What is the similarity between Nashik’s Sula Vineyards and Zampa Wines, Akluj’s Fratelli Wines, Narayangaon’s Chateau Indage Estate Vineyards, Dindori’s Chateau d’Ori and Nandi Hills’ Grover Vineyards? Sure, they are all indigenous vineyards, but is that the only the common thread binding them?
The answer is that they all play a key role in promoting wine tourism in their own individual fashion.
Now, imagine if all wineries across the country came together to promote wine tourism in a unified fashion. This single act can now only help these vineyards, which were closed during the entire period when lockdown was imposed, but also hotels, small resorts and resorts in their vicinity.
Sumedh Singh Mandla of Grover Zampa pointed out that wine tourism is acknowledged as a growing area of special-interest tourism throughout the world. It is an increasingly important tourism component for many wine-producing regions. Take Florence or Napa Valley for instance, where local wineries offer experiential tours of their vineyards and also tie up with nearby hotels for long-stay guests.
Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, CEO, All Things Nice
While the big brands like Sula, Soma and Zampa have already gotten a headstart in creating wine getaways, what is needed is a concentrated effort by all players. Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, CEO of All Things Nice how wineries of all stature can come up with immersive experiences within their properties that will help Indians appreciate how wine is prepared, and how it ought to be consumed.
“Wineries that have the ability to offer wine tourism have greatly benefited during this time where travel has been restricted. If in Bombay, Pune or Bangalore, wine country is not too far away. This increased demand has provided valuable income to the wineries not only in terms of food sales and accommodation but also through sales of wines directly at the winery,” he said.
ADD SOME FIZZ
Wine tourism is highly infrastructure-dependent. Wineries in India have to put in the investment to create tasting rooms, great accommodation, restaurants and must strive towards a more world-class experience for those who visit.
“The ones who bite the bullet on this sort of investment will gain tremendously over the long run. The ones who do not think of it as important will continue to be dependent on all their revenue coming through external sales of their products,” Agarwal pointed out.
Moreover, promoting wine tourism should also not be incumbent on just one, or a few, wineries; all wineries in the region must participate in some way. It needs active investment, resources and utilities by the entire city or state’s machinery to promote wine tourism.
Brands like Sula have already gotten a headstart in creating wine getaways
Take the case of the Sula Fest. The Nashik city government extends all help to ensure that this annual festival is successful, since it gives the local economy a huge boost. While accommodation is available at the vineyard, many people often stay at nearby hotels and also hire private vehicles for transportation.
Agarwal noted how world over regions that are wine destinations have created tremendous jobs especially in F&B and hospitality, hotels, wine tour operators to even hot air balloon ride service providers. “The scope is endless. You can see the changes in Nasik too with new hotels opening to cater to the demand,” he elucidated.
Viticulture-related visits can also help local communities reduce their overreliance on agriculture, by providing more job opportunities to the populace. After all, such opportunities only arise when more entrepreneurs start businesses, especially those that are affiliated, but not directly related, to agriculture. This will gradually reduce the region’s dependence on it.
A TOUCH OF WHIMSY
Wine is a territorially intensive product, intertwined with local culture and region. Wine companies work with local communities to protect their heritage and identity in light of global homogenization. This can be done by infusing architecture, cuisine or arts to give a local flavour unique to the region.
Zampa Grover has managed to do this astutely during the pandemic, when there was a growing interest in Ayurvedic remedies and herbal immunity boosters. It created the ‘One Tree Hill’ mulled wine, which has Indian spices that are used to make the traditional kadha.
Fratelli Wines’ label depicts seven figures holding a glass of wine
Fratelli Wines took to visual storytelling to connect with customers. Before 2020, the co-founders felt that the bottle labels were not doing justice to the wines and it redesigned these to tell a story. Currently, the label depicts seven figures holding a glass of wine, which is meant to indicate the seven values of the co-founders who started the business in 2006.
Such personal connect can also help Indian wine producers build a constant international commerce network to ensure sustainability in wine tourism. Agarwal suggested that they should also build and put together world-class accommodation, nature-led activities, and a range of restaurants to begin with.
“The full offer should be compelling for people to want to visit for something different. You also need more wineries to participate in this. Three wineries with hospitality infrastructure do not make a compelling enough reason for international travellers,” he noted. “The local government’s role in beautifying the region, creating opportunities for activity outside of wine, highlighting and showcase other reasons – natural sites, etc., is paramount.”
Ultimately, wine tourism is a win-win proposition for all involved. The more people visit due to wine tourism, the more rooms for accommodation are required and more restaurants for them to go to.
Agarwal believed that no one has done it like Sula Vineyards who should really be applauded for creating a benchmark wine tourism experience for those who visit. This example cannot be outdone because they have created an end-to-end experience universe that includes solutions for people to stay, nature-led activities, tasting rooms, places to simply hang out, festivals and restaurants all within their land holdings. Others can take a vine out of their books and create similar experiences, which will keep guests coming to their properties for more than just a bottle of vino.
