Tamil Nadu: Homemade wine still preferred in hills

Ooty: In line with the Christmas tradition, homemade wine is still a preferred ‘Xmas day special holy beverage’ for quite a number of Christian families in the Nilgiris. Stating that the Christmas celebrations, just two days away, are incomplete without homemade wine, Satish Abbudass, residing at St.Mary’s Hill area here, said that the homemade beverage is a Western tradition of ancient times that is still being followed across the world.  In the Nilgiris, many Christian families who are well versed with the know-how of homemade wine, make it for the Xmas celebrations. He said that it takes at least a month to brew a good homemade wine.  Satish Abbudass added that the recipe has dark grapes, sugar and yeast.  

“One needs to mix the ingredients at least one month in advance by mixing one kilo of dark grapes with an equal amount of sugar, water and yeast. The mixture is kept in a porcelain container to ferment. The red wine from the mixture is filtered a couple of days before the festival and it is served with cake after the prayer” Satish Abbudass said. “For Christians, homemade wine is a sacred or divine drink.  It is also good for cardiac health. In winter, the wine gives the necessary energy and heat in the cold weather,” he noted. Mr. Rajeshkumar James, hailing from Coonoor said, over the past few years, homemade wine-making culture is on the wane in the hills. It used to be sold in the shops in the past here, but, due to some reasons it has been curtailed now, Satish Abbudass noted.