Where to buy wine

sgodfrey · Jan 21st, 2009, 04:13

We will be in Delhi, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi and would like to buy nice white wine to have before dinner. Can you buy wine in supermarkets or are there wine shops or where would you go to buy wine? We would prefer to buy in each individual city because we are flying to/from several.

From the earlier threads, I have read that the following are good Indian brands: Sula, Chantilly, Sutter House. Any others recommended? We just like good, dry white wine.

Thanks.

Haylo · Jan 21st, 2009, 04:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgodfrey

We just like good, dry white wine.

Are you staying in expensive hotels which might have a minibar that you can empty out to chill your wine? If not, depending on when you are going, your nice white wine might not be as nice as you hoped!

Haylo, sipping a nicely chilled vintage Cava to celebrate the completion of my tax return.

sgodfrey · Jan 21st, 2009, 05:49

Yes, we should either have a minibar or we will obtain an ice bucket for chilling.

Haylo · Jan 21st, 2009, 06:06

Unless anyone suggests any specific wine merchants, you need to ask your driver to take you to the nearest "English Wine and Beer Store" which, this being India, sells neither English beer or English wine.

karuna · Jan 21st, 2009, 06:31

The English Wine and Beer shops sometimes don't do wine (I know...). They will in cities I should think, so you should be OK. Out in the sticks it's sometimes spirits only.

Khan Market in Delhi has some nice delis with expensive stuff in. It's a nice place to shop generally if you're not on a budget. In my case a nice place to press my nose against the glass door and dribble.

RWeHavingFunYet · Jan 21st, 2009, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgodfrey

We will be in Delhi, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi and would like to buy nice white wine to have before dinner. Can you buy wine in supermarkets or are there wine shops or where would you go to buy wine? We would prefer to buy in each individual city because we are flying to/from several. Thanks.

Check in any liquor store, which sells beer and whiskey, for wine. I have seen some local brands. Also, if you're still in NJ, each person is allowed to carry 2 bottles. Take some. Cheers!

edwardseco · Jan 21st, 2009, 11:33

The real challenge is getting decent wine in India as opposed to wine itself..

puchoo · Jan 21st, 2009, 11:38

Some of the shops in Delhi now stock an exhaustive range as far as wines are concerned , my in laws love wine , and love serving it as well , and they have managed to find stuff that satisfies them , so its more a question of being able to find a good shop i think..

Yetijuice · Jan 21st, 2009, 14:35

I recommend bringing it with you as accompanied checked baggage. A 74 litre Igloo ice chest can hold a dozen wine/liquor bottles (that will leave room for a couple bottles of Scotch or bourbon you can buy along the way at a duty free airport shop). Be sure to wrap each bottle in plastic bubble paper that you can purchase at a U.S. post office, Office Depot, or Staples. Be sure to put a triple layer of bubble paper on the bottom of the ice chest. The bottles should be packed standing up (the bottle bottom is thicker) rather than on their sides (sleeping). Cheese, avocados, a jar of salsa, flour tortillas, and a tub of sour cream will also fit in with about three sealed bags of corn tortilla chips packed on top for protection. Hey, you want to go Mexican? Bring a bottle of tequila! Been there, done that!

I usually fly into India (Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi) with 14 bottles of liquor. My most recent trip to India was in 2007. We were a party of 3 adults and 2 children. Our 14 bottles included 7 bottles of cabernet sauvignon, 1 bottle of pinot chardonnay, 2 bottles of Jack Daniels, 2 bottles of Ballantines Scotch (single malt is more up market than Johnnie Walker Black Label), 1 bottle of Kahlua (great with vanilla ice cream!), and 1 boxed carton of Japanese sake.

I presented a list to customs of all of the items we were bringing with us into India for a trek in the Himalaya (tents, sleeping bags, freezed dry food, etc) with the wine and whiskey listed at the very top. Most recently the total bill for this was US $150. I had to bargain for that price. My $100 and customs $200 had a happy medium. After agreeing on the price the money was exchanged as if it was a hand off of a baton in a relay race. The previous three times I visited India with the same amount of liquor I only had to pay US $100 and was able to get a receipt.

