India: The contemporary wine industry

The current renaissance of Indian viticulture began with pioneers Chateau Indage (known later as Indage Vintners) in 1984 near Pune in Mahārāshtra and Grover Vineyards in 1988 north of Bangalore in Karnataka, both of which set themselves the goal of exporting. Indage produced a surprisingly elegant sparkling wine for the international market. A short-sighted and aggressive overseas expansion programme and diversification in 2007/08 resulted in its collapse soon afterwards. Grover Vineyards trialled 33 vine varieties initially and settled principally on Cabernet Sauvignon and Clairette, which grow on pergolas. Its first wine was released in 1992. With French oenologist Michel rolland as its wine consultant, Grover’s quality and reputation grew steadily, especially for its flagship La Reserve, a Cabernet-Shiraz blend. In 2012 Grover Vineyards merged with Nashik-based Vallée de Vin (whose main brand is Zampa) to form Grover Zampa Vineyards with the aim of growing considerably.