By P.T. Bopanna
‘Brand Coorg’ has taken a hit following the revelation made by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) managing director Dr K.V. Rajendra, IAS, that cases of “poor-quality wine being sold in Kodagu”(Coorg) district in Karnataka had come to the notice of the KSTDC.
Rajendra (in picture) made the statement recently at Madikeri, the district headquarters during the ‘Connect Kodagu’ programme organised by the KSTDC and other stakeholders, including the Kodagu district administration.
He warned that action will be taken in coordination with the police and health department to curb the production of unauthorised and poor-quality wine.
The director noted that the Union government had come up with a new scheme to encourage homestays. However, serving of liquor to guests was banned.
Rajendra pointed out that Coorg had emerged as eco-tourism as well as health tourism destination and attracted solo women tourists.
Coorg, the homestays capital of India, has now become famous for its homemade wines. Wine is made from a wide range of fruits, including grapes, ginger, pepper, betel leaf, gooseberry, orange, cashew apple, rice, banana, coffee, etc.
It is estimated that around 1,000 women in the district are engaged in wine-making to generate revenue.
Serving alcoholic drinks to guests is an age-old practice in Coorg. Women guests are offered homemade wine.
If you travel across Coorg, you will notice that shops store wine bottles alongside spices and homemade chocolates.
Though rules make it compulsory to have the name of the manufacturer, mention the alcohol content, etc., most of them do not comply with these provisions, as they contend that they only make wine in small quantities.
There have been complaints in the past that more than the permitted quantity of alcohol was being used by some unscrupulous traders to provide the ‘kick’.
By and large, homemade wine and liqueur have become popular among tourists and shoppers.
To know more about Coorg homemade wines, check out the link below: