Mizoram Drives For World Class Wine

Aizawl, Sep 7 : The Mizoram government has taken every step to ensure that grape wine produced in the state meets international standards.

The first consignment of wine produced from two wineries at Hnahlan and Champhai in eastern Mizoram will to hit the stores in Mizoram soon. The state had been under prohibition law for 13 years, it was learnt.

''If the wine is of poor quality, it will badly affect the economy of hundreds of grape growers families in this region.

Therefore, it is the government's utmost concern to ensure that the wine meets international standards laid out by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine,'' an official statement said here today.

A meeting of concerned officials, headed by state planning board member-secretary P L Thanga during the day, agreed to subject the wine produced from these two wineries to quality tests before being sold to the market.

The meeting agreed to use laboratory of Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) in Aizawl for the quality tests.

Since tests for all the substances could not be done at RIPANS laboratory, quality tests for the remaining 40 per cent would be conducted in national accredited laboratories outside the state.

''Thereafter quality certificates would be sought from the National Accreditation Board for Laboratory, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India,'' the source said.

The wine-making process is being monitored by experts from liquor major Shaw Wallace at the two wineries.

''To make the wine competitive and conform to international standards, experts from Shaw Wallace are already here to train and guide the winemakers,'' Vanlalruata Chenkual, Managing Director of the Grape Growers Society of Mizoram, said.

The wine made from Lubrusca variety of grape, also known as 'Bangalore Blue' with 14 per cent alcohol content and filled in specially designed 750 ml bottles, would be priced at Rs 250 under the brand name of 'Zawlaidi', meaning love potion in the Mizo language.

According to plans, an estimated 100,000 bottles would hit the market this year.

In Hnahlan village, 80 per cent of the total population of 670 families were engaged in producing grapes and about 325 families in Champhai area.

The amendment of Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act has enabled the grape growers to make their produce into wine with 16 per cent alcohol content.

With Mizoram's climatic condition suitable for growing the high-quality Lubrusca variety of grapes, coupled with the relaxation of the stringent law, more and more farmers are setting up vineyards.

Though the wine from Mizoram could sell well in the international markets, it will concentrate on the local market as of now.

''We will go global later on,'' said state horticulture director Samuel Rosanglura.