Date:16/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/16/stories/2008111654940500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Wine makes an entry at Krishi Mela

M. Raghuram

It is considered a value-added agricultural produce

‘Bangalore Blue’
is suitable for
wine-making
HOPCOMS to encourage growers to set up wineries

BANGALORE: What are wine bottles doing at Krishi Mela?

A conventional visitor to the mela at the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the University of Agricultural Sciences in Hebbal on Thursday would have disapproved of the presence of wine bottles there. But in the world of value-added products, wine is considered an off-shoot of agricultural produce.

For the first time, the State’s agricultural show featured wine. Karnataka grows nine varieties of grapes in 95,000 hectares of land and the annual output is about 1,80,000 tonnes.

After the formation of Wine Board of Karnataka, grape growers are allowed to ferment wine in their backyards.

An attendant at the stall of Nandi Valley Winery said that after the constitution of the board, there had been a series of plans to help grape growers and one of them was contract farming. To help growers to get right price for their produce, the board announced a support price of Rs. 45 a kg of grapes and advised farmers to grow only varieties that were suitable for wine-making.

The board imported several French wine formulae, including “French Marlo”, “Chenin Blanc”, “Favinine Blanc”, “Cabernet Sauvignon”, “Pinot noir”, “Merlot”, “Pimotage”, “Shiraz”, “Zinfandel”, “Chardonnay”, “Chenin Blanc”, “Uric Blanc”, “Sauvignon”, “Muscat” and “White Riesling”.

Officials from HOPCOMS expressed confidence that Bangalore’s own “Bangalore Blue” was suitable for wine-making. HOPCOMS would encourage growers not only to increase the area under “Bangalore Blue” cultivation, but also set up their own wineries.