In mood for more

New Delhi, June 30: London-based liquor giant Diageo Plc is rolling out a series of premium wine brands in India, buoyed by a 40 per cent annual growth rate of wine sales in the country.

Asif Adil, managing director of Diageo India, said, “High-end wines such as Justerini & Brooks will come to India in a year’s time.”

He said Diageo was currently in the process of launching the Thomas Barton range. Marketers consider Thomas Barton as an upper middle class product.

In India, four varieties of the Thomas Barton Reserve Wine brand are being launched — Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Margaux, and Sauternes. “By the middle of this month, these will be launched in Bangalore and Delhi. We have already launched them in Mumbai,” Adil said.

In the next three months, Diageo will be taking this range to other cities such as Calcutta, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. “Since it is a premium range, our main focus will be the major cities.”

While Justerini & Brooks is in the $1,000 (Rs 40,000) range, the Thomas Barton Reserve brand wines are in the range of Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,500.

Adil also said, “We may add a new variety to the Nilaya range of domestic wines, which was launched in November last year.” The four varieties of Nilaya available in India are Shiraz Cabernet, Shiraz Rose, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Wines from the Nilaya brand are priced between Rs 395 and Rs 500.