Ashwin Rodrigues, founder of Good Drop Wine Cellars and Barossa-trained winemaker, will be part of the Indian delegation showcasing premium sparkling and red wines in Sydney. Photo: winegai.org
A tasting table with Indian labels will soon take centre stage in Sydney, offering Australian wine buyers and sommeliers a rare look at the quiet revolution taking place in India’s vineyards.
On Monday, 28 July 2025, Manjit’s Wharf will host the Indian Wine Buyer–Seller Meet (IWBSM), bringing together ten pioneering Indian wine and mead producers in what organisers describe as a first-of-its-kind showcase for Australia.
The event is being led by the Wine Growers Association of India (WineGAI), in collaboration with the Consulate General of India in Sydney and supported by APEDA, India’s agri-export body under the Ministry of Commerce. But beyond the names on the poster, this is a showcase of producers who are steadily carving a place in a market still adjusting its palate to India’s wine potential.
The timing is not accidental. The showcase runs parallel to India–Australia efforts under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which includes a joint dialogue on wine. WineGAI, one of the key participants in that dialogue, sees the Sydney tasting as a soft-power play that goes beyond brochures and trade tables.
On the list of featured producers are names that carry weight within India’s wine circuit, such as Sula, Grover Zampa, and Reveilo, alongside newer entrants like Moonshine Meadery, Seven Peaks Winery, and Talisva Fruit Wine. From strawberry wines out of Panchgani to tropical fruit infusions from Mysore, the range on offer will include reds, rosés, sparkling wines, and honey-based meads.
For many Australian attendees, the Indian presence will be a surprise. India’s reputation in wine circles has often lagged behind other New World wine countries, slowed in part by climatic challenges, regulatory hurdles, and limited export branding. But the industry has matured quietly. Nashik, Pune, and Nandi Hills now host estates with temperature-controlled fermentation rooms and French-trained winemakers. Some of the wines being poured in Sydney have already made it to shelves in Europe and the US.
“Indian wines are not trying to imitate French or Australian ones. They’re trying to express their own terroir,” said a WineGAI spokesperson. “That means showcasing the fruit, but also the story behind the bottle, whether it’s a family-run vineyard, a sustainability push, or a return to traditional honey fermentation.”
Moonshine Meadery, for example, began as India’s first licensed meadery and has become a cult name among Indian urban consumers. Alurra, a smaller operation from the berry-producing belt of Maharashtra, is putting its local fruit into structured wine formats. Seven Peaks is making its international debut at the event, and its founders say they’re focusing on fruit-forward wines that retain regional authenticity.
Indian organisers are hoping the event will lead to future collaborations, such as joint branding, reciprocal tours, and retail partnerships, as wine becomes part of broader cultural diplomacy. It’s a slow build, but the mood is optimistic.
The Sydney meet also serves as a diplomatic nod to India’s growing middle class and shifting consumption habits. Ten years ago, domestic consumption of wine in India was largely limited to hotels and urban elites. Today, driven by tourism, education, and changing attitudes toward alcohol, wine is no longer a niche product. The local market is maturing, and producers are looking outward.
“There’s now a generation of Indian Australians who want to introduce their friends to Indian wine, not just Indian food,” said one importer based in Parramatta. “The old pairing of curry and beer is giving way to something more refined, more explorative.”
That shift is precisely what organisers are betting on. By inviting Australian buyers, restaurant owners, and liquor retailers into the fold, they hope to position Indian wine not as a novelty but as a serious, emerging category. The producers, for their part, are offering tastings, trade samples, and meetings with key sommeliers to discuss shelf placement, pricing, and varietal education.
Support from APEDA adds institutional heft, especially for smaller producers who often struggle with export logistics. The Consulate General of India in Sydney has been closely involved in facilitating the event, and sources say this may not be a one-off. Melbourne and Brisbane are being considered for future editions, depending on how the Sydney event lands.
The hope is that a few bottles poured in Sydney this July will lead to shelf space in Australian bottle shops by Christmas.
“We’re not saying Indian wine will replace Barossa or Margaret River,” said the organiser. “But we are saying there’s room at the table.”
For updates, trade opportunities, and post-event highlights, attendees and media are encouraged to follow WineGAI on social media or contact info@winegai.org.
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✨India’s Wine Growers Association (WineGAI) hosts its 1st-ever Indian Wine Buyer–Seller Meet in Sydney on 28 July, showcasing 10 producers like Sula & Moonshine Meadery. Aims to boost exports & cultural ties under India–Australia ECTA. 🍷#TheIndianSun
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