Shillong: The two-day Wine Festival kicked off in Shillong today, celebrating locally crafted fruit wines from across the Khasi-Jaintia region.
Vice President of the organisers and co-founder of Damad Fruit Wine LLP, Ioannis Shylla, explained that while “wine” is the English term, among the Khasi community it is simply considered a form of kyiad (alcohol) made from fruits.
He highlighted that the Khasi-Jaintia Hills have immense potential for fruit-based wine production due to high rainfall and the abundance of unique, flavour-rich fruits not found elsewhere. These local varieties, he said, offer taste profiles that imported fruits cannot match.
However, the industry remains small because most producers lack organised systems and rely on fruits collected from forests, though there is significant potential to scale up and export.
Ioannis added that wine-making benefits both farmers and the environment. Unlike distilled spirits, fruit wine generally contains less than 15% alcohol as per legal limits and does not harm the body the way stronger liquor does.
He said he has no hesitation in being called a wine maker in Khasi, and urged people not to view the craft negatively. “Wine supports the environment and living systems — it does not destroy them,” he said.
