Sula Vineyards, the top producer of the finest wines in India, is located amidst the hills of Nashik, overlooking the Gangapur Dam. It goes without saying that this is the place to be if you find yourself in the vicinity. The location is also convenient for people who are in Mumbai and Pune, since they can use it as an opportunity to go on a road trip to the vineyards which is just a four and five-hour long drive, respectively. The vineyard has been around since the late 90s and has spread out over 3000 acres of lush green grape farms. Sula has come a long way from its humble beginnings to be the world-class winery that it is today. This place has a lot to offer even with just one visit, and so you will keep wanting to come back for more. These sustainable vineyards have so much to offer, that you are guaranteed to have a great time and forget all about the chaos of city living. There are a variety of activities that you can get to do at this winery. Yes, one of them includes a very fun wine tasting as well! Since there are many aspects to experience during your visit, such as an exclusive all-access tour of our winery, as well as having a meal at one of our restaurants and staying back to take the best pictures with the scenic views, this getaway is perfect for people of all ages.
Things to Look Forward to During Your Tour
A guided Sula tour or a private one, the choice is all yours. Either way, you will get to see our work behind the scenes and have a blast while learning a lot!
Walking Through the Grape Farms
Getting to take a stroll through our bustling, lush, grape farms is certainly an experience to remember. Since the farms are situated at 600m above sea level, you will be able to get an understanding of how the cool nights and heavy clay give the wineries the optimum atmosphere to grow splendid grapes for wine. You will also be given more information on the wonderful history of Sula.
Understanding the Process
Getting to visit Sula Vineyards means that you get the whole professional insight into how we do things. An experienced winemaker from Sula will help you understand the process from scratch. From plucking the grapes, to the crushing, fermentation, pressing, clarification, ageing and bottling, you will learn the entire chain of events that lead to making your favourite Sula wines. You will be getting all the secrets behind these prestigious wines while getting to see the warehouse, where you can even spot some wood barrels that are as old as 20 years old.
The Wine Tasting Experience
If you wanted an insight into the flavours of Sula wines, then this part of the tour might just be your favourite. Inside Sula’s wine tasting rooms, you will be provided with six of our award-winning best wines to taste. This will also come with the basic training of how to tell good wines from bad ones and thus, will prepare you with the basics required to venture into the world of wine tasting if you wish to do so. Wine etiquette like smell, temperature, swirling and food pairings will be some of the major takeaways, having been to the tasting room. Not to mention that you will get to watch the sunset from this room which overlooks the grapevines, as your wine is served with delicious finger food, like biscuits. Quite the experience to have, right?
A Trip to the Bottle Shop
A trip is never complete without souvenirs. The bottle shop is the perfect pit stop to remember the trip by. If you’re buying wine for yourself or even for someone else, it can be quite a joyful experience to purchase a bottle right from the vineyards. Be it a bottle of Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon, Sula Sparkling Shiraz or Sula Zinfandel, you can find any of our wines that you desire.
Food at Sula
Aside from the delicious finger food present in the tasting room, Sula also has two different restaurants to satisfy your palate, regardless of which wine you did or did not taste. You can enjoy a delicious Indian meal at Rāsā, while Little Italy has mouth-watering Italian delicacies to offer. Don’t forget that if you are dreaming about ordering a platter of assorted cheeses, olives, nuts, crackers and dried fruit to accompany your wine, then Little Italy has got you covered.
Noticing Sustainability at Sula
You will be able to notice that almost all the rooftops at the hotel, offices and restaurants have solar panels present. This is because more than 75% of the power used in Sula Vineyards comes from solar energy!
Solar Power
Overlooking the Gangapur Lake, these exclusive Lake View Rooms are perfect for a quaint experience. They are beautifully decorated and are spacious enough for you to feel more than comfortable. The natural light that enters from their glass walls is just one of their many perks. Even the smallest details in their modern bathrooms can exceed your expectations of an average getaway.
Drip Irrigation
In order to avoid the wastage of water, Sula uses drip irrigation instead of traditional irrigation methods to cut down water consumption by almost half.
Water Recycling
An effluent treatment plant on-site ensures that all the water used is treated and reused. This treated and disinfected water is used in the vineyards and in housekeeping as well. There are also signs present that encourage visitors and hotel guests to turn off taps.
No Plastic
Reusable glass bottles are used for mineral water, and efforts are made to eradicate plastic from all offerings of food, beverages, cutlery and any kind of packaging.
No Waste
Sula uses the food waste generated by its restaurants to fuel its own biogas unit. Thus, nothing is sent to landfills.
Innovative Grapeseed Oil
We have made it a point to make use of even the last bit of waste from the grapes - the grapeseed. We use it to compost due to its stony nature, since it doesn’t decompose soon. Thus, Sula has introduced grapeseed oil and has put it to great use.
Supporting the Local Community
Sula makes it a point to employ people from the local community of the surrounding villages.
What Is the Best Time to Visit the Vineyards?
Sula is open for the whole year, all days of the week. The vineyards are extremely beautiful all year round. The grape season is from January to March and hence, if you would like to see them grow in the vineyard, this would be the time to visit. The winters and monsoons are also known to bring out the best in Nashik. The cold, misty mornings of winter and the lush greens present during the monsoon all add to this wonderful experience. The views of the Gangapur lake brimming with water during the rains is another plus that you could get to see.
How to Reach Sula Vineyards?
Since Nashik is well connected by trains, flights and of course, roads, reaching Sula Vineyards is a breeze. The Mumbai, Nashik and Shirdi airports can be some of the options to get closer to the location via flights. Nashik Road Railway station would be the closest one for trains, and the drive to the vineyards is blessed with sights of beautiful ghats, waterfalls, lush green fields and plenty of eateries on the way. Thus, your picturesque experience begins the very minute you begin your journey.
Final Thoughts
Due to the vast array of activities that you can get to
do at the vineyard, this experience certainly has
something to offer for everyone.
At Sula, every wine is made keeping the environment in
mind, by following strict sustainable,
environment-friendly practices. We’re always striving to
bring you the best-quality wines in India, combining
various winemaking techniques. We hope that this
breakdown of what to expect during your visit to the
vineyards has only made you more enthusiastic, and we
can’t wait for you to have a blast!
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