It is much more than popping open a bottle By 02 Apr 2019 in Cover Story New Update The champagne journey has seen itself transform from a mark of sophistication to a party drink for the young population.The fact is that it is in fashion, says Rohit Mehra, Managing Director, Mohan Brothers Private Limited (MBPL). Champagne is indeed one of the most famous wines in the world. At the same time, it is little less understood, says Rohit Mehra, Managing Director, Mohan Brothers Pvt Ltd, (MBPL) . “Champagne just does not mean a sparkling wine with a cork that goes pop when opened, it is way more than that. Champagne will never be a cheap wine. High prices limit its appeal, so the more economical sparklers fill the gap,” he says. He believes it is not about preference but about price. “I should also mention that there are some regions in the world which are making a run for the money, like Franciacorta in Italy and Tasmania in Australia.” He points out that in the past decade, the champagne journey in India has been quite a yarn.It has seen itself transforming from a mark of sophistication to a party drink for young population, all thanks to clever marketing. So, it is in fashion, says Rohit. “India is a young and vibrant market with one of the youngest populations in the world. The young Indian consumer is increasingly embracing an international lifestyle which has led to increase in consumption of champagne in India,” he affirms. Price Factor Price is the most important factor but at the same time it is difficult for a champagne drinker to get used to substitutes, if the pocket allows. He adds that when dining in a restaurant, a sommelier can assist you in selecting a perfect wine, even if one does not know much about wine. “But what happens when you’re browsing the shelves of seemingly endless choices of bottles, wondering how to select a good wine? Then people go with the brands they have heard of or they know. At best, they go by a friend’s suggestion,” he explains. An interesting or good-looking bottle also plays an important role here. He says that the demand for champagne is majorly restricted to metros in India but tier-II cities are also showing some promise in this sector. On whether Indian wines and prosecco/cava pose a tough challenge to champagne, Rohit says that in India wine is something that is yet to live up to its potential. Sparkling wines from India show great potential but it is a lot cheaper and has a different assemblage than champagne. “ I don’t think it is a fair competition, Indian sparkling has long way to go to match up to champagne quality,” he observes. He points out that champagne is a lot more expensive to make and import, but there are some prosecco/cava made using traditional methods, which are giving a tough fight to champagne. One Italian region which is up and coming as center of sparkling wine production is Franciacorta in Italy. Great Future Delving on the future of champagne in India, Rohit says India’s relation with champagne goes back a long way, when the beverage was an important part of royal life. With around 40-50 odd brands of champagnes available in India, he definitely foresees a great future for champagne as there is growing demand for champagne from small but high quality champagne houses. He goes on to say that in order to improve the taste, champagne’s producers should focus on the quality of the grapes which are used to make their big-volume cuvees, as these cuvees are the face of the brand. It is from here on that consumers form their opinion about the brand. There needs to be a more notable increase in the complexity and depth of flavour along with a move to extend lees-ageing times – which brings toastier flavours (after all champagne is known for its bread and biscuit like flavours). Talking about how they lure wine lovers, Rohit is quick to point out: “We put quite lot of effort to find out which would be our target market for any specific wine. Paying attention to who exactly your customers are. That will help you create marketing campaigns that precisely target your niche.” Wine business can’t go in with a speculative mindset, he says. Sharing his insights into the wine business, he opines it is like running a marathon, not a sprint. It takes a good seven years to get a brand foundation and even longer to firmly establish a brand franchise. “We first try reaching customers through social media. We then arrange trade tasting and training for buyers who would later suggest the same wine to end consumers. We also arrange curated wine dinners to reach to the consumers. We use point of sale materials to create brand loyalty,” he elaborates. Talking about MBPL’s brand portfolio, Rohit signs off saying: “We do not have any champagne in our portfolio, however we have handled some of the top brands of champagne in the past and we have been doing cava and prosecco. We would love to have champagne in our portfolio but are finding the right brand that could fit in.” You May Also like Read the Next Article