Ajit John
ajit@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Indian vineyard Myra is planning on expanding its operations into north India extensively in the next couple of months and Goa will play an important role in ensuring the success of this plan.
A melting pot of people from various parts of the country as well as the world, the company plans to initiate a marketing campaign that will include a mix of events that will involve activities close to the Goan heart as well as the usual parties that are the DNA of the tourism industry.
The taste for wine is growing in a domestic market which is currently estimated to be consuming approximately 1.5 million cases of alcohol. Myra hopes to sell 1500 to 2000 cases this year in the Goan market which despite its size is a very important market.
Goa is 9% of the wine market in the country and it is on par with Bengaluru and just behind Mumbai and Delhi. To achieve these numbers and push forward they plan to be involved with inter-village football tournaments and other events which are non cricket related. Fashion and music will also play a big role in the push to garner market share.
Ajay Shetty , founder said “ We need to reach the tourists who come here so that when they go back to Delhi and other parts of North India they will be aware of us. This will make our job slightly easier when we launch in those markets.”
Asked about plans to introduce new wines into the market he said “We will be launching the Reserve which is a brand new category. It is a variant for super premium wine drinkers. It targets the audiences who have an acquired taste for great wine. We will also be launching the Two Headed Bird which we expect to overhaul the wine culture in India. These are wines that are easy to drink, fun to experiment with yet infused with all the quality and flavour a fine international wine. Myra Vineyards Two Headed Bird is an entry level wine at affordable prices”.
Recently, Myra’s Sauvignon Blanc won a bronze at the Indian Consumers Choice Awards (IWCCA) which was held in January 2014. In the past, Myra’s Shiraz won the gold medal at the Indian Wine Consumer’s Choice Awards (IWCCA) 2012 for being the favourite premium wine in the non-reserve Shiraz category.
