India focussed agency co-founded by Chris Holland launches in the UK

By Lisa Riley

Published: 09 March, 2021

A new agency specialising in wines from India has been launched in the UK.

Launched to fill a “significant” gap in the market, Wines in India claims to be the only UK importer to focus 100% on Indian wines. Its initial portfolio spans six top end producers, most of which are from the highly-regarded Nashik region, north east of Mumbai.

The wines have been selected by India’s only Master of Wine (MW), Sonal Holland, in partnership with the three directors: Mayank Gupta, Chris Holland and Nilesh Kamble.

With so few Indian wineries available in the UK market, Wines in India’s mission was to dispel any misconceptions the trade and consumer may have about Indian wines, by ensuring the focus is on “elegant, world class offerings”, said the start-up.

“We are extremely excited to launch Wines in India, the culmination of several months researching the UK market and exploring India’s wine regions,” said Chris Holland.

“We believe there is significant potential for an Indian wine specialist here, given that the UK trade is particularly open-minded to emerging territories coupled with the British love affair with Indian cuisine. Knowledge of India’s wines is relatively low amongst the trade, so our key strategy will be one of education, with a series of instagram Live tastings and interviews planned as well as partnering with 67 Pall Mall on its webinar series.”

Wines in India will target both the on- and off-trade sectors. Within the on-trade, the focus will be on fine dining Indian restaurants, restaurants with a specific wine focus and wine bars specialising in emerging regions.

In the off-trade, independent wine merchants, multiple specialists and e-commerce wine specialists will be a focus, alongside grocers with a fine wine portfolio.

The initial portfolio comprises: Charosa, which specialises in international varieties: Good Drop Wine Cellars, which specialises in sparkling wine: Reveilo, a boutique estate with an Italian winemaker specialising in Italian varieties: Fratelli, a joint venture between two sets of brothers – the Italian Secci’s and the Sekhri and Mohite-Patil brothers from India: York, which specialises in international varietals and Vallonné Vineyards, a minimal intervention winery and producer of India’s first Provencal-style rosé, and first Indian Malbec.