7 Best Indian Wines You Must TryAnoothi Vishal   |  Updated: June 23, 2016 15:46 ISTTweeterfacebookGoogle Plus RedditRelated VideosNapa, a wine countryAditya goes down the memory lane in SanawarRhone wine region1. York Sparkling Cuvée BrutJust a few months after this baby hit the market, it’s raked up rave reviews. The York Sparkling is made of one hundred per cent Chenin Blanc, a grape variety that the wine house has always worked well with (their still Chenin Blanc makes for a lovely glass as well). The nicest thing about this sparkling wine is that the owners – the Gurnani brothers – have retained a fair bit of fruit while still managing to make a dry sparkling wine. This will be the Brut to beat in the coming year. Cost: Rs 975 in Maharashtra 2. Zampa Soirée Brut RoséWhen it comes to a sparkling wine, there are two main things to look out for – the quality of the effervescence and the overall balance of the wine. This one scores high on both counts. The blush-coloured bubbly is made from the Syrah grape and has a refreshing palate of red cherry and hints of strawberry with a creamy mid-palate.

Cost: Rs 1100 in Maharashtra 3. Charosa Selections Sauvignon BlancThis Nashik-based winery debuted their wines in 2013 and has had everyone floored since. Among the whites, they produce an ace Viognier but it’s their Sauvignon Blanc that hits it out of the park. In fact, the Charosa Selections Sauvignon Blanc has outdone some well-reputed New Zealand and Australian wines in blind tastings. Cost: Rs 750 in Maharashtra 4. Fratelli Sangiovese BiancoPiero Masi, the well-known Tuscan winemaker, is the man largely behind the success of Fratelli’s wines. Their range is extensive but this one is by far the most peculiar. The Sangiovese Bianco is a white wine made from red grapes. As you can imagine, it’s not an awfully easy task. Because you’re left with a crisp and fresh white wine with the vigour and body of a red one and that, if done right, can be a winning combination. An unusual wine by all measures, Fratelli’s Sangiovese Bianco is a wine you either love or hate.

It’s a rarity even by international standards. Cost: Rs 880 in Delhi 5. Krsma Sangiovese As a wine house – which would probably fit into the ‘boutique winery category’ – Krsma Estates in Hampi makes some of the best wines in the country. Producing quality wine in India was a dream for Hyderabad-based owners Uma and Krishna Prasad Chigurupati (along with running a marathon in every continent for which they hold the Guinness World Record) which was realised in 2003. best wine to have with cakeAmong the wines they produce, their Sangiovese is particularly impressive with fulsome notes of dark chocolate, warm spices and nuts.best red wine consumer reportsAvailable only in Bangalorebest wine os x 6. Charosa Reserve TempranilloTempranillo is likely to be the next big grape on Indian soil and this is probably why: It is most suited to hot climes and the people at Charosa have used this fact to their advantage.

Their first vintage of the Reserve Tempranillo was so outstanding that it has inspired other wineries in the region to experiment with it. Cost: Rs 1700 in Maharashtra 7. Zampa Chêne Grande ReserveChêne, meaning oak in French, is the new red blockbuster from the house of Grover-Zampa. It is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah and aged for 15 months in oak making it more of a New World style exploit – decidedly dominant and unabashedly oaky. Long after the sip, one can still recollect the taste of toasted coffee on the palate. It is a bold wine and, going by the international awards it has won so far, well-liked not just on home turf. 8. Fratelli Sette (2011)Sette is the most premium among the reserve wines from the house of Fratelli. Sette, meaning seven in Italian, alludes to the men behind the winery. Three sets of brothers – the Mohite-Patils, the Sekhris and the Seccis – and the winemaker Piero Masi make for a total of seven. The current vintage 2011 is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon and is elegant and beautifully balanced.

Cost: Rs 1800 in Delhi 9. Myra Reserve Shiraz This wine coming out of Nashik is perhaps the friendliest and most unassuming of the wines bearing the ‘Reserve’ label. It is also the most affordable of the lot but given how the word Reserve isn’t quite governed by any formal law yet, it remains open to interpretation. The Myra version shows notes of ripe red fruit with generous amounts of vanilla from the oak, making for an elegant wine that is quite approachable. Cost: Rs 800 in Maharashtra 10. Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz Dindori by Sula was the first wine to use the name of a region on its label, so in a way it was almost like a single-vineyard wine. For what it’s worth, it made the region of Dindori famous and other winemakers soon sprouted up around. For years, Sula’s Dindori held fort as everyone’s go-to red wine. This wine shows deep fruit extraction followed by ageing and finishing in expensive oak. It was recently adjudged #25 in the top 100 wines of 2014 by Wine Enthusiast magazine and that is definitely a commendation worth celebrating.

