To see you through these sweltering hot Indian summer months Fratelli Wines has launched a limited edition collection of wines—J’NOON.

The collection is an artistic collaboration between Fratelli Vineyards and Boisset Collections. Kapil Sekhri founder of Fratelli and proprietor of Fratelli Vineyards is a young, dynamic industrialist from Delhi.

Sekhri joint hands with Jean-Charles Boisset (also known as JCB), a French vintner and the proprietor of the Boisset Collection, one of world’s leading family owned wine companies. The Boisset Collection operates 24 wineries in California, France, and Canada.

J’NOON is created with grapes that have been carefully selected and handpicked at the Fratelli provenance in Akluj, in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.

FC had a tête-à-tête with the men behind J’NOON to find out just what all the fuss is about?

FC: Tell us a little bit about the collaboration.

JCB: This is an exciting new world that India is seeing—the first ever collaboration which bring fine wines of India to the world. We are looking at India with a view on luxury, how to enhance the bountiful produce that India has to offer to the rest of the world.

We have created a collection of fine wines—a sparkling wine a Chardonnay Sauvignon blanc and a Cabernet; we are thrilled. This is finally recognising that India can make phenomenal wine and project it on to the world stage. 

FC: What is the USP of J’NOON?

JCB: It is not only made in India for Indians, but for the France U.K and US and the rest of the world. 

FC: Will the Europeans accept an Indian wine?

JCB: We believe not only Europe or France will accept it, but the rest of the world will also accept it as long as India accepts it. We are hoping Indian people can recognise that India can produce great wine.   

FC: How difficult do you think it is for a segment of Indians who believe in drinking only the best wine to accept wines produced in India?

KS: That’s the whole challenge here, we want to change that perception we want the Indians to feel proud of the produce. We hope that with this collaboration and JCB put his name on the bottle, it’s a step in that direction.

That we do away with the snobbery; get that pride back in the people about their own produce from India. So if Indians are proud of it, and they make a noise about it, serve it to guests (Indian and International) then we would have achieved something worth talking about. 

FC: Why do you call it an artistic collaboration?

JCB: Because wine is art! There is the production of wine and the creation of wine. We are in the creation of wine, we are not in the output but in the imagination of what can be.

We want to create something that has never been done before. An artistic form for us means we put our heart and senses into creating something that makes you feel phenomenal, it’s unique and it enhances everything you pair the wine with. Collaborating from our heart to create something unique and ‘vibrational.’

India is one of those countries which have the powers of meditation, understanding what is within and manifesting it to the outside. We feel J’NOON signifying passion, is our passion for this incredible country that is becoming such a spiritual example to the rest of the world.

So besides food, fashion, fabrics, we want Indian wine to shine across the world. Like Indian silk, saffron and cashmere we want Indian wine to be on the luxury list as well  

FC: How do you plan on positioning J’NOON and what are the distribution plans?

KS: It’s going to be positioned as the most ultra premium wine produced in India so far. So there is going to be very limited distribution. We want to sell the product on our terms, the industry so far is driven on discounts and freebies you offer to the institutions to list your product.

 That’s why we wanted to limit the production to 2400 bottles each category, part of it will be reserved for export launches in the right markets and areas.

In India we would like to limit it to eight to eight retail shops in each city and a few restaurants who will promote it with pride. We also want to encourage private collectors who would like to keep it in their cellars. That’s the strategy.  

FC: How can you compare J’NOON with the Indian produced Chandon?

KS: Well this is why ours is an artistic collaboration and Chandon’s is a brilliant marketing collaboration; they have a formula which works for them. Chandon is a product made for the local market with local produce, whereas J’NOON or JCB No 47, will be positioned as a great wine. The quality and value for money we bring on the table is unsurpassed. That’s where we are different and its one of its kind. We have Boisset believing in Indian wine and not just selling it locally but taking it to the world.   

FC: Do you believe in sustainable farming?

JCB: We have believed in Sustainable farming for over twenty years, we believe mother cannot be challenged. We need to work with her. In the vineyards you follow the lunar calendar, we are big on sustainable farming, and feel if you put too much pesticide in the earth it gets into your wine. One cannot remove it, it permeates the fabric of the grape. We minimise that and the influence of mankind.  We tend to foster and encourage organic farming practices.

KS: The region we have grown the grapes in, historically nothing has ever been grown there, it was barren land. India has the largest amount of cultivable barren land and the soil is good for grapes, so we anyway don’t need much fertilizers or pesticides as the soil there is completely uncontaminated. We are not organic, but yes we are sustainable.

We are conscientious of the fact, and we do a lot of checks of residue in the wine and follow the international global wine standards. But luckily we have to worry little about it, as the region we are in is not contaminated there is hardly any greenery and its arid land. If there is a lot of farming around you, insects move from one farm to another, we have nothing around us, so it’s easier to control it.