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F & B News
Jose Cuervo Sees India As Big Market For Oak Matured Tequilla
Bhisham Mansukhani - Mumbai
Jose Cuervo has cited India as potentially maturing market for its Reposado
tequila, which is oak-barreled matured as opposed to silver tequila which is
bottled straight out of the distillery. Having turned on marketing efforts in
earnest only in the last 18 months, Mexico's first-ever and older tequila marker
has seen its market share go from 1500 cases to 10,000. It is now setting itself
to touch 50,000 by 2010.
Manuel Bonnici, senior commercial manager, Southern Cone, who oversees the Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa, Middle East and Indian markets, was on a visit recently
to meet with institutional and retailing community and felt things could only
get better. "The volumes in India off late have grown noticeably. It is
already rated above the Middle East market and although it is some way behind
Australia (32000) and New Zealand(15000), we see 50,000 cases as a manageable
target by 2010."
 A
major agave shortage in Mexico until recently had compelled Jose Cuervo to pull
out of developing markets and concentrate on core markets like the US which
is its biggest -- it consumes 3.5 million of the Jose Cuervo's five million
case production. Bonnici noted that India bears the hallmark of a fast maturing
market given that already more than 60 per cent of its consumption in the barrel
aged Reposado. "While silver-style tequila goes straight out of distillation
into the bottle, the Reposado is produced as a result of tequila put into charred
oak barrels where it picks up flavours and colour from the wood and is rested
for up to three months and is then bottled. We've also put out one of our premium
range products in the Indian market -- the 1800 Anejo which, again is aged and,
significantly is made from 100 per cent agave. While all tequila is made from
agave, the agave content need only be 51 per cent. The 1800 range however is
100 per cent agave." The Reposado is aged for three months while the Anejo
is aged for 12 months. The Reposado retails at Rs 1500 a bottle. "While
we have an Anejo in the 1800 range on the market in India, we would also like
to introduce the silver and Reposado in the 1800 range at some point,"
Bonnici said.
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