How Indian wineries are coping with the Covid-19 Fallout

I spoke to some stalwarts of the Indian wine industry about how the Caronavirus had affected them, posing questions about the impact of the sudden countrywide lockdown and other government measures to contain Covid-19. They responded candidly about the seriousness of the situation without descending into the slough of despair and were grateful for being able to save this year’s harvest. The lack of sales opportunities was their biggest worry.

Fratelli Vineyards, Akluj, Maharashtra

Fratelli Wines – Kapil Sekhri, Director
It’s going to be a very challenging year for Fratelli Wines as we first got hit by unseasonal rains and then COVID 19. It’s really a year of just managing cash flows and keeping our head above water. Regarding the harvest, our Chief Winemaker Piero Masi and Alessio Secci luckily finished the whites but the reds have been done by our young winery team so the jury is out about them. We are operating with minimum workers and taking all precautions during the lockdown. In the vineyards the government has allowed the labour to come back so hopefully we should be fine with all pruning work. Looking forward to meeting in better conditions!