Cost: Rs 890 in DelhiThe Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco: The only one of its kind made in India, this white beauty with a light pink hue is produced using a black grape variety. Bring out the barbecue when this is around. An old favourite from Grover Zampa vineyards, this is a wine that, like Rahul Dravid, you can count on to deliver. And like Rahul, this red wine comes from Karnataka, from the picturesque Nandi Hills, a short distance from Bengaluru. First created in 1998, this blend of two evergreen grapes, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, has undergone a lot of improvement over the years. True to tradition, however, it spends a minimum of six months being aged in oak barrels. A full-bodied wine with luscious aromas of red and black fruit, it can be enjoyed with lamb chops, galouti kebabs or a spiced vegetable curry. Karishma Grover, a very passionate winemaker, is the in-house wine expert for Grover Zampa and is part of the third generation of the Grover family that is directly involved with the business.

Nine Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Downloaded Apple Music yet? Do it now, crank up the volume on their new radio station, manned by a set of great DJs, and open this bottle of wine. A full-bodied (might we say voluptuous?) Red wine, with hard to miss fruit flavours. Think black berries and cherries. A little spice is always nice, and this wine delivers vanilla and cinnamon. A 100 per cent Cab Sauv, this wine will rock when paired with tandoori dishes, mature cheeses and meaty dishes. Owing its origins to India’s very own wine country, Dindori district in Nasik, the history of the winery is short but interesting. The winery is named after the ‘Nine Hills’ surrounding Nasik. Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz A year spent in new oak barrels does this wine a world of good. A frequent medal winner in international and national competitions, the icing on the cake was when it made it to # 25 on ‘The Enthusiast 100 of 2014’. One of the early wines to showcase the growing expertise of Indian wine makers, it has held its own over the years.

Fruit, with a tinge of pepper on the nose, this wine needs to be opened and left for a while to breathe, before you drink it. Goes well with a variety of Indian dishes or indeed any complex food items with a range of flavours. Rajeev Samant, a Silicon Valley engineer, started Sula on 30 acres of family land in Nasik with the first wines released in 2000. Today, Sula vineyards are spread across a whopping 1,800 acres of privately owned and contracted land, making them India’s #1 wine producer. Fratelli Gran cuvee Brut Be it a loud pop, a sophisticated psst! or an extravagant saberage, more often than not the bubbly is associated with celebration. But why wait for a celebration? Recommended to be served at three to seven degree Celsius, the Gran cuvee Brut from the house of Fratelli, with perfectly balanced acidity, can be a savior for the imperfect Indian summer. Unlike our humid weather conditions, this wine is dry (not sweet) with hints of citrus and tropical fruits, which is a signature of its more expensive cousin, Champagne.

This brut (meaning dry) is made from 100 per cent Chenin Blanc grapes at Akluj in Solapur, Maharashtra, using the traditional method. Gran Cuvee can be enjoyed with creamy chicken dishes, sushi or just some great company. The word Fratelli translates to mean ‘Brothers’. It refers to the coming together of the Secci brothers, Andrea and Alessio from Italy, the Sekhri brothers, Kapil and Gaurav, and the Mohite-Patil brothers, Ranjitsinh and Arjunsinh. Named after a district of the wine capital of India, Nasik, Charosa is a relatively new entrant to the lengthening list of Indian winemakers. The fruit forward, Charosa Viognier, rests for a short time in French Oak casks to develop further before finding its way into the uniquely shaped bottle. Recommended to be served at 10-12 degree Celsius, the wine, with a silky mouth feel, can be relished alongside Indian dishes with rich sauces, or sweet and sour style Asian cuisine. After a flying start in West India, Charosa looks all set to be available to wine drinkers across India soon.

Spread across 230 acres, the vineyards are surrounded by vivid mountains and water bodies that you cannot miss as you drive your way up. Doesn’t take a genius to guess what colour grapes are used to make a red wine; however it can be a tricky question in the case of Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco. The only one of its kind made in India, this white beauty with a light pink hue is produced using a black grape variety. This is achieved by isolating the grape skin (which lends colour) immediately after crushing the berries. This unique proposition is skillfully created by Piero Masi who uses the famous Italian grape Sangiovese (of Chianti fame) to make a white wine with the flavour characteristics of a red wine. This aromatic Blanc de Noir (white wine from black grapes) with vanilla and a hint of berries is best enjoyed at eight to 12 degree Celsius. The medium body and low tannins make it an apt match for creamy chicken and fish preps, pasta in creamy sauce or a salad tossed with creamy Italian dressing.