Wine connoisseurs will tell you there is a lot more to drinking wine than appreciating its bouquet or pairing it with the right cuisine: it’s an experience to be savoured in the right company and the right ambience. Ever since tariffs started falling sufficiently to create a sizeable wine-drinking fraternity in India, it’s a notion that has gathered its own momentum — through wine clubs, tasting sessions and so on. So, it is almost inevitable that some company would eventually offer a wine cruise.
European river cruise company amawaterways’ wine-themed cruise is the first offering in the Indian market for a seven-day sojourn along the Rhine and Mosel rivers.
Starting November 12 through November 18, the cruise begins from Amsterdam in the Netherlands and ends at Trier in Germany followed by three nights in Paris. The itinerary of the cruise includes visits to vineyards along the Rhine and Mosel rivers, on-board lectures on the wine business and off-site dinners hosted by renowned winemakers, among other things.
“Rhine and Mosel are two very famous destinations for German wine, besides the famous Californian and French wine. This cruise will allow wine lovers to explore the two famous cities,” says Sunil Puri, Connexions Tourism Service, the India sales representative for amawaterways.
The European cruise company reckons that it will gain critical mass because of the rapid growth of the wine market in India. The country’s wine consumption of an estimated 1.5 million (9 litre) cases is expected to grow by up to 25 per cent this fiscal, reaching 2 million cases by 2011. Sula Wines, one of the country’s largest wine producers, sells around one million cases a year of which only 5 to 6 per cent is exported.
“Based on the bookings we have received since our entry to the Indian market I can say Indian tourists are enthusiastic about such river cruises. A wine-themed river cruise is an interesting option to explore not only for wine enthusiasts, but for all holiday-goers,” says Puri. The company is promoting the vineyard cruise through e-newsletters amongst corporate houses and travel agents in the country.
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At Rs 80,000 excluding air fare, the price could, however, dampen the spirits of wine enthusiasts. Nitin Desai, Chairman , Vinsura Wines says, “I was aware of a wine cruise being offered, but I think the pricing is too high. I have been in the wine business for long and have been to Italy, France and Southern California in the last three years to study the wine business. When we travel through various associations of vineyard owners like the Wine Manufacturers Association, we get a discount from the consulate of those countries, making the total tour price not more than Rs 60,000.”
Countering this Suri explains that the cruise is a luxury trip. “Guests will be given many facilities, such as gourmet dining and complimentary 3G high-speed Internet, Wi-Fi and complimentary first-run Hollywood films, among other things,” he says.
Besides a wine cruise, amawaterways also offers an eight-day river cruise during the 16 day Oktoberfest in Germany starting September 24. Guests will be able to stay in Munich for two nights before proceeding for a river cruise from Nuremberg to Amsterdam. Oktoberfest 2010 starts on 18th September and will go up to the first Sunday in October.
Suri believes other cruises will also gain popularity in the winter months. “Vietnam is expected to be popular in the winter months as the cruise starts operation from August onwards. Russia also attracts a niche clientele; it offers a spectacular voyage through the heart of Russia along its historic waterways. Another popular river cruise in Europe is the Danube river cruise,” he says.
There are other tour operators, too, offering European river cruises in India. Cox and Kings, for one offers river cruises ranging from four to nine nights with a price band of $100-200 per person, per night. Overall, operators expect an increase of 25 per cent year-on-year for the river cruise business and most see a high number of couples opting for these tours, instead of families.
