DIVINE DRIVE

By Janhavi Acharekar

An extract from Outlook Traveller’s forthcoming guidebook ‘Driving Holidays in India’

                          
Dry wine, no matter what the vintage, makes me go light in the head. As I swirl the limited edition Sauvignon Blanc, observing the ‘legs’ of this expensive wine, I must confess that I’m not entirely steady on my own. I’ve broken the first rule on the road. Don’t drink and drive. But then, I’m not the one who’s driving – fortunately, I’ve arranged for a car and driver. I gloat upon my foresight and gleefully consume my glass of wine even as I’m advised to spit it out.

I’m at Chateau Indage in Narayangaon, on the first leg of my Nasik wine trail. The scenic drive here from Mumbai, via Kalyan, Murbad and Malshej Ghat, is a refreshing change from the clinical precision of an expressway – if you can ignore the speeding vehicles, that is. A winding ride up the breathtaking monsoon destination of Malshej Ghat and a diversion at Ale Phata lead to the Indage vineyards, and Ivy, their ‘rural’ wine bar.

There’s nothing like a bottle of Rosé to further lift your cheery traveller’s spirit. Indage’s public relations executive, Mahua, greets me warmly. The irony of her name is not lost upon me in this intoxicating locale and I grin at her widely.  In true vineyard style, I am plied with glass after glass of Rosé wine in the open, red brick bar stacked ceiling-high with myriad wine bottles coloured red, pink and white. Towards the end of the afternoon, I mistake them for the colours of the French flag. Then, after a sumptuous Indian buffet lunch, and in a somnolent wine-induced state, I am whisked away to the winery for a wine-tasting session with the resident winemaker.

If you thought that wine tasting was a snotty exercise for the privileged, accompanied with Bouillabaisse, you’re mistaken. In my weeklong sojourn from one winery to another, I sipped wine in laboratories, discussed its chemical composition with alcohol technologists and, much to my delight, clinked glasses with many a local farmer over a hearty meal of lasooni methi (spiced fenugreek with garlic) and bhaakri (coarse roti made from jowar, bajra or nachni flour).  In the course of my wine adventure, I discovered that it’s not the character of the wine that’s important, but the characters behind the winemaking process who are crucial.

To my surprise, the oenologist at Indage is no Frenchman. A young man named Ashok Patil emerges from the crevices of a winery dominated by wine presses, gigantic steel fermentation tanks, computerised filtration plants, oak casks and impressive bottling and corking machines. He hails from a family of traditional grape growers and has studied winemaking in Australia and New Zealand. We shake hands and exchange pleasantries before he familiarises me with the swirling of the glass, the ‘legs’ of the wine and the ‘bouquet’. The heady scent of wine all around adds to the experience as I observe the ‘legs’, or the trickle of wine on the inside of the glass after a swirl, that tells me its age. I’m drinking the Indage Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, straight from the tank. Being a writer has its advantages, after all.

By the time we’ve finished with the Ivy Brut, Chantilli Chardonnay and Shiraz, Figueira Port and Indage Reserve Cabernet, the winemaking process is a blur. “We’ll proceed to the tasting room now,” announces Patil. I’m confused. “You mean, there’s more?” I ask. I’m still rolling my last mouthful of Cabernet. Regretfully and as elegantly as possible, I spit it out into the metal grille along the floor.

The tasting room has the appearance of a conference room with a bar. On the wall, founder-owner Shamrao Chougule strikes a dynastic pose with his two sons Ranjit and Vikrant.The bar displays the range of Indage wines available in India and abroad. Here, I learn to distinguish between smoky and woody flavours, discovering that wine can also taste of strawberry, guava, capsicum, eucalyptus and other flavours. Then, we are joined by Grant Lewis Semmense, consultant winemaker from Australia, who prefers to talk cricket instead.

Later, we drive past the vineyards and a French-style mini-chateau that overlooks the property. As the sun sets over Ivy, the shorts and spaghetti-top clad bunch from Mumbai leaves and local oenophiles – Narayangaon residents and farmers - begin to trickle in for their evening meal with wine. It’s too late to visit the Khodad Fort and the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope nearby – unfortunately, Indage does not offer accommodation here. It’s a long drive ahead to their resort near Nasik – Tiger Hill - where I’m being hosted for the night, and it’s getting dark.

The road from Narayangaon to Nasik, the NH 50, is not for the squeamish. My heart lies in my wine-soaked mouth as we dodge speeding trucks. Like surreal visions in a PS3 racing game, wayside eateries provide relief in the form of creative names like ‘Aathvan Pohe’, ‘Lai Bhaari’ Restaurant and Hotel ‘Chaan’, sure to bring a smile to the face of any true-blue Maharashtrian. Further relief is provided at the Panchavati Gaurav, Sangamner, in the form of a clean restroom.

We reach Tiger Hill Resort at 11 pm. From the look of it, I’m the only one ready for bed.  The crème de la crème of young Nasik is here, drinking at the wine bar, dining on the open lawns and playing pool. But I’m looking for something I can’t seem to find. “Where’s the hill?” I ask Mahua and she laughs. I blame it on the wine. Tiger Hill Resort does not lie perched upon Tiger Hill. Located 8 km from Nasik Town, this cluster of stone cottages makes for an unlikely sight on the busy Mumbai-Agra Highway. Fortunately, my room lies at the rear with a view of the open lawn. I’m introduced to the resort manager Amit Rana, who offers me some Tiger Hill wine. “Try it with American chopsuey,” he suggests. “It’s a great combination.”

