Top 100 wines of India
Discover the top 100 best wines of India as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of India and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of India
India is an emerging wine economy, both in terms of production and consumption, and has the potential to become a major player on the global wine scene. This is because the country has consistently experienced the highest growth in consumption in the world, at around 20-30% per annum between 2002 and 2010. To meet this demand, a significant amount of wine is imported every year, but India also has a set of well-established and evolving domestic wineries.
Historically, the introduction of grapes to the Indian subcontinent and the subsequent proliferation of viticulture came from Persia in 500 B.
C. There is no evidence that commercial viticulture existed before the 19th century, when British colonialists supported the establishment of a local source of supply. However, just as the embryonic wine industry was beginning to take shape, it suffered a devastating blow from the outbreak of Phylloxera. Religious and cultural vetoes on Alcohol consumption also proved to be a difficult challenge to the growth of Indian wine after independence from Britain.
This continues to be the case in many parts of the country, where prohibition is enforced through local laws.
Despite these obstacles, the Indian wine industry expanded on a large scale in the late 1980s and early 1990s, due to globalization and liberal economic measures, as well as notable initiatives in modern viticulture by producers such as Chateau Indage - India's first commercial winery. The current boom in wine consumption is largely due to the growth of an affluent 'middle class'.
Due to its geographical location, India is not an easy place for large-scale viticulture.
Discover the grape variety: Nero d'Avola
Most certainly of Italian origin, more precisely from Sicily where it is very well known. It should be noted that a certain number of Italian grape varieties bear the synonym or name "calabrese", whether or not followed by an epithet, and care should be taken not to confuse them. Calabrese is also known in the United States, Italy, Bulgaria and Malta. In France, it is virtually absent from the vineyard, although it is listed in the Official Catalogue of Wine Grape Varieties, list A1.
Food and wine pairing with a wine of India
wines from the region of India go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or goat cheese such as recipes of barbecue burger, lamb meatballs with mint or chard and goat cheese gratin.
Organoleptic analysis of wine of India
On the nose in the region of India often reveals types of flavors of cherry, cream or grapefruit and sometimes also flavors of petroleum, black cherries or minerality.
News from the vineyard of India
A perfect pairing: Madhu’s masala lamb
With culinary inspiration dating back to 1935, our restaurant brand Madhu’s specialises in South Asian cuisine with an East African influence. It’s thanks to the secret recipes handed down across eight decades that we have become caterers for royalty, dignitaries and Asian weddings – and that our original Southall location has been named Best Indian Restaurant multiple times by Pat Chapman’s Cobra Good Curry Guide. Over the past few years I’ve been working on creative combinations to find the pe ...
Ten years on: Chinese wine’s breakthrough moment at DWWA
The prestige attached to winning at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) means that being awarded a Bronze medal for some wineries will mean huge celebrations in China, Japan, India, or Thailand. Since the competition began in 2004, I have often reminded judges on my panel about this – whether they are journalists, sommeliers, educators, Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers. Scroll down for new tasting notes and scores on Jia Bei Lan vintages: from the Chinese wine label that won big at DWWA 20 ...
Colombia for wine lovers
Think of Colombia, think of balmy evenings dancing to salsa, fuelled by shots of aguardiente and arepas. But there’s plenty more than the anise-based spirit and cornmeal cakes to sample in the South American country. Chefs have stepped up their game to put gastronomy on the map, with sommeliers and bartenders following suit. Not just appreciating local ingredients and distilling spirits, they also seek out wines from around the world to accompany fine-dining experiences. Their endeavours have pa ...