Karnataka is strengthening its position as a preferred destination for establishing wineries to export a variety of wines to the international markets.
With congenial agro-climatic conditions across the state, the administration has been attracting traditional farmers growing fruit variety of grapes to move over to cultivate wine variety for reaping more returns.
Ever since the state has come out with a special grape processing and wine policy in 2007, the cultivation of wine grapes has reached 17,356 hectares in 20 districts during the fiscal year 2010-11 from just 300 hectares in the eight districts during 2000-01.
In a similar fashion, the annual production has jumped to 318,000-metric tonnes and brewing of wines to 1.2-million litres in 2010-11 as compared to 300,000 litres in 2006-07.
Latest reports suggest that the world per capita consumption had jumped by 10-12% on annual basis in the last one decade and it is poised to surge to 15% by 2015.
