"People in India today, women included, are passionate about wine," said Radhika Bahl, founding member of the Delhi Wine Club. "Even at parties nowadays we see more wine being served, not just as courtesy to women but as a healthier drink option than spirits," Bahl says.

"The predominant reason for women having wine is: it is not a hard liquor. It is a better option for social drinking. It is healthy. And a glass or two of red wine has medicinal impact too, and wine is definitely an experience they like to talk about and share," Bahl added.

The Delhi Wine Club has 160 members, out of which 40 percent are women. But data is not available on how much women account for in the annual Indian wine industry sales of 2.5 million cases, with each containing 12 bottles of 750 ml each.

Another reason for women taking to wine is the alcohol content. While hard liquor comes with an alcohol content of over 40 percent, and has to be mixed, the strength in wine varies between 11 and 15 percent. Soft drinks, with an overdose of sugar, are passe!