After capturing major shares in many Indian states, Ritza Wine (RWPL) - owners of the country's biggest vineyard - are now looking to capture the UK and Malaysian markets.Despite having a mere six-year experience in wine-making, RWPL, which owns 600 acres of grape farm in western Maharashtra's Sangli district, has big plans for the future."We will be able to break ice with the UK and Malaysian markets by this year-end. With the opening of new markets, our wine-production capacity will be more than doubled from 2.5 lakh litres to 6 lakh litres per year," Bhujbali Nandgave, chairman of RWPL, who is also a farmer, said."We have almost finalised the modalities for exports," Nandgave, who employs around 1,500 labourers at his Sangli vineyard, said.RWPL, which produces six different brands of wines, has spread its branches across India, mainly targeting markets in Maharashtra, Goa, Daman, Kolkata, Punjab and Delhi."We will add Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to our list next year," Nandgave said.Talking about conditions, in which RWPL was conceived and launched, he said it was the result of their attempt to hold fort in a dull international dry-grapes market that held sway till 2000."Prices for dry grapes sunk tremendously prior to 2000, so we thought of processing grapes ourselves to rise up the value chain. That's how Ritza Wines was born with an initial investment of Rs 3 crore," he said.
