Wine from the Nashik valley has been selected by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry for its ‘One District, One Product’ scheme. This is a part of the Union government’s push to promote each district into a global manufacturing hub and a leading exporter.
Under this scheme, Nashik’s Valley Wine, which had earlier received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, will now come under the PM’s Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.
Sumita Dawra, the additional secretary of the department, has written to the All-India Wine Producers’ Association (AIWPA) seeking details on the wineries in Nashik. The AIWPA said that this move will help Nashik’s wine sector brand and sell products more effectively.
The Union government would come up with measures to help improve the sector’s performance in the future, Jagdish Holkar, president, AIWPA said. Hereon, wines from Nashik (which contain at least 75% grapes of Nashik origin shall bear the label of ‘Wines from the Nashik Valley’, Holkar said.
Nashik Valley Wine Association was the original association that had received the GI tag in 2008 and now it is an umbrella brand under the AIWPA, he explained.
“A particular taste of any fruit or crop is attributable to the soil in the region. The soil and the geographical condition of Nashik are unique. That is the reason why we could produce a particular variety of grape that aided in wine production,” said Holkar. “This recognition from the Centre will help the association to brand wines from Nashik as wines from the Nashik valley on the lines of Napa Valley in the US and will help to promote small wineries as well,” he added.
The regulatory authority will be formed at the local level to monitor the quality of wines and stronger measures will be taken to promote the wines from Nashik, he said. Holkar has been seeking a uniform tax structure across the country and has urged the Centre to slash taxes and promote Nashik wines in other states. “We are yet to receive details from the Centre to understand the incentives that are part of the scheme,” Holkar said.
The country has some 50 operational wineries including 47 in Maharashtra. Nashik district alone has 35 wineries with prices in the range from Rs 200 to Rs 4,000 per 750ml bottle.
Get live Stock Prices from BSE, NSE, US Market and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, Check out latest IPO News, Best Performing IPOs, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.