Techie makes Wine in Latin America
By Hitesh Shetty

The booming IT-ITES industry in India has empowered many Tech Specialists to drop out and pursue their passions.  Some IIT Graduates have stopped pursuing lucrative careers in India and overseas and are with NGO’s as well as organizations like ISCKON.  One leading security expert has cut down on his hours to practice Art of Living. Another has opted to be a Fitness Trainer

Techgoss catches up with Abdul Aziz who studied in France, became an IT Manager, returned to India and is now in Argentina running his own Winery.

Techgoss (TG): Tell us about your Educational Qualification? What kind of IT have you studied? Which IT companies and software did your work with? Tell us about your early life?
Abdul Aziz (AA): After completing my bachelor in science in Lycée Français de Pondicherry, I applied for a Master of Maths in the University Paris XI. This was in 1978. During my years of study in Maths, I had facilities in algorithmic material. After 4 years studying mathematics, I met my future wife. I decided if I were to have a family, I should be able to earn decent money to support them. Fortunately, in around those days, there were a lot of jobs in IT sector and also many start-ups were created. I wanted to learn to create software. There was one year accelerated classes for student who have background in maths or management to study IT, for management system (like SAP, Oracle Application...).

I got a job immediately in a start-up as a consultant in making management system. One of my first jobs was to create software to manage the stock of paper for Hachette Company. Hachette is the biggest press company in France. The stock system was made with info 9 then with Oracle. After working for 2 years as a consultant, Hachette asked me to be a part of their team. Hachette is infact a subsidiary of Lagadère Company. Later, I went on to became an IT manager for Hachette, where we made a lot of applications (invoices, salaries, distribution control, printing...)

TG: How did you get interested in Winemaking? Was it easy / difficult for you to adapt to this new field from your earlier chosen field? How has your journey been as a wine specialist so far?
AA: I discovered my interest in wines only once I landed in France. I was 18 or 19 years old then. To pay my study fees, I had to work to sustain myself. As a part time job, I used to work as a monitor in summer holiday camp for kids, where we had to organize picnics, promenade, games, manual activities etc. Once the kids go to bed at night, we would go for our "fifth meal" which is a big buffet with local food from the village itself. There were cheese and wine on offer - Good cheese and common wine. I liked it, Infact loved it. I spent the whole nights to have cheese and wine. For me it was like being in heaven.

Paris XI is close to Versailles. The parents of my friends had a nice private cellar, where we all used to get together during the week-end in their secondary house in Normandy. The parents used to open some rare wine bottles. It was a dream like experience for me and I realised how lucky I was to have the chance to taste those great wines in that marvelous place. Infact, I'd only seen such wines before in movies (people having a cup of wine next to the fireplace).

Thereafter, I never looked behind in my passion for wines. I made good money in winemaking profession. I traveled all around the world with my family. Along the way, we also visited the Châteaux of Bordeaux, Burgundy, La Loire etc. from where I began collecting fine wine in my cellar with some of the specialities being Château Neuf du Pape, Côte Rotie, St Julien, Gevrey Chambertin, Nuit St George... The famous appelations of France.

In the process, I learnt the various intricacies of fine wine like the terroir, extraction of aromas, influence of pruning, fermentation etc. In the meantime, I was really becoming wary of my IT job which was causing me a lot of stress and dilemma due to late night working hours. But, I knew I wouldn't stick there for ever there, although I was reluctant to quit my job, since my children were very young then. Eventually in the year 2000, As a result of press business decline caused due to booming internet and digital media business, Things didn't look any more encouraging for me to continue working in Hachette. Eventually, I decided to move out.

TG: How was Chateau Hana winery born? Tell me about the challenges you faced in making your dreams come true? Also, what are so special about these wines?
AA: In the year 2006, I wanted to open a "Cheese and Wine" Restaurant in Bangalore, where I knew some people in a few IT companies out there. It didn't work out. The rent was also quite expensive.

Later, I learnt that India was producing wine in Nashik. I contacted the MIDC (Maharashtra Indus. Dev. Corp.). Later, I travelled to Nashik, Pune and Sangla. They advised me to acquire a vineyard or land to plant grapes. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I then moved to Uttaranchal and in the midst of it, my wife and I went out on a holiday trip in Patagonia (Argentina). In the process, I came across a new place- Mendoza, where I got to taste the Argentinean wine and liked it.

I learnt then that the price of vineyard out there was 100 times cheaper than in India.  Later, my Friends from Bordeaux encouraged me to settle down in Latin America, because the climate out there was ideal for producing good wines. Later, I researched the same in internet and after having done all the homework, I bought a flight ticket to Mendoza. Further, I bought my 15 ha finca (farm) with lovely houses, swimming pool and one big Warehouse with the warehouse turning out be my future winery.

TG: How do you see the future for aspiring wine makers in India? Do you see bright future for them ahead or does India really has to do a lot of catching up to be among the best wine making nations in the world?
AA: Well, I am afraid; the scenario for aspiring wine makers in India does not look very good.  The climatic, geological and geographical factors are not ideal for grapes in India, since 80% of the quality of wine is derived from the grapes and the general humid climate in India doesn't do any good either. Further, There are really a very few trained winemakers in India. The price of land in India is also very costly. Making the table wine is easy, but making good wine is another thing.

TG: What advice would you like to give to the Indian and worldwide techies, who aspire to do something in the world of wine making one day, like you did? Is it easy for them to get started in this field and undergo a major transition from the world of bits and bytes?
AA: It is not difficult to get started here if you love wines in general. Once you begin to appreciate wines, develop a passion for wines and further dedicate your life to do what you've always dreamt of doing, you should be able to excel in this field. Although, you might come across an enologist who might help you technically, but it is you who has to understand the intricacies of a wine. 

Well, if you want to get out from the stressful targets and horrible traffic jams encountered for years by an IT executive, and instead wish to lead a quiet life, Winemaking is a good option. Additionally, this field has made me learn about different cultures, people, languages which is indeed priceless.

TG: What are your future plans?
AA: To make enough money to produce better wines. To have more workers.

Finally, I should be able to export my wines to India, China, Brazil etc.