People in the state will soon have better quality wine as the State Wine Board along with the Indian Grape Processing Board is going to ‘standardise’ the processing.
Unlike the international market, in India there are no laws to protect the rights of consumers. “With no proper standards now, poor quality wines are being dumped here, and people are not aware of what they are consuming. This initiative (setting standards) will not only benefit the consumers, but help producers to increase exports,” Karnataka Wine Board MD Mahantesh Murgod said.
With Karnataka being part of the burgeoning wine industry, the effort is likely to benefit farmers, producers and consumers. In six months, the ‘wine standards’ will be finalised and implemented across the country, he said.
In the last five years, the state’s wine production has doubled to 35 lakh liters and the consumption has increased to 22 lakh litres from a mere 13 lakh in 2007. Karnataka is next only to Maharashtra in terms of acreage and production.
According to exporters, since the European Union has started enforcing stricter policies with regard to chemical content in the wine, many are facing problems with export. However, they feel if the process is standardised the certification process might help them maintain quality and increase exports.
In 2007, there were two wineries in the state, but after the Board was set up to promote wine production, there are now 17. “The new standards will codify grape varieties, fermentation process and regulate alcohol and chemical content. Certification will be done either by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority or by the Wine Board,” Murgod said.