The Start of a Fruit Wine Industry in India

cashew_aI writing this from India where I spent the last few days visiting many grape wineries and spoken to people interested in fruit wines at a wine tradeshow in Mumbai now being held here. Very interesting times in the India wine industry right now….

I must say that a fruit wine would match Indian cuisine a lot more than most dry grape wines and with a growing middle class that is starting to find out about a wine culture and opening their minds to new products, India can prove to be a fruit wine power house in the near future.

The wine sector in the state of Maharashtra may soon start producing quality wine from an array of commonly grown fruits. In a couple of years, you may find wine made from mango, banana, cashew apple, Indian blueberry and blackberry according to a report.

At a time when the 58 grape wineries in north and western Maharashtra are in crisis due to a fall in demand, with wineries dishonouring contracts with grapegrowers comes the news that the Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (agricultural university), Dapoli (Ratnagiri) in the state claims to have successfully processed wine from cashew apples, mangoes, blueberries and blackberries and are targetting commercial production.

Dr Vijay Mehta, vice-chancellor of Dapoli Agriculture University, said processing would help curb the phenomenal crop wastage currently. Around 95% of the 600,000 tons cashew apples, 700,000 tons blueberry and tonnes of mangoes go to waste unprocessed annually, he said according to a report in DNA.

A team of agricultural scientists, horticulturists and processors worked for the last few years in Dapoli University to standardize the wine extraction technology. The university has a small 80-liter winery at Dapoli, and claims that the wine tasters have given their approval for the commercial launch of the new varieties.

“A lot of top wineries and brands are evincing interest in our products but we cannot transfer the technology yet,” Mehta reportedly said. “We’ve to make sure all varieties of wine stand up to the stabilization tests.”

Dapoli University scientists, who are in the process of patenting their products, say wine from cashew apple, blueberry and mangoes are better in anti-oxidants and nutritional value. More importantly, they claim these wines will be cheaper; a claim yet to be verified as they appear to be comparing the prices to premium wines from Maharashtra costing upwards of Rs. 400 and not the low end wines available or soon to be available in the Rs. 150-250 range. Growing popularity of wine in the country has encouraged many Indian entrepreneurs to try their hand at making fruit wine. Himachal Pradesh is known to have successfully harnessed the technology and apple wine has been popular in the state for around 15 years.

The wine industry in Maharashtra grew by almost 33% in 2007-08 compared to the previous year. The total investment in the sector has grown four times over the last five years, from Rs77.75 crore in 2004 to Rs328.97 crore in 2008.

What marks a shift in wine sector today is the processing from a wide array of fruits. In Jalgaon, local MP Haribhau Jawale last month launched a banana winery at Piprud in Yawal tehsil, which is expected to go full steam in four months. A company in the state of Goa is also planning wine production from the Cashew apple, passion fruit and other locally available fruits. Two farmers from Katol in Nagpur district have also succeeded in making wine from oranges (branded as Mandarin Magic). But given the abysmal production of the fruit and the absence of a market survey, it is yet to become a commercial reality.

However with the willingness to experiment and the open mindedness of the Indian people, commercially made fruit wines are bound to be available very soon.

23 thoughts to “The Start of a Fruit Wine Industry in India”

  1. Last few years I am involved in making fruit wines successfully. I have made wines from Jambhul, mango, banana, Apple, Cashuapple, watermelon, pineapple, Ginger, Strawberry and Tender coconut in 5ltrs to 20 liters so far, and liked by my friends those who have tested. I intent to produce on larger quantities in the coming years.

  2. Sir,
    So far i have not produce wine from Oranges, but to-day or tomorrow I shall make it. If it is good , definitely shall contact you.
    Thanks.

  3. Sir, I am very much interested to manufacturing cashew apple fruit and wine.Please suggest me the process and machinary availability.

  4. Hi sir
    I had done my post graduation in wine technolgy. 2.5 yrs I worked in winery.
    Recentaly I made a wine from cashew apple at my home. I am really interested in wine making.
    I stay at Pen, Raigad district.
    Please suggest me the next step for the start a fruit winery.

  5. hallo
    this is prasad correspondent of sraddha college of diploma in engg & technology, krishnunipalem, gokavaram(m), e.g.dist.AP. so i am in cahew wine industry. my coolege sourunding nearly 1500 acreas is foming a cashew trees. so iam interested in the industry. so give me suggestion to start up of my industry.

  6. Dear Taranath Rege sir,
    Can you please share your contact details so that all the above persons including me who are interested in making cashew wine can contact you and learn some knowledge from you.
    kindly help us in this regards
    Thank you
    Charan

  7. Sir/Madam,
    I am from Jalgaon, Maharastra (India), have my own farms of Banana . I am interested to start banana winiry at my farm . Can you send me the details of technical person for making banana wine.
    Kindly help me in this regards
    Thanks
    Umesh Patil

  8. sir i want to know abt pomegranate wine making industries how much lowcost.How much land want.

  9. I have my own apple orchards so i want to start apples wine business.. but i have no knowledge about the same..so kindly suggest me how i
    Can i start my own apple wine business??

  10. I am interested in the Cashew Wine industry. so give me suggestion to start up of my industry.

  11. Sir,
    I am B. Sc. In chemistry lived in Kolhapur, Maharashtra ,In my mind to remove cashew juice & to prepared other products of alcohol, how to prepare pl gide my .

  12. Dominic,
    I am interested in setting up a winery in India to produce wine using grapes. My intention is to produce low cost wine for the international market to cater to price sensitive buyers in markets like africa and asia. Would like to have any inputs that you can provide

      1. Sir,

        I am chemical engineer and intrested to setup a project on cashew apple wine and product from the same.
        Pl help me to gate more information on above and consultant contact who can help me in the same.
        Regards,
        Mangesh

  13. Dear sir right now I am running around for my I n t I a l expenditure for the establishment of sowmabanam which is involved in the production & marketing of the cashew apple based wine & brandy please communicate regarding the tie ups available regarding the above with regards sowmean

  14. Dea r sir right now i am running around for the I n t I a l expenditure for the establishment of s o w m a b a n a m which is involved in the production & marketing of the cashew apple based wine & brandy so please communicating regarding the investment tie ups and marketing skills with regards s o w m e a n

  15. Dear sir I have a s s e m b e l e d everything for the establishment of SOWMABANAM similar to the agreement on sourcing of cashew apple for project development as well as I had spoken to the CFTRI central food technologies research institute for the equipment needs for the production of cashew apple based wine & brandy in the attractively packed quality product in retail format as well as regarding the bottle caps, labels, glucose, syrup and preservatives for the preparation of different non fermented and fermented products via ., juice candy, chutney, pickle , wine, brandy and vinegar and have understood the extraction of juice filer & bottle in sterilize bottles crowning and pasteurization of bottles label and packing and regarding the storage also I have spoken to the concern and he is satisfied so please communicate regarding the joint venture available & confirm your details regarding the investment available for the above with regards sowmean

  16. I am interested in setting up a winery in India .I am interested in the pineapple Wine industry. so give me suggestion to start up of my industry. how much cost.How much land want.In my area is kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu.please send the full project details. mail Id: [email protected]

  17. Hi sir /madam ,
    I’m Kushal we are cultivating pomegranates in Bangalore at scale of 1.5-2 tons seasonally, I wish to produce wine from these , if you are interested just contact me !

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