Sula Vineyards in Nasik is perhaps India's most popular and most
accessible winery. From humble beginnings in 1997, Sula Vineyards has admirably
developed into a world class winery. The winery is open to visitors, who can
enjoy a tour, tastings, courses, and fun events. It's a pleasant surprise to
find a winery of this standard in India, and it's obvious that a great deal of
inspiration has gone into creating it.
Sula Vineyards Location and Setting
Sula Vineyards winery is located on the outskirts of Nasik, around four hours northeast of Mumbai, in the state of Maharastra. For wine lovers, Sula Vineyards makes an enjoyable side trip from Mumbai. It's easily reached by frequent Indian Railways train services, buses, or even by taxi.
Sula Vineyards has much to offer visitors. Its very ambient tasting room has been architecturally designed, with a balcony affording expansive views over the vineyard. The wine bottle lights suspended from the ceiling are a unique touch and emit a warm glow.
The harvesting months of January to March are the best times to visit Sula Vineyards. You'll be able to participate in wine stomping. The Sula Fest music concert is held during February/March as well, in the outdoor amphitheater.
Sula Vineyards Accommodations
Sula Vineyards has a luxury three bedroom bungalow called Beyond, which visitors can rent. It's located a short distance from the winery. Beyond comes with private balconies, large living area, swimming pool, and in-house chef who'll prepare delicious meals made out of organic vegetables. It isn't cheap though. The rate is 20,000 rupees ($400) plus tax per night on weekends, so it's a good idea to bring some friends along to
Sula Vineyards Location and Setting
Sula Vineyards winery is located on the outskirts of Nasik, around four hours northeast of Mumbai, in the state of Maharastra. For wine lovers, Sula Vineyards makes an enjoyable side trip from Mumbai. It's easily reached by frequent Indian Railways train services, buses, or even by taxi.
The winery is set on a 35 acre vineyard. For the amount of wine that Sula
produces, the property wasn't as large as I expected it to be. However, that's
because Sula has an additional few hundred acres of vineyards spread elsewhere
in the region.
Sula Vineyards Attractions and Facilities: Outlook from Sula tasting room by Sharell Cook
Sula Vineyards Attractions and Facilities: Outlook from Sula tasting room by Sharell Cook
Sula Vineyards has much to offer visitors. Its very ambient tasting room has been architecturally designed, with a balcony affording expansive views over the vineyard. The wine bottle lights suspended from the ceiling are a unique touch and emit a warm glow.
The tasting room is open from 11.00 a.m to 10.00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and
11.00 a.m to 11.00 p.m Friday and Saturday. This makes it a wonderful place to
watch the sunset and spend the evening. For added entertainment, there's a pool
table and lounge bar as well.
150 rupees ($3) will entitle you to a 30 minute escorted tour of the winery,
including the processing rooms, and tasting of six wines. The tours take place
hourly between 11.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., and provide a good insight into the
wine making process.
For more serious wine connoisseurs, Sula offers a one day wine appreciation
course every Thursday for 1,600 rupees ($35). The cost includes a one hour food
and wine matching session. The matching session can be undertaken separately for
600 rupees ($12).
Sula also has an enticing range of wine related merchandise available for
sale. I couldn't resist Sula's uplifting sun symbol (complete with Indian
mustache!) and went a bit overboard, buying a t-shirt for 250 rupees ($5),
silver wine cooler bucket for 350 rupees ($7), and wooden wine rack for 450
rupees ($9).
The harvesting months of January to March are the best times to visit Sula Vineyards. You'll be able to participate in wine stomping. The Sula Fest music concert is held during February/March as well, in the outdoor amphitheater.
Sula Vineyards Accommodations
Sula Vineyards has a luxury three bedroom bungalow called Beyond, which visitors can rent. It's located a short distance from the winery. Beyond comes with private balconies, large living area, swimming pool, and in-house chef who'll prepare delicious meals made out of organic vegetables. It isn't cheap though. The rate is 20,000 rupees ($400) plus tax per night on weekends, so it's a good idea to bring some friends along to
share it! All meals are included.
Alternatively, staying in Nasik is a convenient option for visiting Sula. Decent Nasik hotels that won't break the bank are Ginger and the Hotel Sai Palace. For those who aren't concerned about budget,
the The Gateway Hotel at Ambad (formerly the Taj
Residency) is highly recommended. There's also the Tiger Hill Resort, owned by
Chateau Indage Vineyards, for those who want to continue enjoying Indian wines.
