Mark Davidson, the managing director of Tamburlaine Wines, considers the market of Nepal as new to wines as Australia’s market was when he started production back in 1985. “People are yet to be introduced to the culture of drinking wine. They don’t know why drinking wine is better than drinking other alcohols,” he said. [break]
Nepalis consume about 560,000 bottles of wine a year and traders here import 18 out of 60 varieties of wines produced by the Australian manufacturer. Mark Davidson wines are available in the range of Rs 600 to Rs 2,600 per bottle.
Davidson, who established the company in 1985, thinks that was just the right time to start a winery in Australia as the consumption pattern of the Australians were gradually growing toward wines, the economic recession was near to its end and people were beginning to understand that wine is not just another liquor.
“The best thing about wine is that, you can drink alcohol, socialize and still think right at the same time,” said Davidson, who probably is one of the very few people who has not lost interest in his work even after 25 years.
Davidson’s interest toward wine led to the establishment of the Australia’s largest organic wine manufacturer. The company produces about 60 varieties of wines. For the first 15 year of its establishment, the company limited its sales to the domestic market. Late, it started expanding its presence to different parts of the world. Today, Mark Davidson wines are available in 19 countries.
“We started the company from a tiny winery determined not to use chemicals to grow grapes. This has probably become our greatest strength now,” Davidson said, explaining that it was just another idea back then.
“Many people prefer my wines to others because Mark Davidson wines are organic and healthy.”
Davidson sees a great opportunity in Nepal as the consumption here is growing and so is the knowledge about wine. To him, the challenge to market wines is to remain in constant touch with the customers and receive feedbacks.
“Having a quality product and many distributors is not enough, I need to talk to the distributors and at least get the general idea about what is happening in the particular market at the particular time,” Davidson said, adding: “That’s why I am here for the fourth time in last three years.”
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