Once in 1996 I was aware that Harayana was a dry state and I insisted on an official receipt to prove I had paid duty on the liquor. That cost me $350 but I had a receipt in reserve. That proved to be unnecessary, but you never know.

The duty on white wine is at least double that of red wine. Red wine does not need to be chilled. As emergency back-up I got my doctor to write a note on a prescription paper addressed TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that red wine was prescribed to me for its medicinal value. It is good for your heart you know. Be sure to visit your doctor to get a red wine prescription! Don't leave home without one!

Flying across the Atlantic from the USA to India will subject you to a 20 kg (44 lb) weight restriction for each piece of baggage. Flying across the Pacific from the USA to India will up your weight restriction to 35 kg (77 lb) per bag. The excess baggage charge (as of 2007) is US $121 per piece of baggage. If the bag is over the weight limit the charge is tripled to US $363. If you do it my way I can guarantee that you will have wine worth drinking!

I lived in Kathmandu for eleven years. In the late 80's I saw a Japanese family fly into Tribhuvan International Airport with 25 checked pieces of baggage. I figured if they can do it, I can do it! I have flown in with as many as three Igloo ice chests. My liquor bottle limit has always been 14 bottles. The extra space is good for 10 kg of coffee beans, Pyrex glass dishes (great for making enchiladas! be generous with the plastic bubble paper), chocolate covered macadamia nuts, additional salsa and tortilla chips, and perhaps a can of maple syrup for the pancakes on a cold morning at Chandratal. Use your imagination--it is your trek.

sgodfrey · Jan 21st, 2009, 23:49

One of my problems is that we are only in Delhi for three days, then fly to Udaipur. Can we take wine on an internal flight? What are the rules for that?

Haylo · Jan 22nd, 2009, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgodfrey

Can we take wine on an internal flight? What are the rules for that?

I checked the advice given by the airline pretty carefully when we flew to Udaipur, don't recall seeing any restrictions for wine in CHECKED baggage. Wouldn't guarantee that it would arrive intact though, having seen Indian baggage handling in action...

Yetijuice · Jan 22nd, 2009, 01:41

For both international and domestic flights your wine will have to be shipped in your checked baggage for security reasons. If you are utilizing an Igloo or Coleman plastic ice chest and individually wrap each bottle with a double layer of plastic bubble paper with a triple layer of bubble paper on the inside bottom of the ice chest your bottles will arrive intact. For a short flight (Colombo to Trivandrum, 1984) I wrapped three bottles of wine in t-shirts and packed them inside a Kelty backpack that was shipped as checked baggage.

indiaprof · Jan 22nd, 2009, 06:58

The British used to drink Madeira a lot because it stands up to the heat well, even after being opened. I brought a very nice bottle with me, no trouble. It even survived the baggage people.

White wine, though, is very hard to find, so I would bring some from home. Last time I had good French white wine in India, it was brought in - still chilled, amazingly - by an Air France stewardess who had hopped a flight to come out to Chennai and visit her boyfriend. She had kept it in the aircraft fridge during the flight. She also brought some French cheese, etc. The croissants we supplied were local. That was very pleasant. She also had more than the normal amount allowed, but I think Air France stewardesses have a different experience with Customs than ordinary mortals.

Actually, I think she gave a bottle to each of her friends, and that's how they got them through.

I've heard of vineyards popping up here and there, and heard about wine-makers' tours, etc., but in India one often hears about such things but never can find them. You search and search, and there's always some guy saying, "Oh, you can get it," but he never says how, or from whom. I think most of the vineyards are in the northwestern Deccan, between Nasik and Mumbai, and I suspect Mumbai might be the best market.

So, I'd bring what I can - don't expect it to last - and make sure the states/cities I was visiting were not dry. You don't want some cop seizing your wine.

Haylo · Jan 22nd, 2009, 07:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiaprof

make sure the states/cities I was visiting were not dry. You don't want some cop seizing your wine.

Sgodfrey don't worry, the authorities in neither Delhi or Rajasthan have any problem with alcohol.

You will have no problem buying white wine in Delhi, that's for sure.

ommthree · Aug 30th, 2009, 21:01

So, I'm out in "the sticks". Anyone know a shop that will deliver wine to UP... ideally in one piece?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haylo

Sgodfrey don't worry, the authorities in neither Delhi or Rajasthan have any problem with alcohol.

You will have no problem buying white wine in Delhi, that's for sure.

Jan 21st, 2009, 04:13	#1
sgodfrey Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: new jersey Posts: 14	Where to buy wine We will be in Delhi, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi and would like to buy nice white wine to have before dinner. Can you buy wine in supermarkets or are there wine shops or where would you go to buy wine? We would prefer to buy in each individual city because we are flying to/from several. From the earlier threads, I have read that the following are good Indian brands: Sula, Chantilly, Sutter House. Any others recommended? We just like good, dry white wine. Thanks.

Jan 21st, 2009, 06:31	#5
karuna Just a big girl with a small dream Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: A little town you've probably never heard of Posts: 2,976	The English Wine and Beer shops sometimes don't do wine (I know...). They will in cities I should think, so you should be OK. Out in the sticks it's sometimes spirits only. Khan Market in Delhi has some nice delis with expensive stuff in. It's a nice place to shop generally if you're not on a budget. In my case a nice place to press my nose against the glass door and dribble. __________________ Mosquitos suck.

Jan 21st, 2009, 11:33	#7
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 5,844	The real challenge is getting decent wine in India as opposed to wine itself.. Last edited by edwardseco : Jan 22nd, 2009 at 00:15.

Jan 21st, 2009, 11:38	#8
puchoo Maha Guru Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi & Himachal Pradesh (Shimla) Posts: 5,411	Some of the shops in Delhi now stock an exhaustive range as far as wines are concerned , my in laws love wine , and love serving it as well , and they have managed to find stuff that satisfies them , so its more a question of being able to find a good shop i think.. __________________ Cheers! Indiamike Mod team............ puchoo.wordpress.com

Jan 21st, 2009, 14:35	#9
Yetijuice Old Trekkers Never Die, They Go Over the Next Pass Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, California Posts: 201	Bring it with you I recommend bringing it with you as accompanied checked baggage. A 74 litre Igloo ice chest can hold a dozen wine/liquor bottles (that will leave room for a couple bottles of Scotch or bourbon you can buy along the way at a duty free airport shop). Be sure to wrap each bottle in plastic bubble paper that you can purchase at a U.S. post office, Office Depot, or Staples. Be sure to put a triple layer of bubble paper on the bottom of the ice chest. The bottles should be packed standing up (the bottle bottom is thicker) rather than on their sides (sleeping). Cheese, avocados, a jar of salsa, flour tortillas, and a tub of sour cream will also fit in with about three sealed bags of corn tortilla chips packed on top for protection. Hey, you want to go Mexican? Bring a bottle of tequila! Been there, done that! I usually fly into India (Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi) with 14 bottles of liquor. My most recent trip to India was in 2007. We were a party of 3 adults and 2 children. Our 14 bottles included 7 bottles of cabernet sauvignon, 1 bottle of pinot chardonnay, 2 bottles of Jack Daniels, 2 bottles of Ballantines Scotch (single malt is more up market than Johnnie Walker Black Label), 1 bottle of Kahlua (great with vanilla ice cream!), and 1 boxed carton of Japanese sake. I presented a list to customs of all of the items we were bringing with us into India for a trek in the Himalaya (tents, sleeping bags, freezed dry food, etc) with the wine and whiskey listed at the very top. Most recently the total bill for this was US $150. I had to bargain for that price. My $100 and customs $200 had a happy medium. After agreeing on the price the money was exchanged as if it was a hand off of a baton in a relay race. The previous three times I visited India with the same amount of liquor I only had to pay US $100 and was able to get a receipt. Once in 1996 I was aware that Harayana was a dry state and I insisted on an official receipt to prove I had paid duty on the liquor. That cost me $350 but I had a receipt in reserve. That proved to be unnecessary, but you never know. The duty on white wine is at least double that of red wine. Red wine does not need to be chilled. As emergency back-up I got my doctor to write a note on a prescription paper addressed TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN that red wine was prescribed to me for its medicinal value. It is good for your heart you know. Be sure to visit your doctor to get a red wine prescription! Don't leave home without one! Flying across the Atlantic from the USA to India will subject you to a 20 kg (44 lb) weight restriction for each piece of baggage. Flying across the Pacific from the USA to India will up your weight restriction to 35 kg (77 lb) per bag. The excess baggage charge (as of 2007) is US $121 per piece of baggage. If the bag is over the weight limit the charge is tripled to US $363. If you do it my way I can guarantee that you will have wine worth drinking! I lived in Kathmandu for eleven years. In the late 80's I saw a Japanese family fly into Tribhuvan International Airport with 25 checked pieces of baggage. I figured if they can do it, I can do it! I have flown in with as many as three Igloo ice chests. My liquor bottle limit has always been 14 bottles. The extra space is good for 10 kg of coffee beans, Pyrex glass dishes (great for making enchiladas! be generous with the plastic bubble paper), chocolate covered macadamia nuts, additional salsa and tortilla chips, and perhaps a can of maple syrup for the pancakes on a cold morning at Chandratal. Use your imagination--it is your trek.

