A Visit to the Vineyards of Central India at Nashik

Wine either red or white is one of the age old elixirs the world has known. Savored by emperors and kings wines have been served at banquets and meals as an important feature of royal life. Over the years serving wine is a symbol of high life. When the word wine appears, automatically the associated wine producing countries like France and Italy come to mind. These are the world's foremost wine producing nations. But the world is changing and wine is now also produced in India. In India the vineyards are nestled in the Nashik valley where the climatic conditions are perfect for nurturing grapes of sterling quality. In addition timely harvesting of grapes and very gentle pressing and handling of the juice from the grapes which is the cornerstone of the wine making process are all carried out skillfully at Nashik. Nashik is a fairly large city about 180 km west of Mumbai.

Recently I recieved an invite from Vintage wines to attend a wine tasting session at their vineyard and factory at Niphad a place about 50 km from Nashik.I accepted this invitation and started from Mumbai in my car. The drive to Nashik was smooth and trouble free. I used a Hyundai accent with a diesel engine and the cruising speed was well over 100km power hour. The road is good and except for a short stretch of about 30 km is a four lane highway.On the way to Nashik we crossed the ghats ( Small mountain range) and entered the Deccan plateau, For a visitor this part of the journey can be exciting as you climb to about 3000ft and have a excellent view of the plains below.

When I entered Nashik I drove to the the Taj gateway hotel. This hotel is located on the main road and is about 10 km short of Nashik. It is a nice five star hotel with excellent accomodation. The hotel run by the Taj group has 70 rooms and is a good place to stay for visiting the vineyards. As it is a budget hotel the prices are reasonable.

Visiting the Vineland where we were invited is another 50 km from Nashik.Niphad is the place where Vintage wines is located. The road to Niphad is narrow and you will be advised to drive slowly. An occasional bullock cart will show up and that can be an exciting site for a tourist from Europe.On entering Niphad, sign boards can direct you to the vineyard and factory of Vintage wines. The factory is located right in the centre of the vine yard and experts from Italy have lent a helping hand in the entire set up.

The wine tasting session began in the evening at sunset and the wines were served with an assorted array of snacks. The important wines served and the quality of grapes is discussed below.

-Grape variety cabernet Sauvignon. The pedigree of this wine is the gravelly soils of Medoc in Bordeaux. It is a red wine and has 13% alcohol content by volume. The color of the wine is deep red with a purple tinge. The wine has an appealing mouth feel and is very nicely structured. It is ideally served at a temp of 16 to 18 degrees and goes with heavy soups, lamb chops and grilled steak.

- Grape variety Syrah. Syrah has a unique character often described as peppery. It is one of the noblest red wines and ages gracefully. It has an alcohol content of 14% v/v and is ruby red in color. It is recommended for consumption with pastas, red meatand spicy food.

-Grape variety Chardnnay.Its homeland is burgundy; chardennary.This wine has travelled all over the world and has achieved recognition. The color of the wine is pale yellow and has 13% alcoholcontent by volume. It has a floral aroma with a pleasant lime and mineral hint. The wine is ideal for important occasions. It can be consumed with poultry dishes, lobster or scallops. Ideally served at a temp of 10-12 degrees.

-grape variety Chenin Blanc.It is a variety from central vineyards of the leire valley, France. It makes a wide range of wine styles from searingly dry through medium sweet to ravishingly liquorous,botrytis affected essence. Its color is pale yellow and is crisp and lively. It is recommended to be consumed starters , salads , shell fish and roasted chicken breast. It has 13 % alcohol content and ideally served at a temp of 10-12degrees.

People who are used to visiting the vine yards of Europe will be pleasantly surprised that grapes under tutelage of Europeon experts are grown , crushed and fermented in India to produce excellent wine. The technical expertise as well as all machinery is imported from Europe. A visit to the vineyards of Vintage wines at Niphad close to Nashik can be worth your while. It will show you another aspect of India. I for one relished this trip.