The inspiration for this play came from Kneale conjecturing the effect organ transplants would have on society. Given that the population could conceivably remain youthful for up to a hundred years, a way would have to be found to remove citizens from society. Kneale postulated the idea of a social contract, where a citizens' right to life is guaranteed until the age of 100; after this the citizen has to die.

The play is focussed on a funeral in the year 2050. A group of  relatives are present to watch a couple,  Julie and Will, walk through  a set of curtains to their deaths. The mortician is concerned that one of the couple lacks the will  to end their life, so he arranges for Bee, one of their old friends, to arrive. The friend has opted out of the social contract, and looks the full 80 years she has lived. Julie and Will feel they have been lucky to retain their youth and end their lives. The play concludes with the guests toasting the couple with Wine of India.

"I called it [Wine of India] because there is no such stuff. They don't make wine in India except a very small quantity in a very limited district. I wanted a title that suggested something that didn't exist, because this was again about a future society wher all problems are overcome." - Nigel Kneale from an interview with Andrew Pixley, 1986.

Julie        ANNETTE CROSBIE                            Writer        NIGEL KNEALE
Will        BRIAN BLESSED                                   Director    GILCHRIST CALDER
Russ       JOHN STANDING                                 Producer   GRAEME McDONALD
Nita        ROSEMARY NICOLS                           Designer    J. ROGER LOWE
Bee        CATHERINE LACEY                            A BBC TV Colour Production
Sam        IAN OGILVY
Adam     DONALD BURTON
Pat         DAVID MUNRO
Nonie     JUDITH BELLIS
Dod       NICHOLAS YOUNG
Jonna     VICKY WILLIAMS
Celebrity GLENN WILLIAMS
Mac       REG WHITEHEAD
Lexy      ALEXANDER DANE
Dave      NEVILLE HUGHES
Martin    ROGER PERRY