|
 ‘I have been to Delhi and Mumbai during my last few visits and wanted to see the other markets in India this time. Moreover, markets like Bangalore and Chennai have started to respond well to the Pio Cesare wines. That makes it important for me to visit these markets strategically also. We hope to get good sales from these markets for our wines in coming days,’ he said.
‘We believe these markets have great untapped potential for the quality wines as the customers are not hesitant to spend for quality. If channelized properly, these markets can provide a lot of brand recognition and sales to us in future,’ he added.
On the recommendation of Sumit Sehgal, Director of Prestige Wines and Spirits Pvt. Ltd., Boffa wanted to visit Hyderabad too but due to short time available, he decided to postpone it for the next time.
Earlier imported by Sovereign Impex, Pio Cesare is one of the oldest and top wineries in Piemonte- perhaps the only one permitted to keep the winery in the heart of Alba because of the heritage and historical status-and allowed to make wines like Barolo. He is known for his Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera wines though he has a complete range of wines including whites like Gavi to offer.
A regular visitor to India for 7-8 years, Boffa believes India has been evolving as a wine market in the last few years. The people have started showing interest in the quality wines and are willing to pay money for them. The enthusiasm of the customers to know more about wines and try different wines is quite evident from the number of guests who turned up during the Pio Cesare wine dinners in Bangalore and Chennai. He is not happy though with the enthusiasm shown at the dinners not reflecting in the sales volumes but he is optimistic that the scenario will change with time.
High taxation regime in India could also be a factor for the slow growth of super deluxe wines, says Boffa..But he remains positive about the performance of the market and would like to stay committed to the market. He is willing to come down to India personally for organizing such wine evenings ‘even if I have to come just for one day’. |