Myra Vineyards
THE FACTS
THE STORY
Ajay Shetty, like many a former banker, quit the world of finance to pursue a passion. A self-confessed wine and food lover, the young entrepreneur left Hong Kong to set up Myra Vineyards in his native Karnataka with ambitions to supply customers across the major markets of southern India. Shetty’s optimism is intoxicating and he needs it, since starting from scratch is no mean feat.
He put his investment banking experience to use when creating a business plan that aimed to fill the gap in the market between sub-entry-level sweet fortified wines and the pricier varietal. Myra is determined to supply the young Indian consumer with reliable and consistent quality at specific price levels. Branding is therefore as crucial to its success as financing in the long term. The competition is tough, and widening the circle of consumers hugely expensive.
Theword ‘myra’, or peacock, from the south-Indian Tulu language, evokes the qualities of grace, joy, beauty and love, all closely associated with wine and its enjoyment. Delving into Hindu mythology, the peacock was the ‘vahana’ or transport used by Muruga, the deity of war. The bird thus brilliantly captures the essence of the brand and its story: Shetty, the young warrior, explodes on to the Indian market with wines crafted to satisfy the taste of specific consumer segments at well-defined price levels. In the first 18 months of operation, Myra sold 7,000 cases and continues to grow rapidly.
THE ESTATE
THE WINES
While setting up the business, Shetty started the process of acquiring a hundred acres of land in the Nandi Valley, a prime wine area outside Bangalore. The winery is still to be built but the planting of 25 acres of vine was planned for 2015. A wine resort is on the anvil, to be developed onsite to offer the full ‘wine life-style’ experience, but construction will commence only after 2015.
THE LABELS
The house style of the Myra family of labels is about approachability. Ripeness is the common theme. Variation comes into play through either the attractive simplicity of the fruit-forward style in the case of the THB range, or the addition of a spicy tone through the use of oak for the Reserve wines. All the wines are technically well-made and quaffable.
Two Headed Bird (THB): entry-level wines with varietal labelling and vintage indication; simple, straightforward and uncomplicated
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Shiraz
Myra: a step up from THB as far as fruit quality is concerned; a touch better concentration and firmer structure for the reds
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chenin Blanc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Shiraz
Myra Reserve: richer, bigger, fuller
bodied and more complex pair of reds
- Shiraz
- Cabernet Sauvignon
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