In short: The Panneer Thratchai grape grown in the Cumbum valley of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023. A GI tag is a legal certification that a product's unique qualities come specifically from where it's grown — the same protection given to Darjeeling tea or Alphonso mangoes.
What is a GI tag, exactly?
A Geographical Indication tag, granted in India under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, certifies that a product's character, reputation or quality is essentially linked to its place of origin. Once granted, only producers within that defined geographic region can legally market their product under that GI name.
Why Cumbum's Panneer grape earned one
The Cumbum valley's specific combination of soil, elevation and climate produces a grape with a distinct thin skin, seeded structure and a naturally sweet-tart flavour that doesn't replicate elsewhere in India. Farmers in this valley have cultivated the variety for generations, and the GI tag formally recognises that heritage.
What it means for you as a buyer
When a product is genuinely labelled with the GI-tagged Panneer variety, you're getting grapes grown within a legally defined region known for this specific character — not a generic raisin relabelled with a regional name. At MM Rooted Ventures, our grapes are grown on our own farm at Odaipatti, inside the GI zone, and dried the same way for generations: in the sun, seeds intact, nothing added.
The short answer
Panneer Thratchai is a GI-tagged grape variety from Theni's Cumbum valley, protected since 2023 for its distinct seeded, naturally sweet character — and it's the only grape we grow.