UP to become an eco-tourism hotspot with a new winery in Bareilly

In another pleasant news for wine enthusiasts in Uttar Pradesh, the state could soon get a new winery in Bareilly.

An organic farm owner, Anil Kumar Sawhney, from Bareilly has submitted a proposal for the same to be established on his 40-acre land in Bareilly's Bhandsar village. This will also incorporate a homestay to promote eco-tourism further. Thus, soon, tourists will be able to come, stay at the farm, taste the wine, dine, and have a delightful little trip.

Strengthening the vine industry further, Bareilly aka Zari Nagar of UP will be one of the very few cities in Northern India to see the development of a winery.

The proposal is slated to attract investments up to ₹15 crore and the move will also help in job opportunities. Some 25 individuals will get employed here to aid in producing 2 lakh litres of wine in one year.

Sawhney explained, "We will create indirect employment opportunities for over 100 individuals apart from employing more than two dozen individuals at our farm. Unlike whisky, beer, rum and vodka, only people with artistic instinct appreciate the taste of wine as it is preferably consumed in small quantities."

"We are taking inspiration from the vineyards of Europe to promote ecotourism in UP that has never been experienced in the past," he added.

The excise department has been putting efforts to facilitate the process and speed up the application before the government. The goal is to also support the Indian farmers.

"The policy to promote vintner industry was introduced for the first time in UP in 2022 and we are taking all measures to ensure that the production of wine commences in the state before March 31 next year," Excise commissioner Senthil C Pandian stated.

It was in the 1980s that India first began manufacturing wine in an organised manner. Wineries in the country exist today majorly in Maharashtra and Bangalore and it is Nashik that is referred to as the "Wine Capital of India".