Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday said his coalition government had worked out a plan to promote a thriving ecosystem that links tourism, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and job creation through the promotion of local fruit winemakers in the State.
He promised support for the fruit wine industry while launching the North East Wine Incubation Centre at Mawdiangdiang on the outskirts of the State’s capital Shillong on Thursday. The centre, the first of its kind in the region, was inaugurated in the presence of Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla.
Mr. Sangma said the idea of devising a strategy to promote professional winemaking and packaging came to him after he saw homemade pineapple wine with a simple, handcrafted label on a beer bottle.
“Despite the unimpressive packaging, the wine inside was exceptional. This experience, combined with discussions and observations, led to the realisation that there is immense potential in the fruit wine industry in Meghalaya,” he said.
“This entire activity that we are trying to do links tourism, agriculture, and job creation. It has the potential to unlock a vast capacity that is lying dormant,” he said, adding that the government envisages making Meghalaya the fruit-wine capital of the country.
The Chief Minister hoped that the wine incubation centre would provide a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to test and utilise machinery, encouraging innovation, and economic growth through winemaking.
Assuring stakeholders that the licensing fees for winemakers would be nominal, he said the government was working on streamlining the registration process to facilitate ease of access for local winemakers.
Rules amended
The State government amended the Meghalaya Excise Rules (Assam Excise Rules 1945) through a notification on September 29, 2020, to legalise the production and sale of homemade wines under licence to provide a legal avenue for local winemakers to carry out winemaking as a commercial venture.
This amendment was adopted with the intent of not only creating an opportunity for wine tourism but also providing an impetus to the horticulture sector to undertake the cultivation and production of indigenous fruits on a commercial scale, officials said.
A total of 93 winemakers have since undergone wine appreciation and winemaking certification courses with 16 of them currently undergoing internship in a Maharashtra winery.
The courses offered guided tastings, educational workshops, and interactive sessions with sommeliers and winemakers making it an immersive and enriching experience for wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and industry professionals looking to enhance their knowledge, indulge their senses, and connect with fellow wine enthusiasts.
