Kiwi wine Brewer Pankaj
Arunachal wine could go global
French tourist would be proved right once the magic of Arunachlee wine makers, mostly housewives, is marketed after branding and packaging. And I am confident Arunachal wine would capture world market with passage to South East Asia nations through historic Stillwell Road is open.
Beyond the Horizon
By Pradeep Kumar
A young woman entrepreneur has tied up with Carlsberg Breweries to set up a brewery at Nirjuli to manufacture bear to tap the fast growing market while giving a new thrust to state’s huge agro-horticulture potentials.
What drew Carlsberg Breweries’ attention to set up first brewery in NE is simple. Wine, commonly brewed in every Arunachalee home, is closely associated with state’s time-tested culture and traditions.
Arunachal had introduced kiwi in 2001-02 under Technology Mission programme and became India’s highest producer with 4540.5 MT production in 2011-12, then agri-horticulture minister Setong Sena had told this scribe, adding perhaps the only fruit marketed through the country with Arunachal brand.
Nirjuli brewery would procure raw materials from within and outside India now. Hops, the costly ingredient, will be exported from Germany, rice from West Bengal and barley from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
If barley grows in Himachal Pradesh and J&K, it could be cultivated in Arunachal too, an brewery insider, told this editor, adding the brewery would generate huge direct and indirect employment to enrich rural economy by encouraging state populace most of whom depend on farming to earn their livelihood.
Interestingly, Khamptis & Singphos, among others, cultivate barley, a Khampti makbo said.
The industry bodes well with the present GoAP policy as Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, while chairing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PKKSY) meeting on 24.01.17, had called for a road map to make the state self-sufficient in food grains.
Bear’s major indigent is barley besides yeast, rice and sugar while hops percent changes to change flavour, says Pankaj, adding all organic raw materials, except hops could be cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh successfully.
Arunachal Pradesh – India’s highest kiwi producer – had joined the kiwi wine manufacturing binge with its Horticulture Produce Marketing & Processing Board (APHPM&PB) had collaborated with Pune-based Hill Crest Foods & Beverages (HCF&B) by signing an MoU on 08.12.13 at the initiative of Sonam Chombay, present CM’s secretary. It was a pilot project to produce 5000 litres of kiwi wine a initially.
Prabhune had informed that HCF&B manufactures strawberry and pineapple wines with different flavours, its MD Akalpit Arvind had hinted that after kiwi wine, they would take up manufacturing peach, pineapple, strawberry and other flavours of fruit wine, if sufficient quantities of fruits are available to feed the unit.
While Himachal Pradesh produces some of the best kiwis, Italy is the world’s largest kiwi producer. Kiwi is cultivated in 3027 hectares area in West Kameng, Tawang and Lower Subansiri districts. Its cultivation has been expanding to West Siang, Dibang Valley, Anjaw, Lower Dibang Valley, Tirap and other temperate areas. Kiwi as food supplement with medicinal value, besides as beverage, would always remain on demand”, Sena had added.
“On success, a kiwi wine manufacturing unit will be set up in Arunachal for commercial production to meet growing market demands by farmers to enrich rural economy, Sena, a visionary leader, had said, but with his untimely passing away the project remained in file.
However, the idea to convert Arunachal fruits banana, kiwi, apple, pineapple or orange to wine, was experimented successfully by Pankaj Awasthi and his wife Ritu in 2003. Pankaj was thrilled with the banana wine’s delicious taste after brewing it first with its sugar content making it the best ingredient.
Arunachal Banana wine was adjudged the best during 2nd, 3rd and 4th Shillong Wine Festival in 2005, 2006 and 2007, organized by Forever Young Sports Club, and in 2002 & 2003 Festival of Arunachal.
Wine connoisseurs, mostly foreigners, had thronged exhibition stalls to have a sip of Arunachal home makers’ special. Besides winning accolades, an Allience couple had invited Pankaj to Germany for a final trial at their expense to give Banana wine a world brand.
Foreigners are going bananas over the Banana wine fermented with local flavour, a Britisher had commented. “Banana being sweet can move over grapes which are sour. It has surpassed French wine, once known as the best in the world, and could be umero uno if marketed globally,” a French tourist had said.
While wine lovers term it as ‘Queen of wines’ but Chennai-based Wine Association of India after testing had branded it as ‘Golden wine of India’”, says Pankaj, working with M/s United Brothers Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. The wine sans any chemical preservative would last for 10 years if preserved in refrigerator to prevent external decomposers even after opening the cork,” he says.
Notably, Tangsas are adept in brewing wine traditionally from banana known as Napngak Kham or Longak Ju or Langak Chol.
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