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Interview with Pune’s leading Fruit Wine Manufacturer

June 17, 2013 by manjirichitnis 4 Comments

It was on a hot summer evening at home in Pune when dad and me had some Strawberry wine while watching the IPL. Baba told me about how he came to procure the wine one evening at a promotion at a Club in Pune. A wine made in Pune and that too made with strawberries, how very interesting ….Lucky for me I managed to get in touch with the man behind the business who strives to establish a wine culture in Pune, sink your teeth into the chat we had at his bungalow in the heart of the old part of Pune City, the Peths as they are called.

Mr. Akkalpit Prabhune spared some time from his busy schedule to share his story.

This young entrepreneur who manages a full time career in IT makes time for channelling his creativity and passion into promoting his fruity wines .He lets is in on how his passion and vision to introduce a culture of wine drinking using local fruits led to the creation of Rhythm Wines.

MJ: What is the difference between fruit wines and regular grape wines, the composition etc?

AP: Fruit wine is basically wine made from fruits other than grapes. Quality of any wine is determined by the fruit used. Some of the Indian fruits which are suitable for Indian climate and soil which lend a natural aroma & flavor to fruits wines like strawberries, grapes and kiwis are good candidates to make a fruit wine. Fruit wines are lighter and fruitier as compared to grape wines so consumers new to wines can easily appreciate these wines.

”Wines are palate cleansers. Every Bite is a new bite.’’

MJ: Is the technology for making fruit wines different than that used for grape wines?

AP: There is no difference in the process of making fruit wines and grape wine. So there is not much difference in technology. Generally based on the fruits used the crushing equipment will need to modify but after juicing is done the process is absolutely same as grape wine. The advantage with fruit wines is that they require very less time to mature, within 6 months they can be bottled. This also ensures that the machinery is in use throughout the year.

MJ: Why the name Rhythm Wines? (My personal favourite question!)

AP: Sipping wine listening while listening to music is ideal is it not? It lightens us, sets the mood for a pleasant meal, like perfectly set of musical notes with Rhythm…

MJ: What inspired you to get into this business?

AP: I have travelled a lot and have savoured various amazing wines in the course of my travels and I wanted to create wines using local fruits which would help establish a culture of appreciating fruit wines amongst people used to the local flavours and cuisine. Breaking the elitist view towards wine consumption and expanding the market being part of my mission. After studying the existing scenario of wine industry and understanding the importance of fruit wines, I started Rhythm winery in Pune City, Maharashtra with My partner, Mr. Gulu Jagtianey,in 2010, and has successfully made wines from pineapple and strawberry. We received a very good response for our wines in many wine festivals and received demands for wines from apples, peaches and Strawberry. Strawberry variant has just been launched in Pune and Mumbai markets and received great appreciation. 

”Our mission is to offer best variety of tropical fruit wines suited perfectly to Indian palate and food. We strongly believe that excellent wines are made only from quality fruits which are best suited to local climatic and soil conditions’’

MJ: Where is the bottling plant located?

AP: Rhythm winery is located outskirts of Pune on way to Khadakwasla, Narhe Gaon; It has a existing capacity of about 25000 litres of wine a year. It is proposed to increase this capacity to 50000 litres soon.

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MJ: Where are the strawberries you use sourced from?

AP: Strawberry comes from a world famous region of Panchgani in Maharashtra. Strawberry varieties we use for wine manufacturing are blend of ‘kamaroza’ and ‘sweet Charlie’.

MJ: How do you ensure uniformity in quality of fruits used? As most of the grape wineries have their own grape farms.

AP: We also have contract farming for our fruits. We use specific varieties of strawberries and pineapples.

MJ: Who is the master brewer that you work with?

AP: His name is Dominique Revard and he is a Canadian fruit wine expert who lends his years of experience and expertise to our business.

MJ: Grape wines have just managed to find a foothold in India. Do you think the Indian Consumers will give the same preference to fruit wines as with Grape wines? What is the scope these wines have in India?

AP: It’s easier for local flavours to be appreciated by people, hence we believe that consumers will find it easier to appreciate wines made using strawberries and pineapples as they would be able to identify easily with these fruits vis-avis posh varieties of grapes. Besides Indian Cuisine is high on flavour, spices and our light bodied, fruity wines pair well with Indian food.

MJ: How did you gauge the commercial viability of manufacturing fruit wines?

AP: It is a new concept,hence before manufacturing wines from any fruit, many variants are created and tasted at all stages of wines. Rhythm winery has done an extensive R&D on different fruits and then ventured into pineapple and strawberry. Generally, fruit wines are not manufactured on a very large scale but wineries with a capacity of 30,000 to 50,000 liters can be a viable. Huge amount of marketing efforts are required since the concept is new.

MJ: Which different fruits have the Indian wine producers experimented with for making wine? Mention your take on usage of Kiwi fruit for producing wine.

