The Hindu Business Line : Champagne Indage plans wine in small cartons

ENJOYING fine wines is soon to become a more affordable proposition for the masses in India. Winemaker Champagne Indage is in discussions with Tetra Pak to examine the feasibility of putting wine on retail shelves in smaller, more affordable containers, Mr Ranjit Chougule, Director, Champagne Indage told Business Line.

"We are looking at an entire range of packing options for wine, which will allow for greater conveniences like affordability and carry home," Mr Chougule said.

The `Tetra Pak-ed' wines are expected to be on retail shelves in fiscal '04-'05, he said, adding that the strategy envisages kicking off the venture with entry-level products before graduating to the more evolved, premium ones.

Champagne Indage on Thursday inaugurated its third winery at Narayangaon, 80 km from Pune. The Rs 7-crore winery, for which the latest German equipment has been procured, will help the company tap the huge existing export market for its products, Mr Shamrao Chougule, the company's Chairperson said.

The third winery takes the company's total capacity to 4.5 million litres annually, making it the largest wine maker in the country, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Champagne Indage's exports is set for a significant jump starting fiscal '04-'05, with the company's forays into North America, Europe and South America. The company is also on the verge of commencing exports to Sweden in the next couple of months with its Soma Reserve and Mist of Sahyadri brands, which have found enthusiastic response in other European markets, said Mr Ranjit Chougule. "The Soma Reserve (red and white Riviera) have sold over 60,000 bottles in Germany alone in the last one year," he said.

The company's exports currently stand at 1.2 million bottles while it sells a 1,00,000 cases in the domestic market. "With increased capacities and the confidence that the brand has already made its mark in other developed wine-consuming markets, we are now gearing up to tap the difficult Australian market," Mr Ranjit Chougule said.

Meanwhile, the domestic market for wine is also soon to see some action with the company now entering the ready-to-drink (RTD) segment with carbonated, fruit-flavoured drink branded `Sin.' The brand was launched in Goa early this year and is all set to rolled out in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi in the next two months, he said.

"This drink, with the alcohol content brought down to eight per cent, can be bought from retail outlets outside of the usual wine shop purchase points, and bring in the volumes," he added.