“For first-timers, it is still the price that matters”
Praveen Vashist, Associate Director (Food & Beverage), The Park, Calangute, Goa
There has been a phenomenal increase in the demand for champagne and sparkling of prosecco and cava has been r e m a r k a b l e wines, according to Praveen Vashist, Associate Director (Food & Beverage), The Park, Calangute, Goa. Guests don’t just wait for special occasions to open a bottle of champagne or a sparkling; for some, it has become a habit. People have also become more discerning.
“Most of my guests who are well- travelled are able to differentiate between a champagne and a sparkling wine,” informs Vashist, hastening to add, though, that there are guests who still believe that any fizzy corked wine is a champagne. Among the champagnes, Dom Perignon and Moet Rosé are still the leaders; Chandon and Sula top the domestic sparkling wine category.
Vashist, too, believes that the growth
“With the introduction of new varietals and brands of sparkling wine in market, which are quality products and yet affordable, guests are keener than ever to sample bubbles
across the country. “People are switching over to these sparkling wines, over expensive champagne, as they are on a par with champagnes in terms of taste and brand values, and yet command r e a s o n a b l e prices,” says Vashist. On the drivers of guest purchase decisions, Vashist says, “A guest who knows about wine will go by the taste and then the brand; for first-timers, though, it is still the price that matters.” In the months of December to February, champagne and sparkling wines are in greater demand. “I believe the trend is partially shifting towards sparkling wines, away from the past perception that sparkling wines are expensive and therefore out-of-reach for middle-class consumers,” says Vashist. “Now, with the introduction of new varietals and brands of sparkling wine in market, which are quality products and yet affordable, guests are keener than ever to sample bubbles.”