AP: Pineapple and Strawberry are currently produced by us at Rhythm winery. Lychee wine is manufactured by Lucca winery in Haryana. Dapoli Krishi Vidyapeeth,(Stateof Maharashtra, India) have worked on Kokum and Mango wines. Apple, Kiwi wines are produced in North and Eastern India.

MJ: How do you deal with competition?

AP: Suprisingly, Fruit wines are not being sold commercially by too many players in the wine market. We welcome competition; it always helps expand the market!

MJ: What is the current installed capacity for fruit wines in the market?

AP: Presently there are very few players in fruit wines. Rhythm winery is definitely the leading player in the Fruit Wine Market. In all, 300,000 to 500,000 litres of fruit wine is made annually.

MJ: How will fruit wines benefit fruit growers / wine producers / consumer?

AP: Presently due to average storage conditions huge amount of fruits are wasted. As per Food ministry more than 70 % fruits are wasted !Therefore, for those that grow strawberries, pineapples and kiwi supplying to fruit wine manufacturers like us will open up an excellent avenue for business in the processed foods and drink industry and offer more options than producing only jams, jellies and preserves. Wine producers can plan production seasonally and can make the best use of their production capacity. Since fruit wines are easier and lighter to drink, introducing new consumers to wines will be easier to achieve.

MJ: How do you promote your fruit wines?

AP: By participating in wine festivals and trade fairs. Directly advertising wines is prohibited by Indian Excise Laws.

MJ: What expansion plans do you have outside of Maharashtra State?

AP: There is 300 % import duty for goods sold between states in India, the Indian Grape Processing Board – I.G.P.B has also been appealing to reduce these taxes and improve trade opportunities.

MJ: After strawberry and pineapple wines what’s next?

AP: Kiwi Wine is next on the list. In order to support farmers who produce these crops and to aid local entrepreneurs who boost the local economy the government is keen to support ventures like ours. Kiwi is the fruit that we are currently experimenting with and the Himachal Pradesh Government has chosen our company to come up with viable fruit wines, we hope to soon offer them a few samples and finalise on one, they would supply us with the fruit which we will use to create and bottle our new kiwi variant.

Quins

MJ: Is there any export potential?

AP: Indian fruit wines if marketed properly will have a great scope in foreign countries, as these wines will have specific characters and fruits with an Indian origin.

MJ: Where else in the world are fruit wines made / consumed /popular?

AP: Apple wines is been made for centuries and very famous in UK, France and North America. Canada and Australia are leaders in fruit wines and have successfully marketed their wines internationally. Some states in USA like Florida, Texas are famous for their local fruit wines. Presently fruit wines have about 3 to 5% of market share in over all wine market.

MJ: What is the shelf life of fruit wines?

AP: Ideally 2 years from bottling.

MJ: What are Differences in ageing process and storage of the fruit wines vis-avis Grape Wines?

AP: Ageing of up to a year is sufficient. Storage principles are similar to other wines.

MJ: What is the advantage of using screw caps vs cork screws?

AP: Cork screws are used to create complex bouquets. Fruit wines can get tainted with poor quality corks.

MJ: What is the advantage of using screw caps vs cork screws ?

MJ: If one has to buy your wines in Pune and Mumbai where are they retailing?

AP: In Pune our wines retail with reputable retailers like Dorabjees, Ozone and are on the menu at restaurants at Liquid Hut Restaurant, Barbecue Nation, Oasis, P.Y.C Gymkhana.

In Mumbai we have just started out and are making our fruit wines available in areas like Bandra, Andheri and South Mumbai.

MJ: Any benefits linked to consumption of fruit wines as Red Wine consumption is linked to several health benefits.

AP: Amongst the known Health benefits of pineapple and strawberry wines some are:

  1. Pineapple contains bromelain and beta carotene which improves digestion, lowers risk of macular degeneration, improves the quality of vision.
  2. Strawberries are packed with Vitamins & Antioxidants which help increases immunity to bad cholesterol and is  thus beneficial towards maintaining a healthier heart.

It was early evening by then,the slanting sun rays streaming into the terrace room converted into a study, were playing peek-a-boo with the few dozen mangoes which are lying face down on the floor to ripen.

There was a pause as I sipped on my tea and made doodles on my notepad. My very polite host looked around and handed me a bottle of Pineapple Wine, I politely declined but he was rather persistent. On my way home,making a mental note to stop procrastinating and I promised myself to start doing all the things that I have filed away in the recesses of mind as well ‘’to be done SOMETIME, in the future’’. After all, hasn’t this passionate entrepreneur proved that if you have a Dream you must act on it… Yes dreams really do come true… that bottle in my cloth satchel clinking against my bunch keys was proof.

