The wine trends that ruled 2022

The year saw a growing interest in wine, one that is likely to continue—and grow—in 2023

- Jahnabee Borah

It was a remarkable month for wine. On 12 December, Sula Vineyards came up with an initial public offering of 1960.35 crore, the first India winemaker to do so. It reflects, in a way, the perception and consumption of wine today. Here's a look at wine trends in India that defined 2022.

INDIA SHINING: I was at a dinner last month and an elegant red wine, which tasted like a French vino, was being served by the glass. The bottle remained a mystery till I enquired. It was the Fratelli MS Red from Maharashtra. "India is making fantastic wines now," notes beverage professional Gagan Sharma. Most sommeliers have been singing praises of Grover Zampa's Signet series and Vallonne Vineyards' Riesling. A few bottles from the Signet series are aged in large 1,000-and 2,000-litre barrels. "The liquid-to-air proportion ages the wine slowly and makes it elegant, compared to ageing it in smaller, 250-litre barrels. Think of it like slow dum-cooked biryani versus pressure-cooked pulao," explains Sharma.