I didn’t grow up drinking wine. The first few times I tried it in India, I didn’t enjoy it — and I didn’t think much about why.

When I went to study in France, that changed. Not because I discovered some grand passion, but because the cheapest wine in a supermarket was genuinely good. It was just there, affordable, honest. I was surprised. Over the years working in France and Germany, wine became part of everyday life the way it is in Europe — nothing precious about it, just something you share over a meal.

When I came back to India, I tried again. The domestic options were expensive and, to be honest, not very good. The imported ones were priced out of reach for most people. And I thought — somewhere in that gap, there might be something worth doing.

I should say clearly: I had no idea how to do it. I was a finance person. I had spent years studying for professional exams. I knew nothing about import regulations, excise licences, customs clearance, or the alcohol distribution system in India, which is genuinely one of the most complicated in the world.

I started by looking at French supermarket labels — they print supplier details on them — and sending cold emails to Bordeaux producers. One replied. That was Caves de Rauzan, who remain our partner today.

Everything that followed was slow and difficult. Getting the first excise licence took months. The second took longer. I travelled to cities I had no connections in, walked into retail shops with photos on my phone, and asked if they would be interested. Most said no. Some were kind about it. A few weren’t.

The people who helped us in those early days — our CA who worked without charging us for a long time, our CHA who eventually took a chance on a very small first order — we would not be here without them. We try not to forget that.

Two years on, Fine Bouche is registered across seven states. We have a small team. We have retail and distribution partners across the country. Our portfolio has grown from two labels to six, and we have more arriving soon — including a private Bordeaux label that we have been working towards since the beginning. A genuinely good wine at a price that makes sense in India. That is still what this is about.

We are not the biggest importer. We are not trying to be. What we are trying to do is bring wines we genuinely believe in, keep our prices honest, and not take the people who buy from us for granted.

We still have our fingers crossed. But we are glad you are here.

— Fine Bouche Beverages, Mumbai