First, a little history. Wine made from grapes (there is other wine made from fermented rice, but we’re not talking about that one for now) has been around in India since the 4th century and it became the drink of the privileged ruling classes. Sweet, fortified wines (similar to Port) started being produced in India when the Portuguese came to town in the 16th century, and when the British arrived, they only encouraged a fruitful Indian wine industry to serve, mainly, themselves.
By the late 19th century, Indian wine was starting to make a name for itself, until disaster struck. The phylloxera louse, which spread across the world and ravaged most of its vineyards, didn’t spare India, and the industry collapsed.
A dry (ish) hundred years followed, until the 1980s, when the modern Indian wine industry was established. French wine consultants brought over international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, and beckoned forward a new kind of middle-class, well-travelled Indian wine drinker. Today, there are over a hundred wineries in India with about 2,500 hectares of vines (to put it into context, that’s about 2% of Bordeaux’s vineyard area) producing 180,000 hectolitres of wine per year.
The question that most people ask when they hear that India is producing wine is “How?”. India is thought of as a hot country with a sub-tropical climate, meaning stifling summers and biblical monsoons. This kind of weather is no good for grapes - they’d no doubt suffer from sunburn in the heat and fungal diseases in the humidity. However, India is a land of diverse geology and climate, with mountains and valleys, and there are places in India where grapevines can thrive. Viticultural decisions (like planting at high altitudes for cooler temperatures) and vineyard management techniques (like training the vines off the ground and canopy management) are key in producing ripe, healthy grapes in India. It IS possible and it IS happening - which is a very exciting prospect for many wine lovers, such as myself.
So, where is it happening, exactly? Probably the most significant wine-producing region in India is Maharashtra, home to the city of Nashik, which is known as the "Wine Capital of India”. Here, you’ll find Sula Vineyards, the most well-known winery in India, as well as Grover Zampa (although Grover Zampa also have a site in Nandi Hills near Bangalore in Karnataka), Chandon India (part of the prestigious LVMH group), Charosa Vineyards, Good Earth and Reveilo. Also in Maharashtra, but 360km south of Nashik in Akluj, is Fratelli, a key player on the Indian wine scene, who have collaborated with wine greats, Piero Masi and Steven Spurrier. Other wine producing areas are the Hampi Hills and Bijapur in Karnataka, and Telangana near Hyderabad.
Now we know where it is happening, the next question to ask is what is happening. What, exactly, is being produced? When I tell people that India makes wine, they usually assume that it is going to be sweet. There are sweet wines from India (check out this Late Harvest Chenin Blanc from Reveilo or this range of fruit wines from Rhythm Winery) but there are spectacular dry wines coming out of India, too. Two grape varieties that grow very well in India are Chenin Blanc and Shiraz, but you can also get some fresh, high-acidity Sauvignon Blancs (like this Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay blend from Fratelli) and there are even some wineries, like Vallonne, producing bright, bone-dry Rieslings. If you like Bordeaux reds, there are plenty following that style (no small thanks to Michel Rolland, who has consulted for Indian wineries), as well as spicy Tempranillos and smooth Malbecs.
The time is now for Indian wine. Not only is that a thrilling prospect for India, but it is a thrilling prospect for wine lovers all around the world who are about to try something they’ve never tried before.
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