Yeddy's Gift: Buy and Drink Wine from Malls, Supermarkets
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, JUL 6: Quick on the heels of its recent decision to permit the state owned Mysore Sales International Ltd (MSIL) to open 431 liquor shops to ensure that tipplers do not have to travel more than 5 kms from their residences in towns and rural areas to buy liquor, the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP regime has come out with a policy of granting permission for opening of `wine boutigues’ in supermarkets, malls and multiplexes.
Thus, even housewives can conveniently buy wine bottles along with their requirement of groceries and other essential commodities from supermarkets and malls. Even youngsters and teenagers frequenting malls and multiplexes will be able buy wine while gossipping with their friends or going to watch movies in multiplexes.
``The idea is to popularise wine and also help the grape-growers,’’ said Karnataka’s additional chief secretary and devlopment commissioner Dr L Shanthakumari, disclosing that the government has amended the relevant rules to allow opening of wine boutiques in supermarkets, malls and multiplexes for a low license fee of Rs 5,000 per annum.
The minimum space required at supermarkets, malls and multiplexes should not be less than 15,000 sq ft to become entitled for a wine boutique licence.
``This is a departure and welcome change from the existing policy of granting permission for opening of taverns on payment of an annual license fee of Rs 1,000. Taverns allow people only to sit and drink. They can’t carry wine home. But, wine boutiques will allow people to carry wine hom,’’ she said.
Dr Shanthakumari said the Karnataka Wine Board would be organising a three-day Wine Mela and Seminar at Lalbagh in the city from July 10 with a view to popularising cultivation of wine grapes and production of wine.
``We want more people to visit the festival and know more about wines, which has now become a family drink,’’ she said pointing out that wine was considered a healthy drink as it had very low percentage of alcohol and was not addictive.
``We also want to educate farmers and industrialists about the prospects of wine grape cultivation and production of wine in Karnataka,’’ she said explaining that the area under wine grape cultivation had steadily increased from 600 acres to 1,800 acres after the state government’s initiative to promote wine production and marketing in the state through its exclusive wine policy unveiled two years ago.
The total grape wine production, which was only around 15 to 18 lakh litres per year, had now touched 20 to 25 lakh litres after the introduction of the wine policy. In addition, the total number of wineries in the state had increased by nine in the last few months to reach 11.
``Karnataka had only two wineries in Doddaballapur in the Nandi valley and Bijapur in the Krishna valley. Now, nine new wineries had been set up,’’ she said.
Farmers, who were growing different types of wine grapes, were receiving around Rs 36 to Rs 38 per kg. However, it is necessary for farmers to bear in mind that wine grapes are cultivated under supervision of experts, preferably in contract farming. Only 4 to 4.5 tonnes of wine grapes should be grown in each acre, she said.
The State Government has granted 141.2 acres of land at Thoravi village at Bijapur to the Wine Board for development of a Wine Park.
``We plan to start a Wine Institute, where classes will be held for the farmers in wine grape cultivation, besides rearing nurseries of different varieties of wine grapes for the benefit of farmers, ’’ she said.
Incidentally, the state Wine Board has decided to develop the Wine Park with a private partner in a joint venture. ``We have chosen I-DECK as the agency to identify a private partner to help us in establishing the Wine Park,’’ she added.