Wine is an iconic beverage that has been popular with mankind for thousands of years. It is the wonderful taste and unique aroma of wine that set it apart from other alcoholic drinks. Be it a festival or any party, it fits perfectly with all celebratory occasions. If you are also fond of this beverage, then be ready with your glasses, as there is amazing news for all wine lovers. This festive season, the first wine made in Uttar Pradesh is likely to make its way to the market.
Made from the extracts of guavas, this desi wine is all set to hit retail stores ahead of Diwali this year. This ‘Made in UP’ wine has received a green flag from the excise department, and its commercial production is going to begin in no time. The owner of this UP wine, Manoj Gupta, a Muzaffarnagar-based entrepreneur, has already shortlisted the brand names of the products and is soon going to register them with the department too. Crafted using locally sourced fruits, these beverages will be available in 750- and 350-ml bottles before Diwali.
In the first phase, the production of the wine will start with guava, and then five more fruits (mango, strawberry, blueberry, peach, and lychee) will be used to create variations of the beverage. Gupta has been permitted to produce 60,000 litres of wine in a year, and the promoter is also planning to organise experiential tours for individuals to visit the vintnery-cum-resort, which is located on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway in Muzaffarnagar.
The vintnery is going to be managed by six experts from Nashik, Maharashtra, where wine production has been done for several decades. “We are going to launch wines of different flavours, observe which variety is most preferred, and scale up the production accordingly,” Gupta said. In order to encourage horticulturists or farmers, the state has decided not to levy excise duty on wine produced from locally sourced fruits.
This will boost its production and give wine lovers a taste of fruit wine made in UP. Excise Commissioner Senthil C. Pandian has said that the Muzaffarnagar district excise officer will collect at least two samples of the young wine and get it examined at the laboratory for potability and actual alcoholic strength before the bottles are launched in the retail stores.
Equipment, machinery, and all the required tools for wine production will be procured at a cost of ₹4 crore. The price of the 750-ml bottle of various fruit wines would be between ₹800 and ₹1,500. Meanwhile, Bareilly is also preparing itself for the launch of another wine unit in Uttar Pradesh, which is expected to bring its products to the market this year itself.