become quite common overseas, the plethora of excise rules and regulations in India has hamstrung this channel here.

Essentially, since alcoholic beverages (including wines) are a state subject in India, every state has its own rules and regulations (and duties and taxes) on the stuff: it's like operating in 28 (sorry, now 29) different countries! Moving wines between states involves complying with a huge number of rules: label registration, import permits, export pass, excise duties, and what-have-you.

The gatekeepers (state excise departments) don't permit any transaction that doesn't follow prescribed channels - and that certainly does not include direct-to-consumer shipping of wines (as is allowed in many states in the United States, for example).

However, a few innovative companies have now found a way to both comply with local excise rules while making it possible for consumers to order wines (and spirits) online and have the order delivered to an address of your choosing. These include:

* The Wine Society of India: There are no joining charges and they offer free home delivery in four metro cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata), but you are expected to purchase 24 bottles of wine in a year (of the lots they offer) - and you have to provide your credit card number on joining.

* WineOnlineIndia: It offers a wide selection of wines, spirits, and beers but only to consumers in the NCR (Delhi and Gurgaon) region - and their payment options are not clearly stated on the website.

* Winebazaar: This also offers a selection of wines, spirits, and beers but only to buyers in the city limits of Mumbai. Product details were not available at the time of writing, with a message on the website said"we are updating the site".

* Makemydrink: Again, a wide selection of spirits, beers, and wines for consumers only in Bangalore city - what is interesting is that it also offers complete catering solutions for parties.

There are a number of other online retailers - one prominent Mumbai-based wine importer did not want to be named for fear of getting hauled up by the authorities ("someone might complain"), which is a pity: the internet is a great medium for retailing, witness the boom of online sellers like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Olx.

Whichever vendor you choose, there's no denying that purchasing alcoholic beverages online has several benefits: One, you can research the product (particularly wine) and understand its provenance. Two, very often, you will get hefty discounts. And three, you have the convenience of the items being delivered to the address of choice.

So go try placing an order for your beverage of choice online, and prepare for a 'spiritually uplifting experience' then and thereafter!

Wines I've been drinking: The Wolftrap Rose from Boekenhoutskloof winery, South Africa (Rs 1,489) is bright pink, with a pungent and fruity aroma and a soft but crisp taste that's quite refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer's day. The legend behind the name is that a wolf trap was once discovered on the estate, although no evidence of wolves has ever been found in the Franschhoek Valley.

Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant