Never ever underestimate the quiet and calm at a vineyard. There’s always something churning under the earth, twisting and pushing its way around, as slender, curly vines spread out their arms to touch the sun – all this drama eventually leading to harvest. In the winery, grapes are pressed for its juice that will ferment in the great big tanks before making it to oak barrels and finally, bottles. Occasional villains like unseasonal rain swallow the humidity, cools the air and earn the frown of Mohan Bajirao Shinde, labour supervisor at Sula Vineyards in Nashik, “The weather is beautiful but it is not good for the crop,” he growls, showing us buds that will sprout into flowers and then grapes in the vineyards spread before The Source, Sula’s new resort. Here is where Sula’s first winery crushed its first grapes in 1996, amid the view of Deccan hills and the Gangapur Lake.
Wining and dining: A bottle of Grenache Rosé from the new label. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After the winery, which was designed by Rahul Mehrotra, was closed last year and moved to Pimpalgaon, a Tuscany yellow coat, grey windows and minimal intervention have turned the winery into a resort that opens into the vast expanse of the vineyards. The property has also paved way for a new range of wines under the label, The Source. The first of which is a rosé. Now, don’t frown, ye elitist drinker. This one is not the overtly sweet serving expected of Indian wineries. To match shoulder with the sophisticated rosé from the Provence region in France, it is a “serious, dry ode made from Grenache grapes,” says Karan Vasani, chief winemaker – red and rosé wines at Sula Vineyards.
Making of a wine
The grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed, crushed and loaded into a press. “We press them only for about an hour or two, to give it a light, peachy colour. After the pressing cycle, the juice is drained out, chilled and transferred into a fermentation tank in which yeast is added to convert sugar into alcohol. Rosé is fermented like white wine, at 13-16 degrees for three weeks. We let the fermentation run its entire course to ensure there is no sugar left to add the sweetness,” Vasani explains.
We hold up the bottle to appreciate its pale coral hue. We get notes of muskmelon, white peach, and hints of citrus and tropical fruits. The acidity is a surprise that blankets the sugar content. While we have never felt much for rosés, for all its sweetness, this one is versatile, making a perfect option to drink throughout the day. Interestingly, we have it with Indian food, and it tastes just fine. “Wine drinkers are evolving and from drinking sweet wines, they are slowly appreciating drier wines. So, it is a good time to launch it,” says Vasani.
While more wines will be launched under label, The Source, in the next 12 to 18 months, the Grenache Rosé is priced at ₹800 for 750 ml bottle, and is available exclusive to tasting room for the time being. Salut!
See www.sulawines.com for more details about The Source