Audley Travel

Indian wine pick of the bunch: 25-10-2007

Wine-lovers who have already sampled the best that traditional wine-producing countries have to offer should consider a trip to India, which has a little-known but sophisticated wine-producing region.

Maharashtra already has more than 20 wineries, plus two dedicated wine parks and last year 74% more money was invested in the state's wine industry. Six new wineries have been established in the city of Nashik, with one other in Pune and another in Buldhana.

The Chateau Indage winery boasts over 400 acres of vineyards and is situated in the picturesque village of Narayangaon, in Pune. The winery is unique in being the only one in Asia to produce bottle-fermented sparkling wines.

If visitors do not get the chance to visit the vineyards themselves, they can taste the region's wine along with foods which complement its bouquet at a wine bar in Narayangaon run by the label and popular with foreign travellers. There they can enjoy the product, which was produced using state-of-the-art blending methods and earned Indage the accolade of being named the top Indian winery by Indian Wine last year.