Climbing a flight of steep steps in the peak of Nasik summer, after 24 hrs of wine drinking, is no mean achievement. Halfway up Trivashmi Hill, at the Pandavleni Caves the next morning, the view is worth it. The group of 24 Buddhist caves, barely a kilometre from the resort, dates back to the 1st century CE. Across the ancient carving and inscription in stone, lovers Sanju and Anita have inscribed their own names in chalk. At the foot of the hill is the Dadasaheb Phalke Smarak and Museum, where a photo exhibition commemorates the life of this pioneer of Indian cinema who hailed from Nasik. A restaurant that overlooks an open-air theatre is a popular hang-out while the museum showcases archaeological excavations from around the region.

History makes way for geology as Rana helps me discover a local gem – the Gargoti Museum. About 35 km from Pandavleni and on an off-road from the Nasik-Pune Road at MIDC Sinnar, this unusual mineral museum houses the private collection of KC Pandey and his company, Superb Minerals. Alongside minerals such as the flaming orange Citrine, the bright blue Cavansite and the fungus-like Okenite are precious gems, fossils, dinosaur eggs, even rocks from the moon and Mars (carved out of lunar and Martian meteorites). Only the earthly desire for a relaxing wine massage leads me back to the resort.

They say the ancient Romans and Egyptians bathed in wine. In the Kerala-style bamboo huts of Tiger Hill Spa, I ask for a vinotherapy massage as advertised in the spa menu. However, my dreams of a Cleopatra-style bubbly bath are shattered as the masseuse, Jyoti, recommends a medicated herbal massage instead. “Wine will give you a fever at this time of day,” she says and begins with a prayer. Although my wine experience remains unconsummated, the Ayurvedic massage revitalises my weary body and I’m ready for my onward journey to Nasik town.

After a night at the luxurious Tiger Hill Resort, my room at the Panchavati Elite is less than modest. An unclean toilet and linen, and poor service ensure that I use it merely as a pit-stop for my nights in Nasik. The next morning, I begin my wine tour. There are over 34 wineries, big and small, around the city but a trip to all will see me in rehab. I leave for ND Wines via the vineyard-lined road to Pimpalgaon. A wrong turn takes me to Khedegaon where a cattle fair and the Somwaar Bazaar (Monday Market) are in progress. I call for directions and I’m asked to take the route to the Saptashringi shrine. I marvel at the peaceful co-existence of religion and wine in this temple city.

At ND Wines, I am intrigued by their logo of a farmer on a bullock cart. Located in Nasik’s famous wine region of Niphad and Dindori (from which it derives its initials), I learn that the winery was established by a group of local grape farmers. It is their sixth anniversary that day and I am offered a celebratory drink - in their laboratory.  Seated amidst beakers and test tubes that carry various wine blends, I am grateful to receive my Chenin Blanc in a wine glass. As I roll the wine around my tongue, and against the roof of my mouth as advised, the flavour is strangely reminiscent of Sula’s Chenin Blanc. It is Sula’s Chenin Blanc. Administrative manager Vinod Deokar tells me that much of the wine from their 400-acre wine producing vineyards is bottled for Sula. As I step out of the laboratory, a family of pilgrims on their way back from Shirdi seeks salvation in a case of wine.

After a walk through the vineyards and winery, with their view of the Teespur Lake and open countryside, I wonder why the ambience is not more cheerful and less factory-like. Or why this cannot be the setting for a wine bar. Just then, Deokar mentions his wine bar, Sommelier, in Nasik Town.

Sommelier is a ‘lunch-home-meets-local-bar’ kind of place in Thatte Nagar on Gangapur Road. A ‘family wine restaurant’, its coloured lighting, incongruous decor and bar area with a separate family section on an upper floor are not exactly what I had visualised but then, what the heck, nothing about the wine culture in Nasik seems congruous anymore.
The next day begins with the legendary misal pao (sprouts, onion, sev dunked in spicy curry and served with bread) at Tushar on College Road before I hit the parallel Gangapur Road leading to the Sula vineyards. A left turn from the local Mahanagar Palika board and bell bring me to a fork in the road, where in keeping with the spirit of Nasik, one path leads to the spiritual (the Vipassana meditation centre) even as the other tempts me with wine. I choose the latter.

The Californian-style yellow-blue-white Sula wine bar overlooks the vineyards and the Gangapur Dam in the distance. It’s easy to tell why this is a popular venue. Its spectacular view, international look and feel, good music, sparse yet tasteful décor are in stark contrast with the government-office-style look and feel of the others. Wine accessories and mementoes are for sale and I eye an oak barrel that doubles up as a bar table. Hotel management graduate Meenal Kansara takes me through the motions of the winery. Every visit is a new experience and I learn how Sula’s Dindori Reserve is fermented in oak barrels, always kept moist with a hydrating system that sprinkles water droplets from the ceiling. I hydrate myself with the Reserve as he goes on to explain the champagne racking process.

In the tasting room, I try the fruity Sula wines along with cheese, crackers and olives. I’m told that the Nasik soil and weather are ideal for grape growing, and that the first vineyards and winery in this region were owned by Pimpane. I learn that Pimpane is neither a rude nickname nor a French cuss word. Rather, it’s a company name that resulted from the unfortunate combination of the name of the region - Pimpalgaon - with the word ‘champagne’. Today, Sula’s Rajeev Samant owns Pimpane’s few hundred acres of vineyard apart from his own 35 acres. Three kilometres from here is Sula’s new baby, ‘Beyond’, a place that lives up to its name. A beautiful Mediterranean-style house, overlooking vineyards and lake, it seems a world away from civilisation. I’m asked to stay for lunch and the cook, Panditji, rustles up a delicious meal at short notice. Outside, the pool is being cleaned in preparation for some important international guests.