PUNE: Sula Vineyards, India's largest wine producer, has started exporting Sula wines to China, the world's second biggest market for wine consumption after the US.
The wine producer is now considering Oman as the next country for expansion in the Middle East.
The Nashik-based 20-year-old company commands over 65 per cent market share in the country and exports to 30 countries across Asia, Europe, USA and Canada.
The pilgrim town of Nasik in Maharashtra, which boasts of over 40 out of 60 wineries in the country, is known as the 'Wine Capital of India'.
Sula Vineyards has partnered with Nanjing Glory International, one of China's leading importers and distributors of wine and liquor. The Chinese importer has a huge experience in dealing with wines and the alco-bev industry as a whole.
"It is very exciting for us to establish our presence in China, the world's second biggest wine market after USA," Rajeev Samant, founder-CEO at Sula Vineyards, said.
Now, the Chinese consumer would also have a bottle of Indian wine on their table from March month, he said.
Sula Wines will be introducing the most popular wines from their extensive portfolio which includes Sula Brut Tropicale, Sula Sauvignon Blanc, Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz and Sula Shiraz, Samant said.
However, the Sula brand did not mention the initial volume of wine shipment to China. Sula offers more than 35 labels globally and in India. The prices range from about Rs 250 to Rs 1,750 per bottle in the country.
Initially, 200 retail outlets would be targeted, including super markets and restaurants in Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui and Hangzhou provinces, with Nanjing being the central location for all supplies.