Jan 21st, 2009, 05:49	#3
sgodfrey Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: new jersey Posts: 14	Yes, we should either have a minibar or we will obtain an ice bucket for chilling.

Jan 21st, 2009, 06:06	#4
Haylo Structural Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Middle East and heading Easter Posts: 5,804	Unless anyone suggests any specific wine merchants, you need to ask your driver to take you to the nearest "English Wine and Beer Store" which, this being India, sells neither English beer or English wine.

Jan 21st, 2009, 23:49	#10
sgodfrey Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: new jersey Posts: 14	One of my problems is that we are only in Delhi for three days, then fly to Udaipur. Can we take wine on an internal flight? What are the rules for that?

Jan 22nd, 2009, 01:41	#12
Yetijuice Old Trekkers Never Die, They Go Over the Next Pass Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, California Posts: 201	Igloo ice chest For both international and domestic flights your wine will have to be shipped in your checked baggage for security reasons. If you are utilizing an Igloo or Coleman plastic ice chest and individually wrap each bottle with a double layer of plastic bubble paper with a triple layer of bubble paper on the inside bottom of the ice chest your bottles will arrive intact. For a short flight (Colombo to Trivandrum, 1984) I wrapped three bottles of wine in t-shirts and packed them inside a Kelty backpack that was shipped as checked baggage.

Jan 22nd, 2009, 06:58	#13
indiaprof Account Closed Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the past, most of the time Posts: 820	The British used to drink Madeira a lot because it stands up to the heat well, even after being opened. I brought a very nice bottle with me, no trouble. It even survived the baggage people. White wine, though, is very hard to find, so I would bring some from home. Last time I had good French white wine in India, it was brought in - still chilled, amazingly - by an Air France stewardess who had hopped a flight to come out to Chennai and visit her boyfriend. She had kept it in the aircraft fridge during the flight. She also brought some French cheese, etc. The croissants we supplied were local. That was very pleasant. She also had more than the normal amount allowed, but I think Air France stewardesses have a different experience with Customs than ordinary mortals. Actually, I think she gave a bottle to each of her friends, and that's how they got them through. I've heard of vineyards popping up here and there, and heard about wine-makers' tours, etc., but in India one often hears about such things but never can find them. You search and search, and there's always some guy saying, "Oh, you can get it," but he never says how, or from whom. I think most of the vineyards are in the northwestern Deccan, between Nasik and Mumbai, and I suspect Mumbai might be the best market. So, I'd bring what I can - don't expect it to last - and make sure the states/cities I was visiting were not dry. You don't want some cop seizing your wine.

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