Seagram’s Nine Hills
THE FACTS
THE STORY
Pernod-Ricard, the multinational drinks giant, has made Nine Hills into the perfect antithesis of their spirits business in India as far as size is concerned. Though the market leader in spirits with millions of cases sold in India every year, it produces only 35,000 cases of wine, a minuscule quantity comparatively speaking. The production may be small, but Nine Hills wines enjoy great popularity and have earned national accolades in each of the years since 2013.
The construction of the winery started in 2005 and the first vintage was a year later with the release of only 4,000 cases. It took another two years of careful winemaking, trials and blending to craft the first reserve wines in 2008. The core team at the winery is small: only ten full-time employees run the show all year through and another ten cellar hands are hired seasonally during vintage. The vineyards, of course, require much more labour, and the arrangements there are complex.
As a multinational, Pernod-Ricard is not allowed to hold land, and so Nine Hills has long-term contracts with local farmers, all in the Nashik region, where the winery works with about 18 growers. The smallest landowner cultivates five acres and the largest 40 acres of vineyard. The quantity of grapes is adjusted annually in line with market requirements. In the course of nine years since its first vintage, Nine Hills’ reach grew to 22 states across India.
In the light of the precocious growth presented by some wineries, the sense of curtailed ambition may well prevail at Nine Hills. However, the deeper I dug and tasted with the team, the exact opposite was apparent. Pernod-Ricard nurtures its long-term wine ambitions in India through the careful establishment of a reliable and scalable quality framework for production, along with creating enduring brand equity in the local market.
THE ESTATE
The Nine Hills winery, adjacent to the Pernod-Ricard distillery, is located in the Dindori district of Nashik. It is a purpose-built production unit designed to be energy efficient and ergonomic rather than a romantic or picturesque affair as is sometimes imagined by wine aficionados.
As I know from personal experience, visitors have to don a fashionable blue cap in compliance with the requirements of the ISO 22000 certification, an international standard for food-safety management. The first winery to achieve this award in India, Nine Hills’ quest for quality permeates the corporate structure far deeper than evinced by formal certification. For example, in the purchase of pesticides, company policy observes the stricter rules and regulations of the European Union or source country rather than abide by the frequently lax Indian regulations.
Production focuses on five key varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Viognier for the whites, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz for the reds. The latter is also used for rosé.
As for technical expertise, Nine Hills enjoys the benefits of a global bank of knowledge and experience offered by Pernod-Ricard. A local team works closely with New Zealand and Australian colleagues on all viticultural and winemaking issues. This knowledge is passed on to the growers through weekly visits and consultations, which guarantee the quality of the grapes and boost the skills base in agriculture.
Jaydeep Kudale, the viticulturist, identifies canopy design and management as the key factors in the production of quality grapes. The danger posed by mildew demands a higher trellis, but the design of most vineyard equipment sets limits on the maximum height. The ongoing management of the canopy is precarious and expensive: two prunings a year and a frequent spraying programme increase both labour and material costs significantly.
The team is experimenting with delaying the autumn pruning to lower the mildew pressure. This results in a later end to the growing season and increases the fruit’s exposure to the ever stronger sun. The use of the Y-trellis and more abundant foliage, 14 leaves per shoot that overhang the bunches of grapes to protect them from sunburn, are the ways sought to counter the problem. To further support ideal maturity, an irrigation trial aims to determine the ideal combination of the necessary quantity and frequency of water.
THE WINES
All Nine Hills’ wines are clear with bright and lively fruits. They are positioned at two levels of quality: the entry-level Nine Hills and the mid-market Nine Hills Reserve ranges.
The whites are refreshingly crisp. The Sauvignon Blanc retains the herbaceousness of capsicum and asparagus in addition to ripe exotic fruits, and the Chenin Blanc is rounded off by a touch off sweetness, beautifully balanced by the higher acidity.
The basic reds are rich in red fruits and easily approachable thanks to the succulent tannins. The reserve labels, having gone through barrel ageing, offer more aromatic complexity and richer tannins with a firmer structure.
THE LABELS
Nine Hills
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chenin Blanc
- Viognier
- Shiraz rosé
- Shiraz
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Nine Hills Reserve
- Shiraz
- Cabernet Sauvignon
VIDEO GALLERY