Grape shortage threatens India’s wine industry as prices surge following unseasonal rain in Maharashtra

Unseasonal and persistent rainfall from May through October devastated vineyards across Nashik, Sangli and Solapur—regions that account for almost 90% of Maharashtra’s grape area of 119,358 hectares and about 80% of the country’s grape output of 3 million tonnes, said five people, including an expert and a Maharashtra government official who requested anonymity.

Winemakers said the extensive damage to the crop will leave them with significantly less fruit for crushing this season, pushing up the retail prices of popular wines. Prices are likely to “shoot up" due to the crop loss, Advait Pai, managing director of Vallonné Vineyards, said in response to a query from Mint.

“There is indeed a loss of crop this year, especially in our estate vineyards from where we get grapes for our most premium wines," Pai said. “The November rains, which came at the time of berry setting, have reduced the expected yield greatly. But we are hoping that all the measures that we have taken in our vineyards throughout the year, and the early onset of winter will ensure a good quality crop, although in smaller quantities."

Berry setting refers to the stage in fruit crops when flowers have been pollinated and begin developing into small, newly formed berries.

According to experts, bottles priced at ₹400-800—typically entry-level brands—are expected to register the sharpest rise, while prices of mid-range bottles in the ₹900-1,500 category may also increase, depending on the winery’s stock and crop contracts. Most of India’s largest wine producers including Sula Vineyards, Grover Zampa, Fratelli Vineyards and Vallonné Vineyards have their vineyards in Nashik.

Rajeev Samant, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sula Vineyards Limited, said that there is likely to be very little impact on wines with MRP (maximum retail price) above ₹800 because the impact has mainly been on table grapes (like Thompson Seedless) which are used to make wines that cost less than ₹800, with the vast majority being Port-style wines with an MRP below ₹300.

“Hence we are not expecting to raise prices on our premium Sula, Source and Rasa range this coming year as our wine grape harvest is looking pretty solid," said Samant. “However smaller producers, who depend disproportionately on inexpensive non-varietal wines made from table grapes, will be hit hard," he added.

Non-varietal refers to a wine where the grape variety (Such as Chenin Blanc and Shiraz) is not present on the label.

Samant further explained that the biggest impact has been on what they call early-pruned plots. “Typically, pruning happens in September, but some plots—mainly table grapes and rarely wine grapes—are pruned in early August. These early plots have been hit the hardest because the monsoon lasted longer than expected, leaving almost no fruiting buds. In contrast, wine grape plots, which are pruned later, usually at the end of September or in October, have not suffered as much. There is some damage, but nothing close to what we are seeing in table grapes," he said.

Early-pruned plots refer to vineyards where the pruning of grapevines is done earlier than the usual seasonal schedule.

No choice, no imports

Queries sent to the ministries of agriculture, commerce, Maharashtra’s agriculture department and the vineyards remained unanswered.

“The impact is severe. Wine prices are likely to rise by around 30% by January-February," said Ashwin Rodrigues, secretary of the Wine Growers’ Association of India. “The price of table grapes used for crushing will increase sharply… and wineries will have no choice but to adjust retail prices."

Rodrigues added that winemakers will not import grapes to fill the gap.

“The industry receives tax benefits for using domestic grapes, and these benefits will not apply if they import. Without these incentives, imported grapes would make the final product unaffordable," he said.

Growers in Nashik—the hub of India’s wine industry—have reported almost total crop damage. In Nashik, grapes are cultivated on about 81,000 hectares, making it the largest grape-growing district in the country, according to the Maharashtra government.

Nashik district received 128.1 mm of rainfall during the period from 1 October to 7 December, which was 46% above the normal of 87.9 mm, according to data on the India Meteorological Department's website.

“Continuous cloud cover during the critical growth phase cut off sunlight, restricted berry formation and damaged entire vineyards," said Ganubhau Vadje Patil, who cultivates four acres in Ambe-Varkheda in Nashik district. “I’ve managed to save only 20% of my crop."

Another farmer, Devidas Shankar Bhawle from Dindori, said they lost almost 100% of the crop.

“There is no grape to harvest. Earlier, Nashik sent 40-50 truckloads of grapes daily to Azadpur Mandi. This year, we may not even see five," Bhawle said. Azadpur Mandi in north Delhi is Asia's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market.

The loss in production will significantly reduce shipments to key overseas destinations including the Netherlands, Russia, the UK, and Germany. The Netherlands was India’s largest export destination in FY25, followed by Russia and the UK.

“India’s wine exports remain small at around ₹30-40 crore annually, reflecting the modest scale of the domestic wine sector compared with spirits and beer. The crop loss is expected to depress exports further and tighten domestic availability," Rodrigues said.

Grape exports

India’s exports of fresh grapes too may be affected. Grape exports stood at $313.7 million in FY23 and rose to $417.1 million in FY24, according to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics. In FY25, exports were valued at $353.54 million. During the April-August period of FY25, exports were recorded at $44.84 million, increasing to $69.66 million during the same period of FY26.

In quantity terms, India exported fresh grapes to the tune of 267,950 tonnes in FY23, 343,900 tonnes in FY24, 271,200 tonnes in FY25 and 59,560 tonnes during April-August 2025.

Patil, the Nashik farmer, said the unseasonal rainfall also affected grape-growing areas outside Nashik, and the poor quality of the fruit in those regions means much of it is unusable, which will further strain supplies. Farmers said the financial strain will extend beyond this year’s harvest.

“Even without a crop, we must maintain the vineyard for the next cycle," said Mahesh Vadje, another Nashik farmer. “With no income this season, it will be difficult to sustain operations."

The labour cost for foundation pruning, fruiting pruning and harvesting comes to ₹80,000 to ₹1 lakh per acre; the cost of insecticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators is ₹1.2 lakh to ₹1.8 lakh per acre, and fertilizers and farmyard manure add another ₹40,000 to ₹70,000 per acre, said Vadje.

“The near-total collapse of the grape crop will not just affect farmers but also wineries, traders and exporters who depend on steady arrivals," said Binod Anand, agriculture expert and a member of the government’s minimum support price (MSP) panel. MSP is a guaranteed floor price at which the government is ready to purchase crops from farmers.

Lower supplies

Consumers should brace for a tighter market. Traders said that lower supplies from Nandurbar, Sangli, Solapur and large parts of Nashik from December to March will push up the prices of table grapes as well as wine grapes.

“Retail prices will rise sharply," said Dharam Singh, a trader at Azadpur Mandi.

"There is huge damage to the crop. Preliminary estimates indicate that the farmgate price of grapes is ₹140-160 per kg this year, compared to ₹70-80 per kg last year," said Rakesh Kulhe, proprietor of Shivay Farmer Producer Company Ltd, a grape exporter.

Suresh Rajagopalan, chief executive officer of Chennai-based Samunnati Agro Innovation Labs, a part of the Samunnati Group known for its agri-finance and value-chain solutions, said, “Unseasonal rains and persistent humidity have severely disrupted this year’s grape cycle in Maharashtra, leading to widespread bud failure and significant crop losses across major belts such as Nashik, Solapur and Pune."