Glass a part

“My tryst with wine has been a 20-year-long journey. And I say that I am still exploring wine. Wine is not for those who look at it as an alcoholic drink one can consume to get drunk. Wine is like classical music. It takes time to start liking it,but then once you start enjoying wine,it is a process that continues,” says Mhatre who shifted to the US in 1971 after completing his education from IIT,Mumbai.

Talking about the unusual concept of wine service,still very nascent in India,the label is moving onto providing wine along with the accessories such as glasses,food,music and so on for giving an enriching experience to wine-lovers who might assemble for get-togethers,parties,functions or even a corporate event. “Unlike other drinks,wine is affected by many factors. The duration for which it is stored in the winery,the ambiance of the room where one is drinking it,the mood of the drinker,the food and the music one prefers change the way wine tastes. We will create a perfect blend of all this to make wine- drinking a memorable experience for our audience,” says Mhatre.

With the emergence of global India,Mhatre feels that the wine culture has been fast gaining roots amongst the elite of the country. “UK consumes one billion litres of wine annually. In India,the production per year is 15- 20 million litres. With the increasing demand for wine,the requirement is estimated to shoot up to almost double the existing figures. It thus goes without saying that potential Indian consumer is the biggest opportunity for the world wine market,” smiles he.

The glamour and the ecstasy associated with wine makes it an exclusive and ‘not-for-all’ drink and commenting on the importance of good grapes for extracting wonderful wine,Mhatre says,“The grapes in this part of the country are truly world class. The extract combined with a perfect conversion process has the potential to produce world- class wine.”

Perceiving the current state of the country as the right opportunity to promote wine,Mhatre comes back to the original romance that he started on with wine. “Wine has a tendency,taste,aroma and countless layers that one has to unveil. Many have loved this drink for years,but despite that,wine still remains a mystery. I am here to unveil the mystery to wine lovers in India and thereby explore something new about the drink I have been in love with,” he concludes on the lines of a true wine lover.