“The future certainly looks very good”

Rishi Raj Singh, General Manager, WelcomHotel Dwarka New Delhi

With more and more Indians travelling overseas, the country    is    seeing    an upsurge in the popularity of champagne and sparkling wines, , says Rishi Raj Singh, General Manager, WelcomHotel Dwarka New Delhi.

“We see the ripple effect even in our restaurants, where sparkling wines are now taken for granted as a part of any Sunday brunch offer and no celebration is considered complete without a bubbly being popped. Consumption is growing by 25-30 per cent year on year,” says Singh.

He tempers his optimism with the observation that most Indian guests are not  discerning enough to differentiate between champagne and other sparkling wines. But, he adds, certain guests “can distinguish easily between a good and  a  bad  wine”.  Moet et Chandon Brut,

“Sparkling wines are now taken for granted as a part of any Sunday brunch offer and no celebration is considered complete without a bubbly being popped. Consumption is growing by 25-30 per cent year-on-year.”

Singh informs us, is the top-selling champagne    brand in his hotel; among imported sparkling wines, Sartori Di Verona Prosecco Brut is the leader, and Sula Brut tops the domestic charts. Of course, the chances of people preferring prosecco or      cava      today over expensive champagne are greater than ever, Singh adds.

In  his  hierarchy of factors driving purchase decision, Singh is in sync with the view of many others. Pricing shapes      purchase decisions  more  than  anything  else; the brand comes next. Mid-summer, June-July, and early winter, November- December, are the best months for sparkling wine sales.

On domestic sparkling wines, Singh is bullish. “There’s been a rise in the quality of sparkling wines produced in India,”  he  says.  “Domestic  sparkling wines, as a result, are now well accepted and offer good value for money.” Still wines, though, will continue to rule the market. About the future, too, Singh strikes a bright note. His final words: “Keeping in mind the population skew favouring the young and the growing per capita income in the country, coupled with the growing consumption of both wines  and  spirits, the future certainly looks very good.”