While consumers in the national capital can only watch enviously at Gurgaon where even women can buy wine in the comfort of air-conditioned retail shops and supermarkets, Mumbai has evolved a model that goes beyond plain vanilla selling.
Indage-owned 'In Wine and Beer Stores' claim to be India's first wine retail chain although Globus Wines. Mumbai also claim to have taken the lead. Two In Wine stores have been opened recently in Worli and Bandra and more are in the offing. Wines from countries like Australia, New Zealand, USA, Chile, South Africa, Italy, France and Spain are available besides India.
You can buy a bottle of wine for as low as Rs. 62 - the half bottle of the low-end sparkling Vino (delWine does not recognise the illegally classified 180 mL Figueira Tawny Port available for Rs.29 as wine).
At the higher-end the champagne thirsty rich denizens can pick up the top-of-the-luxury Dom for under Rs. 18,000 - not too expensive if you consider there is an excise duty of 200% apart from the 150% customs duty in Maharashtra. VAT of 20% is not included in the prices anyway.
The store is naturally heavy on the in- house product range including the Australian and South African range. The Indian portfolio includes only and the whole range of wine from Chateau Indage which does give the store a slant of prejudice and limitation. However, it does store, apart from multiple number if champagnes many other quality wines like Caliterra and Montes from Chile, Bava and Carpene Malvolti from Italy, Forrest Estate from New Zealand, Xanadu from Australia and Faiveley Burgundies.
Says Dharti Desai, CEO and Founder of Finewinesnmore, a Mumbai-based importer.' We are happy with our association with In Wine & Beer Store as their display and training is very well done and our wines are selling fast in their stores especially our Chilean Caliterra wines. Generally they sell at MRP but have very good schemes that they pass on to the customers-better than most retailers, plus the experience and education in their stores is better.'
In Wine has opened right next to the existing IVY bar at their head office in Worli.
An interesting feature of the store is that they also loan wine glasses and flutes etc. without any charges with the wine order. Only a refundable deposit is charged to take care of breakables. They also hire out sturdy plastic bins for ice to chill wines and home deliver too.
There is more than just wines. Accessories, free advice to help select wines, well displayed wines by the price range- all of them make these stores already ahead of supermarkets of Gurgaon and places like Chandigarh where they have been selling wine in growing numbers.
Subhash Arora
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