Say cheers to Kutchhi dates wine!

RAJKOT: Wine connoisseurs will soon say cheers to a mild alcoholic beverage made from Kutchhi dates!
A wine distillery set up at Abu Road by three entrepreneur friends from Gujarat has got permission to sell dates wine in 65 permitted liquor shops in the state. State’s prohibition and excise department has granted registration to their brand and the company is planning to make the wine available in liquor shops by the end of this month.
Harpreet Singh and Jasvant Singh, both residents of Mehsana and Ranjit Singh from Kutch had floated the idea to manufacture wine from the famous Kutch dates in 2015. Their company Peasants Food Processing and Winery Pvt Ltd invested Rs 10 crore to set up a distillery near Abu Road, which became operational few months ago. It has a capacity to make two lakh litres wine per year using special Barahi (yellow) dates. The families of three friends have settled in Gujarat for two generations now.
Talking to TOI, Harpreet Singh said: “Kutch produces dates in a huge quantity and they sell for Rs 120 to 150 per kg. However, when the fruit gets overripe because of drop in demand, farmers hardly earn Rs 20 to 30 per kg. Ranjit then hit upon the idea using these dates and make wine.”
They have hired a professional wine maker too. “There is no added spirit in this and it’s naturally fermented for those who don’t want hard liquor. The alcohol content is around 13%.”
The company has even got a patent from the Indian Patents Office for its product. However, the trio always wanted to sell this unique product their native state.
“We were required to register our brand in Gujarat. Dates wine will be available in 65 liquor shops by the end of this month,’ said Harpreet.
By the end of this year, they plan to start making wine from pomegranates, whose cultivation has also gone up significantly in Kutch over the past few years.