Shillong, Nov 8 (IANS): Wine connoisseurs from across India and abroad and the young and the old Saturday raised a toast at the Shillong Wine Festival with homemade wines made from exotic fruits.
Dozens of tribal Khasi wine-makers did brisk business at the fest, organised by a local group called the Forever Young Club of Shillong. The annual festival is in its 12th year.
"It is just a perfect day for me to be in Shillong and raising a toast brewed from exotic blackberry fruits," said Roxana Marani, a tourist from Italy.
There were also wines made from banana, mulberry, strawberry, litchi, pineapple, plum, jackfruit among others.
"Meghalaya and its neighbouring states grow fruits in abundance. It is only natural that we promote something like wine-making. The response has been tremendous," Forever Young Club president Michael Syiem told IANS.
Mathias Grunger, an alcohol technologist, said: "The wine brewed from these exotic fruits is too good like any other brand but what needs improvement is the bottling of these exotic wines."
"We are in our 12th year of organising this festival, but it is sad to tell you that our government is not at all serious to support or promote the innovative ideas of the indigenous people brewing fruit wines," Syiem said.
"There is no law that prevents wine-making at home. But to sell it, one requires a licence and we expect the government to consider the possibility of legalising selling of fruit wines as it has tremendous business prospects," he said.
Echoing Syiem's comments, many wine-makers demanded that the state government promote the trade and declare wine-making a cottage industry.
They also said the government should waive the mandatory excise duty on locally made wines to promote the growing business.
Shillong is often referred to as the 'Scotland of the East' due to its striking similarity with the Scottish highlands and as in the West, some families serve homemade fruit wines at dinners and family gatherings.
Brewing wine from locally available fruits and preparing rice beer have been a passion for almost all tribal communities in the northeast.