Wine output rises by a third

Maharashtra accounts for almost 94 per cent of total wine production in the country

Maharashtra's grape wine export jumped 33 per cent. In 2005-06 to 2 lakh litres compared with 1.50 lakh litres in the previous year. In rupee terms, the export stood at Rs 5.20 crore as against Rs 3.90 crore in the earlier year.

In the last five years, while grape wine export from the state has almost tripled production witnessed a six-fold increase. In 2005-06 alone, the production zoomed 74 per cent compared with the last year's.

Speaking to Business Standard Jaideep Kale, technical coordinator, Grape Wine Park, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), said, "Currently, total production of grape wine in India is 1.04 crore litres.

Of which, Maharashtra accounts for as much as 94 lakh litres, with 33 per cent coming from Nashik district alone.

Of the country's total 46 wineries, Maharashtra's share is 43. As many as 22 of these are in Nashik, eight each in Sangli and Pune, three in Solapur, one each in Osmanabad and Buldhana. Till date, the state's wine sector has attracted investment worth Rs 160 crore."

"In 2001-02, the state had exported 75,000 litres of gape wine. In the next fiscal, the exports rose to 1 lakh litres and to 1.25 lakh litres in 2003-04.

The main export markets for wine are France, Italy, Germany, the US, the UK and Singapore. Nearly 80 per cent of the premium wine is sold in Mumbai (39 per cent), Delhi (23 per cent), Bangalore (9 per cent) and Goa (9 per cent)," said Kale.

It was the industrial policy of 2001 that gave an impetus to grape wine production in the state. In 2000-01, the production in the state stood at 15 lakh litres. In 2001-02 it rose to 20 lakh litres and then to 25 lakh litres in 2002-03.

In 2003-04, the figure touched at 30.15 lakh litres and in 2004-05 54 lakh litres. In 2005-06, Pune was the biggest wine producer in the state at 52.57 lakh litres.

It is followed by Nashik at 35.18 lakh litres, Solapur 3.35 lakh litres, Sangli 2.86 lakh litres, Osmanabad 45,000 litres and Buldhana 38,000 litres.

The per capita consumption of wine in India is way behind that of France and

Italy "� 5-6 ml per person per year. In France and Italy, the figure is 60 to 70 litres.

Even in China, the consumption is much above that of India's "� four litres a year. However, Kale says the Indian market for wine is growing at about 30 to 40 per cent annually.