Wine Tourism In India

[amelia88]

I read a great article today about wine tourism and its' rise in popularity in India.

You can read the full article here:

Wine tourism: India's rush to the vineyards- Nikkei Asian Review

Here's a little from the article though:

"Increased government support, an easing of alcohol-related laws and greater interest among Indians -- especially women -- have led more vineyards to follow the lead of California's Napa Valley by building hotels, restaurants and spas along wine trails.

India's leading vintner, Sula Vineyards, has built a 35-room resort in Nashik -- a wine growing district around 170 km northeast of Mumbai that is considered India's wine capital. Nashik's terraced slopes and terroir, coupled with easy availability of water and land, have led it to produce 75% of India's total annual wine production, estimated at 1.4 million cases."

If you're planning a trip to India, is wine tourism something that would be on your radar as a part of your vacation?

 

[travelguide]

Wine tours are gianing popularity in India quite rapidly. Every year thousands of wine lovers visit vineyards in India not only to taste their favorite drink but also to personally experience the art of wine making. Some of the well known vineyards of India are :

-Sula Vineyards and Zamba wines, Nashik, Maharasthra
-Chateau Indage Estate Vineyards, Narayangaon, Maharashtra
-Chateau d'Ori, Dindori, Madhya Pradesh
-Grover Vineyards, Nandi Hills, Karnataka

 

[Gabydi]

Oh, I love wine and wasn't aware of Indian wines, so this is completely new. I guess the more time I spend in this forum the more I discover about this country. Maybe this is just starting to grow, but in some years these wine tours in India will be very popular. I find amazing how this country is taking advantage of all they have to draw more tourism every day. India has becomes such a popular destination and with things like this it will become even more popular. Great article, thanks for sharing!

 

[travelguide]

Yes, wine tourism is growing at a great pace in India. In fact Government is emphasizing on consumption of wine and beer and discourage use of hard liquor. In Kerala, for example, there is a ban on sale of hard liquor at ordinary outlets but Government outlets are excluded from this. This is to control inflow of low grade liquor in the market and also wanted to cut down alcohol consumption among people. But at the same time Government is promoting the sale of wine and beer in Kerala which got only very low alcohol content.

I think in coming months Kerala will also witness a revolution in wine tourism as Government is extending full support for this.

 

[pwarbi]

I also wasn't aware that vineyards were popular in India and I've certainly never drank an Indian wine before, well, I don't think I have anyway?

I'd imagine the climate is ideal though, and I can see why wine is becoming big business and I guess it's just another market were India is evolving at a fast pace.

 

[travelguide]

Yes, wine tourism has a lot of growth potential in India which had been left unexplored for quite some time. In fact India has a very ancient history of wine making which is as old as 5000 years. Planning a wine tour to India is a way of relaxation, tasting different wines and also learn the art of wine making while enjoying the view of beautiful orchards and vineyards.

Climate is very much ideal for wine tourism in India. Indian wineries are investing heavily in setting up infrastructure to develop vineyards into tourist destinations.

 

[pwarbi]

I think when people talk about visiting wineries they'll naturally think of countries such as France and Italy, and I know that a lot of their tourism is made up of people visiting vineyards and learning how wine is made, you can even crush a few grapes yourself!

As I said before, I don't recall ever seeing wine made in India, so what are the names of some people might have heard of, and are they popular in other countries?

 

[SirJoe]

This took me completely by surprise. I was not aware that India was a wine producing nation. It makes sense though seen as India is a very large country with huge diversity of climate. I look forward to trying Indian wine. Can anyone tell me what types of styles of wine they make and which are the preferred grape casts?

 

[Teheura]

That's a very interesting article. I had no idea that India made a wine. I have never seen a bottle in our local markets to buy. This might be very interesting to look into when I visit India. I love winery tours and this could be a lot of fun taste testing some Indian wine.