Superior Sula

THE WINE CLUB

Summer comes early in Nashik, and the afternoon was hot.

I was being flung around from side to side as the Scorpio negotiated the mud track snaking across a barren landscape "" the furtherest extremity of a 300-acre patchwork of plots put together over the last five years by Sula's general manager, vineyards, Dr Neeraj Agarwal to form what is the largest single vineyard in India for wine grapes: their Dindori vineyards, near Nashik.

Just five years ago the vineyards were just bare brown hillocks with nary a tree growing "" there was just no water, so agriculture was not an option. The soil, too, is not very productive: red earth, with lots of gravel and stones.

Poor soil, little water, burning sun during the day, and cold nights "" just perfect for wine grapes! It's ironic: areas that are useless for growing any other crop are just what the vintner ordered for the grape vine. In such conditions the roots go as far down as possible, seeking out the nutrients and moisture that give rise to good grapes.

"The area is lush green during the monsoons," says Dr Agarwal; "in fact, it rains so much we cannot access much of the property by car, and have to walk!" The water drains through a series of gullies down the undulating land to the aquamarine lake in the distance "" it's about 2 km away and some 350 ft lower.

"Grape vines need water through the summer to survive, and all through the ripening months (November-January) "" about 15,000 litres per day per acre. A quick calculation tells me that this translates into an incredible 4 million litres per day!

"We have a series of dams and reservoirs to bring water from the lake upto the highest point in the vineyard "" it's supplemented by water harvesting." All vineyards outside of Europe use drip irrigation, and Sula has a sophisticated electronic control system incongruously tucked away in a shed to handle this job.

The Dindori vineyards produce Sula's best grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc form the bulk of the plantings, and form the core of all the wine produced. In addition to which they are experimenting with exotic grape varieties like Grenache, Rosanne, Merlot and Viognier. To my mind Sula's best wines are:

Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz: aged for one year in new oak barrels, this red wine is fragrant and smooth, with lush berry flavours and soft, silky tannins. Rs 595 in Bangalore.

Late Harvest Chenin Blanc: The deep yellow colour presages a delightful aroma of lemon and honey and fruit and a delicious balanced taste. Delicious. Rs 275 for 375 ml.

Sula Sauvignon Blanc: A herbaceous nose, with hints of green pepper and spice; crisp and dry, well-balanced, with a clean refreshing finish. Rs 465.

Sula Cabernet Shiraz: A medium-bodied wine with a fruity, peppery aroma and balanced tannins. Rs 420.

Satori Merlot: A blend of Indian and imported wine, this has soft tannins and a mellow taste (Satori is a Zen term meaning "sudden enlightenment"). Rs 447.

Of course, they also have a Chenin Blanc (Rs 395), a red Zinfandel (Rs 420), a blush Zinfandel (Rs 395) and the Sula Brut Methode Champenoise (Rs 490) as well as the low-priced Madera (red, blush seven whites, all @ Rs 270.

Sula's secret of making superior Indian wines is really quite simple: grow good grapes. As any winemaker will tell you, 80 per cent of a wine's quality comes from the grape "" "you can make indifferent wine from good grapes, but there's no way anyone can make good wine from bad grapes" is a truism.

The French have the concept of terroir to mean that the mix of soil, climate and geographical location renders every such combination unique.

In that sense, the Dindori region deserve an appellation controlee denomination all to itself.

Good stuff, guys. We'll raise a toast to Sula's superior wines. Cheers!

al.chandra@gmail.com