While consumption and acceptance is growing, there is fierce competition to gain market share. In such a scenario, flow of information on new wines is quite inadequate. Even retailers end up choosing wines based on profit margins, rather than on account of quality and value.

We need some liberal policies to make wine a more widely accepted beverage. I think tasting rooms is what will drive the future of wine sales in India.

Awards are okay, but they should be given not on the basis of participation in a competition alone. There should be more study to encourage good quality wine making, where a benchmark can be set by varietal, or where a winery is making a process for producers to improve quality, or if a sommelier is enabling learning from peers.

– Satyam Savla, Founder, Juben Wines, Maharashtra