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We welcome you to this journey of celebrating Indian wine at its finest. Indian royalty has always loved wine; and why not? From the ruins of Mohenjo Daro where wine jugs were discovered to the glimmering forts of Rajasthan where dry-fruits where added to grape wine for an added flavor; we have truly made wine our own. The Aryans who were the first settlers in India were historically known for their love of intoxicating drinks; they were also renowned for making wine from dried fruits, apples, rice and of course grapes. There is even mention in the Vedas of wine-related drinks like the Sura and the Soma; the former a fermented honey-rice wine and the latter a wine made from the stalks of a Himalayan plant. The Soma was a divine drink, so much so that those who drank it could reach divinity. Much like we feel after a sip of a crisp, refreshing wine... In the 4th century BC, it was Chandragupta Maurya who loved grape wine too, but with the addition of honey, Maurya's very famous advisor, Chanakya has talked about wine in his book Chanakya Niti. He says that wine was the privileged drink of the Kshatriya or warrior class while the lower caste typically drank alcohol made from wheat, barley and millet. He even talks about the caution statesmen and leaders should exercise; advice that is even true today. While the Mughal Empire that followed prohibited the open consumption and sale of alcohol in accordance to Islamic laws; there were many reports of Mughal emperors who loved their wine. We don't blame them at all... In the 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced port-style wine and it was under British rule that winemaking was strongly encouraged and vineyards were planted extensively through the Baramati, Kashmir and Surat regions. But then, disaster struck... the Indian wine industry was reaching a peak when the phylloxera bug wiped out most of the vineyards and rigid religious views forced grape growers to convert to table grape and raisin production. Slowly globalisation hit the Indian market, and brought the knowledge that wine-making was something we can do, and we can do well. Since the 1980s, Indian wine has taken the world's wine glasses by storm. Today we take this history a step forward as we bring a duo of truly exclusive wines to the Indian table. Both have been hand-picked from thousands for their compatibility with the Indian weather, taste and cuisine. They are young wines of a 2008 vintage and go perfectly with hearty Indian food, while cleansing the palate and finishing off the meal on a crisp note. |
