I am a huge movie buff and if it were a good movie with great actors and awesome direction, chances are that I have already seen it. And so I was watching this movie on HBO, A Good Year, starring Russel Crowe. The movie shows how he has a very fast pace life in London where he works as an investment banker. He is too busy making money and has no time to rest. He learns that his uncle has left him a chateau and some vineyards in France and has intentions of selling off the property. He couldn't possibly live there as his life was in London. So the property dealing takes him to this beautiful chateau which brings back memories of his childhood and how his uncle taught him the fine art of wine tasting. He had a passion for wines then which somehow got lost as he grew up. He is in for a whole lot of surprises when he lands up at his chateau and ends up living there for a week. This is when he comes to realise how great rustic life can be. He discovers love, a fulfilling laid back life and a legacy of wine making which eventually makes him give up his London dreams.
The movie is wonderful, no doubt. But it made me all the more curious about wines and vineyards. The wine industry is making it big in India especially in the city of Nashik. The cool climate and favorable soil conditions have made it possible to cultivate wine grapes and produce wine of the finest quality. The more I heard about wineries in India the more curious I was to visit such a facility. And no sooner did I discover this place at just a stones throw from my uncle's home in Nashik. Well it had been around for many years, but I guess it was only now that I cared to notice.
In a recent weekend trip to Nashik, I made it a point to visit this place. We all hopped into the car and headed for the vineyard just outside the city limits. It was cool and a bit windy. The sun shied behind the clouds making for a perfect weather for a small trip like this.
With just few kilometers of drive, I realised what this city had to offer which my hometown did not. Heavy industrialization in Pune has left the surroundings barren. One does not get to see the greenery around. This, coupled with wider roads and taller buildings, has changed the landscape beyond recognition. The road I was driving on was a complete contrast. Lush greenery with cultivated land all around made this rustic landscape very pleasant.
The drive was a short one as we made it to the vineyard in about half an hour. What struck us first, was the location. Acres of vineyards surrounding the facility, which was slightly on higher land such that it overlooked a nearby dam and its vast water reservoir. It wasn't a very big place, but boasted of a fine dine restaurant, a lounge, a terrace top hotel and of course their wine processing and bottling plant. We were eagerly greeted and encouraged to have a look around. They had quick tours of the facility followed by a wine tasting session for a nominal price. My family was interested in seeing around but a bit apprehensive about drinking wine, especially my mom. But my persuasion helped and everyone agreed.
The tour was a quick one, but the escort made it a point to explain the entire process, from plucking to crushing grapes to bacteria seeding to fermentation to stabilization to ageing to bottling, in great detail. It is a long drawn process and the wine gets better as it ages. We had many questions, some presumptions, some inhibitions but as we talked on, we got to know more details about how to store wine, what age is right to consume it, et al. I also got busy with clicking some snaps around the place.
After spending enough time in the wine manufacturing section we headed to the lounge for wine tasting session. This promised to be the most exciting part of the trip. The lounge was a pretty cool place with tables made from wooden barrels and many varieties of wine bottles on display. I guess the shape and color of these bottles is just one dimension that arouses peculiar interest in alcohol. Though the taste and after effects of consumption may not appeal to all. The session had six varieties to offer. Each one served in small portions. They started with simple etiquette about holding the glass by the stem, and then swirling the wine in it followed by instructions to taking in the aroma. We learnt to tell a wine glass from a champagne flute and also something as basic as telling a red wine from a white. It was something very unique and very enjoyable. I felt I was a wine connoisseur and with my wisdom on wines and years of experience in wine tasting, I could make critical comments on what I was tasting. But I was only kidding myself.
That was just the beginning. we had five more varieties to try. As the escort explained each variety, with the kind of grape it is made from and how it matures as it ages, we could feel the difference in tastes. Some were tangy, some smooth, some too young to enjoy, some the right age to be deeply appreciated. Words like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose wine, Sparkling wine started making their way into the conversation. Well, they didnt mean much to me, because all I knew was there is a red wine and a white wine and both are pretty expensive!
Rain gods blessed us while we were half way through. The entire landscape transformed into something surreal. I don't know if it was magic in the air or the wine had made me tipsy, but I was soaking in all that mother nature had to offer. Rain drops and wine drops alike. No sooner had the wine tasting started we got busy with photographs, everyone wanted one taken as they sipped on the varieties. My sister and cousins were enjoying it, so was my dad, but my mom was wary that a little would be too much. We don't have a drinking culture in the family, so seeing the entire family enjoying the experience and having no inhibitions about tasting alcohol was something different all together.
I had a chat with few people at the facility. They explained how India is now opening up to wines and people prefer it when dining and consume regularly for it medical benefits. Things are changing and they want to be the first ones to be there and establish themselves as a premium Indian wine brand. I thanked them for their hospitality, marvelled their wonderful facility and geared up to cherish the great experience . I told them about the Russel Crowe movie and how that stirred my interest. Ironically they had not heard of it. Seems Hollywood has a long way to go, if it were to reach rural India. They promised to put it in their must-watch list. I hope they will watch it soon.
With a bagful of memories to carry home and a glassful of wine in my system, we started back. I think I was physicologically high. I knew some wine wouldn't make me tipsy but the trip was definitely intoxicating me. Am sure others were under some influence as well because my sister blabbered something which I did not understand and I said something back which again I did not understand. Maybe the wine was having its effect after all.
While driving back my sister said something in complete senses though. She said that maybe I should meet a few prospective brides right away. Now that the wine had got me, I just might say yes. We all had a big laugh after this. And the joke got almost practical when, on our way back, we saw a wedding procession. She then said maybe they should kidnap the groom and put me in his place. It didn't matter who the bride was or how she looked! More guffaws in the car followed. I guess this will be one helluva trip to remember for days to come. Of course I took these marriage proposals as a joke. It will take more than a glass of wine for me before I say "I do".
