Wine consumption in our restaurants and bars is increasing at 15-20 percent annually , but champagne and other sparkling wines account for just 10 per cent of the sales, says Sandeep Singh, Director of Food & Beverages, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi. With growing awareness about this category, and also an increase in the spending power of the average Indian, the demand for these products has gone up more significantly than before.
“Thanks to active marketing and increased consumer awareness, our guests are able now to differentiate
“The percentage of people who judge a champagne or sparkling wine by its quality, rather than its price, is a minuscule 5 per cent of the entire segment. Provenance and labels do not yet play a pivotal role, for consumers are yet to explore these parameters.”
by the label, and the popular brands in this category are Veuve Clicquot, Louis Roederer and Dom Perignon, whereas Chandon, Ti Amo and Carpene Malvolti are the better-known sparkling wines.
The growth of prosecco and cava has be exponential in the recent years, with more people becoming aware about them. These are the less expensive replacements for champagne, but the quality of these sparkling wines has taken wine connoisseurs by surprise. With the spending power of people going up, they have started ordering these drinks to add that extra sparkle to special occasions.
But Singh tempers his optimism with a note of caution. “Delhi is a market where you find all segments of consumers,” he says. “The percentage of people who judge a champagne or sparkling wine by its quality, rather than its price, is a minuscule 5 per cent of the entire segment. Provenance and labels do not yet play a pivotal role, for consumers are yet to explore these parameters.”
Guests still relate to champagne as a celebratory drink, so it has a clear advantage over other sparkling wines. It’s a great aperitif and easy to up-sell.
But other sparklers are muscling their way to the top because of growing consumer awareness about them, aided of course by their more competitive price points, and the growing quality and variety of the offerings in the market.
India, says Singh, is a growing market for champagne and other sparkling wines. With consumer awareness growing about these products, the demand for them is only increasing, and there’s no looking back.