People who drink wine in India come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and income levels: from those who are happy with "port-style" Goan wines selling for below Rs 200 per bottle all the way up to those who think nothing of laying out upwards of Rs 5,000 per bottle for their wines.
So it's surprising that to date I've not come across any survey of wine consumers - even a "Habits & Attitudes" type research of the sort so beloved of FMCG marketing companies. Perhaps the market is still too small to justify the cost of such a survey, or perhaps research has been done but has been kept confidential so as to retain a competitive advantage. Or maybe pricing of wines is so skewed by customs duties and variable state taxes that meaningful research is just not possible.
This is in sharp contrast to the stance taken by the world's largest wine producer, Constellation Wines of the USA (Ruffino, Woodbridge, Mouton Cadet, Robert Mondavi, Iniskillin are among its more that 80 labels) which has have shared key aspects of its research into wine consumption habits in the US on the internet. The findings of their "Project Genome" were released in October 2005, while a second (and more detailed) iteration was done in 2012-13; the latter essentially divides wine consumers into six segments:
1. Wine enthusiasts: passionate about wine, willing to explore and drink higher-end wines. The segment consisted of 10 per cent of wine consumers surveyed but accounted for 15 per cent of profits.
2. Image seekers: Concerned more with how they are perceived by others and in showing that they are drinking the "right" wines! 18 per cent by number but contributing 26 per cent of profits!
3. Everyday loyal: People who have a glass or two daily but stick to tried and tested brands - 20 per cent of consumers and 22 per cent of profits.
4. Engaged newcomers: Younger wine consumers who are tech-savvy, willing to learn and experiment with new wines: 12 per cent of consumers and 14 per cent of profits
5. Overwhelmed: 19 per cent of consumers felt there were too many brands in the market, and had a tough time choosing wines. Not surprisingly their share of profits was only 9 per cent.
6. Price-driven shoppers: 21 per cent of consumers contributing only 14 per cent of profits - they tend to choose the second-rung wines and will go for deals when available
Of course the situation in India is very different: while we may spot representatations from every segment above, a far larger proportion of wine consumers here are in the bottom 3 segments, while the proportion of "enthusiasts" couldn't be more that 2-3 per cent of all wine consumers.
But the wine scenario in India is changing fast, what with overall wine consumption growing at 15-20 per cent annually, and it would be interesting to see how habits and attitudes towards wine change over the next 5-10 years. Part of that, I am sure, will be driven by lower prices and better availability of wines in non-metro cities - acche din, anyone?
Wines I've been drinking: I opened a bottle of the SDU Reserva Caernet Sauvignon 2014 (Rs 1,000) the other day at Toscano restaurant in UB City for a friend visiting from Mumbai - he was blown away by the wine and swore that it was as good as many imported wines three times the price. Estate-grown grapes harvested in late April together with six months in new French oak casks and 12 months in the bottle have produced a full-bodied wine with soft tannins and complex aromas of fruit and berries that goes down ever so well. One of the best Indian wines - limited distribution, so grab a bottle and try while it's still available.
Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant
