THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Who would have thought that jackfruit, the mushy tropical fruit widely grown in Kerala and often overlooked in the countryside, could end up in the cellaret, neatly bottled as wine, for oenophiles to savour! Thomas P O, an expert winemaker from Kottarakkara, has done just that.
An internationally licensed blending man who perfected wine-making while working in Vatican City, Thomas foresaw the potential of preparing wine from jackfruits. And his effort is about to bear fruit as the Bevco outlets will receive the first batch of jackfruit wine for sale from him by April.
After returning to Kerala from Europe, Thomas started making non-alcoholic wine in 2019, which did not require a licence from the excise department. Later, when the state government pitched the idea of promoting ‘horti-wine’ from local fruit varieties, Thomas applied for a licence. The government move was meant to provide additional income to farmers and help them reduce agri waste.
In 2024, Thomas became the first person to obtain a licence to brew horti-wine. Though a few others — less than half a dozen — also procured the licence, they are yet to venture into the business fully.
Pineapple and grape wines made by Thomas have already hit the Bevco stands, and he expects the jackfruit one to be equally successful.
Plan to produce mango, banana wines
Though widely grown in Kerala, jackfruit has often flown under the radar despite its documented medicinal and nutritional value. It got some commercial attention after fried chips makers began purchasing jackfruits at a marginal price. Thomas, however, says he offers Rs 20 for a kg of jackfruit and has been procuring it on a large scale from farmers.
“A jackfruit can weigh up to 10kg, and the farmer who sells it to me gets `200 for it. It’s a win-win for all,” Thomas said. He does not differentiate between ‘varikka’ and ‘koozha’ varieties of jackfruit and uses both for brewing. Varikka is crispy and has a higher demand than the stringy koozha.
“We use both varieties for wine-making. The kernels are also mashed and used,” he said. After getting to know about the demand for jackfruit, Thomas said, people are approaching his SIRA vineyard at Kokkadu near Kottarakkara, expressing their interest in supplying the fruit.
Jacfruits are also sourced from farmers in the southern parts of Thiruvananthapuram district. Thomas said he plans to produce 10 more varieties of wine, made from mango to banana, in the near future. But the buzz created by the impending arrival of jackfruit wine has been unparalleled, he said. “Jackfruit has got medicinal value and hence, wine aficionados are thrilled,” he said.