The chairperson said now it was possible for customers to carry wine outside, which they were prevented from doing in the taverns set up to sell wine in government premises.

'Shopping malls, super markets and multiplexes with not less than 15,000 sq. ft floor area will be allowed to have wine boutiques. Licence fees of Rs.1,000 and Rs.5,000 have been fixed for taverns and boutiques respectively,' she added.

Around 600 acres in Karnataka are under grape cultivation, with most of the produce ultimately turned into wine.

Nandi Valley in Chikkaballapur and Krishna Valley in Bijapur are the largest grape cultivating regions in the state.

Karnataka produces about 1.8 million litres of wine annually. In 2008-09, the state sold around 300,000 litres to other Indian states and abroad.

The state is second only to Maharashtra in terms of wine production. Maharashtra produces almost 10 million litres of wine annually.

'The government seems to have opened up with the idea of promoting wine drinking in a big manner. Wine can earn good revenue for the state and benefit the farmers also. Moreover, wine consumption in moderate amount has health benefits too, unlike other alcoholic drinks,' said Pramod Jalan, a self-confessed wine lover.