Meticulously tended vineyards next to coconut palms and mango trees? This is a phenomenon that India has gradually acquired since it newly found its love for viticulture and wine. As India has embraced western values of life and enjoyment over the last 2-3 decades, interest in wine has also grown. However, viticulture is still in its infancy; it is only about 30 years ago that the first vines were planted in a country that produces whisky and rum to a considerable extent. A pioneer of Indian viticulture was Rajeev Samant, who studied in California and formed a close fondness for Californian wines. After his return to India, he planted the first vines in Maharashtra, not far from Nashik, as he judged the terroir there to be ideal for viticulture. His results were initially ridiculed, but today Maharashtra on the west coast of India is both the centre and the engine of Indian viticulture. Here, the days are tropically hot, but the nights are very cool. There are about 100,000 hectares of vineyards in India, but the largest share is processed into sultanas or juice or consumed as table grapes. Wine production accounts for less than 3,000 hectares. Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz are grown. Most of the wines are exported, however, as alcohol does not play as significant a role in Indian culture as it does in Europe for religious reasons. About 90 wineries produce wine, and the fact that the first wineries have requested the advice of the Bordelais star oenologist Michel Rolland proves that they have set their sights high.
