110 miles from the western megalopolis of Mumbai, in the city of Nashik, more than 3000 acres of land are covered by vineyards that produce 80 percent of India’s total production of wine. Nashik boasts of an annual output of 13 million litres of wine, and given that India is one of the youngest wine-producing nations in the world, this number is impressive.
The city got its first winery in 1997 – Sula Vineyards. The executive vice president, Neeraj Agarwal says, “Most wine-grape varieties from cool and warm climates grow well here because of the long ripening window and the mild winter season at harvest. This enables the cultivation of many wine-grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Malbec, Grenache and Pinot.”
Since the 1920s Nashik’s Thompson seedless, the highest grape grade, has had a worldwide market. A study by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development reports that of the 107,257 tons of grapes exported by India to Europe, Middle East, and South-East Asia in 2014 – 2015, about one-third were sourced from Nashik alone.
There are 50 to 60 wineries in Nashik of which five or six are major players that export wine to the U.S., U.K., Europe, S.E. Asia, W. Africa, Australia and Japan. The smaller wineries are popular destinations for wine tourism.
