A Visit to the Wine Heaven

No, I’m not a huge fan of alcohol; but when it comes to this delicious grape beverage, wine not?  (haha, see what I did there)

We visited Sula Vineyard on  our short one day trip to Nashik. After visiting the Shrine of Infant Jesus in the morning, we headed out to do a little sight-seeing. My mom with the help of her trusted friend Google, found out there is a vineyard near by. And with the help of the GPS (thank God for GPS) and the helpful folks we met on the way, we found the way. Due to the specific terrain needed, the vineyard is located on the outskirts of the city. Although the narrow and ill-maintained road seems like a headache, the view compensated for it all.

I took this panoramic view of the vineyard from the restaurant.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the atmosphere there was serene and calm and cool winds swept across the vineyard. Since we were early for the first tour, we started out clicking pictures ( touristy things you know). Along with the Vineyard, and the winery, the huge area also houses two restaurants and also has a sky villa near by.

The vineyard with different flowers at the borders

After a long session of clicking pictures, we attended the tour which gave us first hand knowledge of the wine making process. This included a tour within the factory filled with the tempting aromas and also a visit to the barrel room. Sadly the harvest season was well ahead and we could not attend a grape stomping session.

The glass is all set for the wine tasting.

The tour ended with a tasting session of five of Sula’s best wine. Sula is an international award winning company and has a unique array of wines to offer, and some of which are only made by them in the country. Along with wines, they also make a grape seed oil, which can act as a substitute for olive oil.

The Wine is stored in these barrels for several months. The barrels have to be stored in a cool environment, thus it is a kept in a controlled environment. It also is kept away from harsh lighting (the brightness is from the flash)

A few interesting facts:

• White wine cane be made from both red grapes and green grapes, but red wine can only be made from the red grapes.

• Flowers such as Roses and Sunflowers are planted at the borders of the vineyard at Sula, so that any disease that arrives will affect these first, thus acting as a signal to use pesticides. Sula aims at using the least amount of pesticides in the vineyard.

• Red wine is particularly good for your health. A glass of red wine everyday can contribute positively towards your health, but don’t go overboard!

The wine tasting was a marvelous session, conducted very efficiently by a Sula member. We followed this by purchasing a bottle of wine (even though it was at factory price, the bottles turned out to be much cheaper in Goa) and picked up a few souvenirs. So a quick tip would be, if you are a Goan on a holiday there, pick up your favorite wine in Goa itself for a way better deal. We were also lucky to taste the newly launched wine Brut Tropicale, which attracts your eye with a carnival like themed bottle packaging.

The latest addition to the Sula wine family- Brut Tropicale

You can always head over to the restaurants to grab a quick bite or have a sumptuous lunch. We did grab a quick bite but had to hurry along because our next stop was Pune and we wanted to be there on time so we headed out.

Do plan a visit to the Sula Vineyards, it is definitely worth it. The grape harvesting season is between January till end of February-March. All travel details will be easily available on their website, along with several other bits of information.