Wine In India

Wine has been in existence from times immemorial. To communities like Christians it is as much as a revered drink as much as it is a thirst-quencher at social occasions. In India, wine is looked upon as another variety of alcohol, a taboo to be spoken about. Which may be true to a large extent, as alcohol in itself is condemned as a social evil.

However the word wine originally meant grape juice that could be stored (not artificially fermented) during the dry days. And for that matter bread in the biblical times, in real sense is nothing but our very own Tandoori Roti nice and thick. Come to think of it many a old name for dishes haven’t changed much although the dish itself has metamorphosised into something different. As is the wine.

Bangalore, the place that I belong to was initially a vine haven. The weather of Bangalore is most conducive to vine agriculture. Most of the city’s land ( I mean almost the heart of the city) was dedicated to the same, as I remember on my way to school I had to pass atleast a quarter dozen vineyards. Thanks to the land pressure of the IT boom and saturation that, vineyards are a rare sight even on the distant outskirts.

As a matter of fact, today Maharashtra is the highest vine grower. But due to not so conducive weather the quality cannot match the one of Bangalore. This is no boasting but a cry to the entrepreneurs to capitalize on the situation and boost our economy. IT has made many a rich, if only a handful of them give it a thought…

One dream, if only the garden city status be restored to Bangalore and prod the govt. to spread the growth of technology to different parts of Karnataka and bring about a balanced growth I’m sure India would be a place to live in as is US today.