Indian wine, Asian surprise

Not many wine drinkers are familiar with wine from India. However, there are dozens of professional Indian wine producers active and wine production in India has been on the rise for years. You can now find Indian wine all over the world. If you are willing to look, that is.

Wine was probably already being made in India a few hundred years ago. In the province of Goa, now a popular holiday destination, once a Portuguese colony. But Indian wine growing has only really taken off since the end of the last century.

There are now about a hundred wine producers active in India. The largest is Sula Vineyards, the best is probably Grover Zampa. Other Indian winemakers include Fratelli Winery, Four Seasons Winery, Chateau d'Ori, Charosa Vineyards, Chateau Indage and York Winery.

Indian wine regions

You can't make wine everywhere in India. The climate, with hot summers and monsoon rains in large parts of the country, makes that impossible. But in Punjab and Kashmir in the far north, and in the southern half of the country, the conditions are suitable for wine growing. The province of Maharashtra is by far the most important province for Indian wine. More than two-thirds of the wine is made here. The city of Nashik in the state of Maharashtra, 180 kilometres east of Bombay, is considered the epicentre of wine growing in India.

Emerging wine tourism

Many Indians have never drunk wine in their lives. So Indian winemakers have a lot of work to do to market their product. They do this mainly through wine tourism. They focus mainly on a young audience, because they are the future of the country and of Indian wine. You can come and taste wine at many wineries in India and this is also done on a large scale. Nowhere in the world is someone's wine glass filled for the first time. For several years now, a real wine festival has been held in India every spring. In Nashik of course: the India Grape Harvest Festival.

Grape varieties in India

Viticulture in India was established with foreign aid and that also applies to the grape varieties that have been planted. India does not really have any indigenous grape varieties that are suitable for wine and so you come across familiar names such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc, Clairette, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.