Product review

Although most of us do n 't know it, India has a history of wine producing that stretches back thousands of years. Its vineyards were present long before the famous tea and coffee plantations. Recently there has been a renewed focus on the country's wine, with a number of Indian wine producers beginning to turn their attention to the export market. India's climate and topography is favourable to wine producing and it has the potential to become a major player in the industry.

The company that hopes to lead this viticultural revolution is Indage Vineyards, a family-run company that has been responsible for restoring many of India's vineyards after they were destroyed by phylloxera in the late 1800 s. With Harvey-Miller Wine & Spirit Agencies signed up as sole agent for Indage's reserve wines in the UK, Indage Vineyards will be hoping British consumers take to Indian wines as they have the Indian cuisine.

== Packaging ==

The distinctive Indage butterfly logo would not look incongruous on a shelf of rival products. It is clear from the packaging that Indage seeks to become a respectable mainstream brand. In fact, the reference to India is only subtly mentioned at the bottom of the label and it is the Indage brand which is given prominence on the bottle.

== Pricing ==

The Indage reserve range includes five varieties : Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Retailing between £6.99 and £7.49, the Indage wines are significantly above the average price paid in the UK. However, with higher -priced wines driving market growth in the UK, the price point is understandable as long as the wines can deliver on taste to satisfy consumers' expectations. At this price there is an element of exclusivity that will attract the more educated wine drinkers.

== Positioning ==

As India has historically been a wine producing country, Indage wines don't claim to be part of the New World wine category, rather they promote themselves as "new Old World wines", opening up a new category for themselves. HMWSA intends to introduce the wines into the UK focusing on the premium end of the Indian restaurant trade, but they will also be targeting other high-end restaurants, wine bars and key retail stockists.

== Overall ==

One would expect open-minded wine enthusiasts to try Indage's offering out of curiosity, if nothing else, for a taste of what India has to offer. It will be difficult for Indage Vineyards to succeed internationally and equally difficult in their domestic market where wine consumption is among the lowest in the world - a fact that would not fill UK consumers with confidence - but the proof is in the drinking.