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I
ndian wine is wine made in India. Per capita consump-
tion of wine in India is 9 milliliters. Viticulture in India has a
long history dating back to the time of the Indus Valley civili-
zation when grapevines were believed to have been introduced
from Persia. Winemaking has existed throughout most of
India’s history but was particularly encouraged during the time
of the Portuguese and British colonization of the subcontinent.
The end of the 19th century saw the phylloxera louse take
its toll on the Indian wine industry followed by religious and
public opinion moving towards the prohibition of alcohol. Fol-
lowing the country’s independence from the British Empire,
the Constitution of India declared that one of the government’s
aims was the total prohibition of alcohol. Several states went
dry and the government encouraged vineyards to convert to
table grape and raisin production. In the 1980s and 1990s, a
revival in the Indian wine industry took place as international
influences and the growing middle class increased started
increasing demand for the beverage. By the turn of the 21st
century, demand was increasing at a rate of 20-30% a year.
Viticulture was believed to have been introduced to India by
Persian traders sometime in the 4th millennium BC. Historians
believe that these early plantings were used mostly for table
grapes or grape juice rather than the production of
an alcoholic beverage. During the Vedic period of
the 2nd and 1st millennia, the Aryan tribes of the
region were known for their indulgence in intoxi-
cating drink and it seems probable that wine was
a current beverage. The religious text of the Vedas
mentions at least one alcoholic drink that may
have been wine related -sura, which seems to have
been a type of rice wine that was fermented with
honey. The first known mention of grape-based
wines was in the late 4th century BC writings
of Chanakya who was the chief minister of
Emperor Chandragupta
Maurya. In
his writings, Chanakya condemns the use of
alcohol while chronicling the emperor and
his court’s frequent indulgence of a style of
grape wine known as Madhu.
In the centuries that would follow, wine
became the privileged drink of the Kshatriya
or noble class while the lower caste typically
drank alcohol made from wheat, barley and
millet. Under the rule of the Muslim Mughal
Empire, alcohol was prohibited in accord-
ance to Islamic dietary laws. However, there
are written reports about at least one Mughal
ruler, Jahangir, who was fond of brandy
wine. In the 16th century, Portuguese colo-
nists at Goa introduced port-style wine and
the production of fortified wines soon spread to other regions.
Under British rule during the Victorian era, viticulture and
winemaking was strongly encouraged as a domestic source
for the British colonists. Vineyards were planted extensively
through the Baramati, Kashmir and Surat regions. In 1883
at the Calcutta International Exhibition, Indian wines were
showcased to a favorable reception. The Indian wine indus-
try was reaching a peak by the time the phylloxera epidemic
made its way to country and devastated its vineyards.
It was a long road for the Indian wine industry to recover
from the devastation at the end of the 19th century. Unfavora-
ble religious and public opinion on alcohol developed and
culminated in the 1950s when many of India’s states prohib-
ited alcohol. Vineyards were either uprooted or encouraged
to convert to table grape and raisin production. Some areas,
like Goa, continued to produce wine but the product was
normally very sweet and highly alcoholic. The turning part of
the modern Indian wine industry occurred in early 1980s with
the founding of Chateau Indage in the state of Maharashtra.
With the assistance of French winemakers, Chateau Indage
began to import Vitis vinifera grape varieties like Cabernet
Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot noir and Ugni
Blanc and started making still and sparkling wines.
Other
wineries
soon fol-
lowed as
the