On the wine trail

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On the wine trail

Alok Chandra / Bangalore January 09, 2010, 0:21 IST

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Wine tourism is something new in India. Google wine tourism in India and you get 2.98 million results one indication of the booming interest in this little-known but fast-growing niche. But what is wine tourism? If youve seen the movie Sideways (2004), you will have the perfect recipe for what Click here to visit SME Buzz wine tourism is all about: endless vistas of rolling hills planted with wine grapes; little wineries tucked away amidst these vineyards offering visitors a taste of their wines; Also Read space to discover yourself. Of course, in California the grapes are harvested in News Related Stories autumn, so both the ambience and the weather are great. Now The reality in India is quite different as the grape is harvested in FebruaryApril, the days can get quite hot towards the end. Nasik Valley is the only area with enough wineries to justify a visit. While the drive up the ghats to Nasik is interesting, god forbid that you get caught in a jam or find yourself in the middle of a convoy tailing a containercarrier. Nasik is a dusty and crowded city, and one could drive for miles with nary a vineyard in sight. The saving grace is Sula Vineyards, the only one really organised for wine tourism. They organise vineyard tours in January-March (a one-hour tour costs Rs 150), and also have a great tasting room (which gets quite crowded on weekends) and two lovely restaurants (Little Italy and Kareems) at their winery. Theres also a three-bedroom bungalow beyond, for those wanting to spend the night nearby (bookings, only for the whole bungalow at Rs 16,000/Rs 20,000, including vineyard tour, all meals and wine tasting). Call 99700-90010 or 0253-2230575 or check their website (www.sulawines.com) for more details. - Low VAT/GST be imposed on processed food: Sahai - Samsung says revenue from India likely to double - Thinksoft gets CII excellence award - Maha Govt blocks moneycontrol.com, bseindia.com for its staff - Ku Klux Klan cartoon in Indian paper angers Australia - India announces $55 mn in assistance for Malawi

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Other wineries I know of in the area with a walk-in tasting facility are York Winery (96557-28070), also located on the shores of the picturesque Gangapur lake (not too far from Sula), and Renaissance Winery (Prajit 92251-24624) on the Agra road. Most other wineries do not have walk-in facilities, and accept visitors only by prior appointment the ones worth visiting include Vintage Wines (Yatin Patil 98226 84423) and Chateau DOri (Kailash Dhuru 99200-53862). Lastly theres the grand-daddy of them all: Chateau Indage, whose winery is on the Pune-Nasik road, but which does not encourage visitors, even though there is a wine bar-cum-restaurant on the main road, right at the winery gates where you can sample and buy their wines. Then theres Grover Vineyards, whose winery is some 40 km outside Bangalore, who also accept visitors only by prior appointment you have to call Maitry Desai (93796-27175). All the other Karnataka-based wineries are too far away, near Bijapur, Belgaum, or Bidar, and none is as yet geared for visitors. It will take years for wine tourism as known worldwide to develop in India, and right now those who can afford it head overseas, for the rest, theres either the Nasik Valley or a long wait. Wines Ive been drinking: The Four Seasons Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, with its distinctive gold label and inky red colour, is delicious. Loads of berries, mint and spice on the nose, this is a full-bodied wine with a smooth and fruity taste, and a good long finish. Rs 900 in Bangalore, Rs 800 in Mumbai, and only Rs 750 in Goa enjoy! [The author is a Bangalore-based wine consultant]

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Tags : THE WINE CLUB | India | Nasik Valley | Sula Vineyards | York Winery | Renaissance Winery |

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On the wine trail

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/onwine-trail/382103/

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