The art of making wine, for Shillong’s winemakers, is rewarding. Not as a means of earning, but as a hobby which they most love.
With the government still vacillating on amending the Excise Act for legalising selling of local wine, the winemakers of Shillong take their hobby as art for art’s sake.
During the colonial era, an Englishman Tom Harold Douglas Hunt established the first winery, Mawphlang Distilleries, in Mawphlang. Its cherry wine, cherry brandy and plump brandy had a refined taste that it was sold and distributed all over India.
The London Times, at the time, published a special article on Hunt’s wine company.
Sadly, Hunt’s daughters did not want to continue the business. Mawphlang Distilleries shut down its factory during the 1980s after his demise.
Meghalaya is a state blessed with many types of fruits, some of which are indigenous. Winemakers of Shillong are capitalising on this, utilising resources thereby helping farmers and tourism sector.
Meet Brian D Kharpran Daly, John AD Nongspung, Matilda Mary Sawkmie and Isrin Mawnai who are among the many who annually participate in Shillong Wine Festival organised by Forever Young Club.
“Back when I was young, a friend of mine made wine in his house. It was from there that I learned the rudiments. I researched through books and started making wine,” reminisces Daly of those early years.
Nongspung has a similar story.
“I was very curious seeing my cousin make wine in her house. She taught me the basics, and I went making just 10 litres at home.”
The art of making wine takes years to perfect. It requires lots of hard work. For the wine has to be crystal clear devoid of any particles. “During initial years, the wine I made was cloudy. It took me three to four years to make it clear,” adds Nongspung.
Daly, who has been making wine since 1990, says perfecting the art is important or one would not qualify as a winemaker.
Right from adding pectin enzyme to sulphide, citric acid, nutrient, imported yeast etc, the winemaker must be scrupulous with each and every step. But what is sad about some winemakers in the city, Daly and Nongspung point out, is that they add alcohol to the wine.
“Such a short-cut method of unprofessionalism means cheating customers,” says Daly.
In terms of fruits used, Sawkmie uses grapes, sohmon, apple, gooseberry, banana, passion fruit, plum and blackberry.
Sawkmie, affectionately called ‘Mrs. Bruce’, is 78 years old but still busies herself in the kitchen making pickles and wine.
“Yes I am old, but winemaking keeps me active. I love to keep myself occupied with this,” she says.
Daly says Shillong has takers for wine. But genuine connoisseurs do not exist. “Old folks always love wine. But our young boys and girls are not into it.” Daly makes wine out of fruits like sohiong, sohmon, pineapple and mulberry.
When it comes to customers, Sawkmie says the Shillong Wine Festival is the best place to meet people from all walks of life. “My customers, both locals and tourists, have become friends over the years.”
With no policy legalising sales,
local winemakers see it as labour of love, reports Willie Gordon Suting
Nongspung says every winter he gets excited for the festival as it provides a platform. “I am grateful to Forever Yong Club led by Michael Syiem for putting a great effort every year. The exposure we get is tremendous,” he says.
The Shillong Wine Festival was established in 2002 held mostly at Crinoline Swimming Pool annually. Earning-wise in the festival, for the winemakers, has been satisfying. Nongspung says he earns over Rs 40,000 annually from the festival. “Mostly my wild apple wine (sohphoh) and sohiong wine are always in huge demand every year.”
Daly produces 2,000 litres of wine every year and has regular customers who purchase two to three cases.
Nongspung adds that a lot of money has to be invested in buying of fruits, imported yeast, sulphites, sugar and equipment. “Imported yeast which I now purchase online is very expensive. I spend Rs 5,000 annually on fruits.”
Isrin Mawnai from Ri Bhoi is a pioneer in winemaking. She took it with stiff decision setting up the wine manufacturing ‘Na Lyngwiar’ in 2015 at Umran Dairy village.
Despite facing hurdles in life with numerous rejections from Government institutions in providing assistance in setting up of a wine manufacturing unit, Mawnai chased her dream.
Mawnai had undergone trainings in different institutions mostly at RRTC, Umran in which she was trained to enhance herself in brewing wine.
“I faced hardships especially in promoting the trade. I was saddened after application for the loan and centrally sponsored scheme under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme got rejected by State Bank of India and also the DIC department,” says Mawnai.
NEEPCO had sponsored Mawnai with machineries and equipment for setting up her unit after she had undergone few trainings in the department of NEEPCO, Shillong.
On being asked about the government amending the Excise Act, Michael Syiem says, “We approached the government many a time, but it keeps turning a blind eye. It should understand that the state’s farmers, businessmen, horticulture and tourism sector will profit a lot.”
Daly says the government should learn from Mizoram where the government negotiated with church leaders to come up with a winery. “Many Mizo youths got work in the winery. The grape wine there has been a favourite of tourists,” he says.
The winery at Mawphlang gave employment to around 250 villagers. Iarmon Nongsiej, who worked in Captain Hunt’s winery in the 1970s, says the cherry brandy was famous not only in the region but outside it too. “It was a large production unit. I was part of the winemaking team and would taste after the wine was ready. I still remember the taste,” says the 72-year-old woman and adds that she seldom makes wine at home.
The winery, which is used as a warehouse now, still exists with some of the equipment lying unused. Recently, Mawphlang MLA Syntar Klass Sunn had urged the government to revive the winery.
Andrew Nongdhar, the great grandson of Hunt, told Sunday Shillong that his family is planning to start the business again.
With the legalisation of winemaking, not only the government will earn revenue but local farmers will also profit. “I had taken up the priority to make use of different fruits in brewing wine to help them,” says Mawnai.
Daly believes that if the Excise Act is amended, standards of production will benefit winemakers.
“The department or board that will exist can come up with rules for production where winemakers should meet certain standards. A testing laboratory will also be crucial for winemakers to conform to quality production.” he says.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, on being asked about the government’s plans on legalising wine selling, says, “It is an issue worth looking into but we have to first consult people and stakeholders.”
Regarding Sunn’s proposal to the government of reviving Hunt’s factory, Sangma says, “This is also something which we can examine.”
(With inputs from
Pynshngainlang N. Syiem and Nabamita Mitra)