Bottle with glasses 2

Check out the Rhythm Wines website :http://rhythmwinery.com/ , Connect with them on their Facebook page at :https://www.facebook.com/rhythmwinery

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: Andheri, Antioxidants, apple wine, apples, Australia, bandra, Barbecue Nation, beta carotene, Bottling Plant, bromelain, Canadian fruit wine expert, corkscrew, culture, Dapoli Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dorabjees, drink, England, entrepreneur, flavour, foood and wine, France, fruit wines, grapes, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, improve digestion, India, Indian cuisine, Indian Grape Processing Board, Interview, IPL cricket, IT, Khadakvasla, Khadakwasla, Kiwi wine, kokum, Kokum wine, Liquid Hut Restaurant, Lucca winery, Lychee, macular degeneration, maharashtra, mango, Mango Wine, music, Narhe Gaon, North America. Canada, North and Eastern India, Oasis, Ozone, P.Y.C Gymkhana, palate cleanser, peaches, pear wine, peth, Pineapple, pineapple wine, Pune, Rhythm Wines, South Mumbai, Strawberry, strawberry wine, sun rays, U.K, United Kingdom, vision, Vitamins, wine producers

A Hot Summer Day !

May 23, 2012 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

I had a truly brilliant day , I spent a few blissfull hours at a park, I otherwise  only saw while being seated in a crowded tube , getting squashed between a bunch of strangers and trying NOT to die of the various body odours floating around mixed with even more toxic deodorants failing miserably at their jobs.

My gal pal S and her super cute and smart 4-year-old boy had a blast of day starting by gobbling strawberry flavoured icicles, followed by grocery shopping , hungrily eating many Indian street style snacks under the garb of being ”devislishly hungry”  and then rushing to this awesome park.

Oh yes , but the HIGHLIGHT of my grocery shopping was that I purchased a dozen HAPOOS AMBE (Alphonso = Hapoos ,AMBA= Mango in Marathi , my mothertongue), I cannot describe the happiness I felt as I sunk my teeth into a ripe,plum slice of the King of Fruits. I will probably dream of drinking chilled mango milkshake early in the monring and ending the day by eating chilled slices of the hapoos mango with dollops of fresh cream ,which I totally enjoy squirting out from it’s can and telling myself that since it’s ”low fat” ,It can be that BAD after all !;)Just the thought of an alphonso mango brings back a string of memories , my most recent one being that of being transported staright to heaven as I had my first ever ”MASTAANI” that too a MANGO Mastani in Pune at one of the most favourite college haunts of Punekars- ”Sujata Mastani” in Old Pune ,Peth area.(I shall stop here as I will sink hopelessly into a whole journey down memory lane and totally loose my way …hummm I do see another blog write up coming up , all about Mangoes and memories ,aha the good LIFE !) Oh yes and S and me took great delight in haggling over our purchase and managed to bring down the price by £1.47 , my mom will be so happy to hear this (jeevan safal moment for her,LOL !). I say this because I am terrible at bargaining and after years of seeing mom successfully doing it while buying veggies I hated myself for being such a failure 😉 ,now that is exactly WHY I love Modern retail , imagine trying to ask the cashier at one of the Supermarket chains ”Surely , since I am buying 3 instead of 1 , you HAVE to drop the price by atleast 50p !,or else I DO have the option of WALKING OUT and buying from so-and-so competitor” – all this with a raised brow and a really fake serious expression on my face !( AHO KAKA, asa kai karta , 3 dabbe ghetoi na hapoos che ,tar kahi tari bhaav neet vichaar karoon sanga !!!) (Btw, Mastani is basically a thick ice cream milkshake with dollops of ice cream loaded on top and real fruit slices stuffed inside and on top of it is way way better than a falooda and is a dessert which has originated from Pune city and is a local must have !)

Never have I seen a larger gathering of tiny tots all dressed in summery bright clothes and happy parents in one place !

I had my moment of calm amongst the chaos, as I sat on a wooden bench and gazed up at the bright sky , the trees gently swaying in the summer breeze ,thanking the gods for bestowing us with such a lovely day, I watched a few bold squirrels scamper around for food .

I left my mobile and my camera behind though , I wanted nothing to come in the way of me living in the moment .

I am turning into a person that dislikes mobile phones , rather a dangerous place to be in, in todays ”connected world” I say …hummm

But who can take away from me the memories I have clicked ,farmed and stored away in the crevices of my mind , to be pulled out on  a cold rainy day , am sure I will smile as  I think of this perfect day, a 4 year old innocent banter , my friends happy smile as she sat on a swing after many,many years and the feeling of the warm sun on my face ….sighhh….

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Tagged With: alphonso, bargaining, bhaav, boy, bright, brilliant, chilled, day, fresh cream, gal, haggling, hapoos, kaka, lane, Marathi, mastani, memory, milkshake, mothertongue, naap tol, pal, perfect, peth, Pune, sujata, sunny, trees.squirrels, weather

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