White wines often tend to get passed over for reds in India. We are a predominantly red wine drinking nation despite an annual average temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius, Yet, India has consistently been producing some great whites over the years and the quality has only improved over time. In fact, it was the white wines of India that started putting us on the world wine map while the reds still had some catching up to do.
White wines in the Indian Terroir
We get a generous amount of sun in India, but Nasik has an incredible topography and a diverse range of microclimates suitable for growing a wide variety of grapes. And despite being in the Northern Hemisphere, we follow the harvest cycle of the Southern Hemisphere. The sunny climate promotes riper fruit and higher elevation brings high diurnal temperature range to the area. This lets us walk the tightrope between maintaining fresh, crisp acidity and developing good sugars in the grapes.
International White Grape Varietals that have found a home in India
The Indian wine industry has been going through a phase that is experimenting and accepting towards many different styles and types of wines and that has been extremely rewarding. Sula produces both Still and Sparkling Whites in different styles.
Chenin Blanc has been a star in India and makes for some beautiful crisp brut style sparkling wines, notably Sula Brut (the best sparkling wine in India), that has been winning hearts across the country and the world, along with some easy drinking rich sweet bubblies like Sula Seco. The versatility of Chenin Blanc also allows us to produce two different styles of still wines; The Source Chenin Blanc Reserve - a polished still dry wine with a touch of oak and the more popular, palate pleasing and India’s best selling white wine-Sula Chenin Blanc. While speaking of versatility we cannot forget India’s first still dessert wine and India’s first ‘Late Harvest Chenin Blanc’ that is a perfect accompaniment to our beloved Gulab Jamuns.
The astounding freshness and crispness of Sula Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t fail to surprise even the savvy wine professional. This wine has been a benchmark in the Indian Wine industry and has been consistently raising the bar. And, Sula has taken it a notch up by introducing The Source Sauvignon Blanc Reserve- partially fermented and aged in French oak barrels this wine boasts of tropical and green fruit notes.
Sula Riesling, a beautiful off dry wine with a lovely lean structure has been a crowd favourite for many years.
Chardonnay found a home in Dindori and a place in our Dindori Wine range. A relatively newer addition to the Indian wines, this wine is slowly but surely catching up.Dindori Reserve Chardonnay is lemony and tropical with a touch of vanilla, an almost buttery finish and tenacious acidity. If you are looking for a Chardonnay wine to go with your butter chicken or paneer makhni, look no further!
A Rhone varietal that shows great potential and promise in the Indian climate and soil is Viognier.Dindori Reserve Viognier is an intense and textured wine with notes of lychee, peach, apricot and makes for a versatile pairing with Indian food. Brilliant with everything from a creamy curry to a Goan Xacuti!
This list would be incomplete without our newest addition to our pool of white wines,The Source Moscato Sparkling made from Muscat. In India, we like our food aromatic, and we love our desserts. This wine combines the two and shows intense notes of citrus, peach and lychee with a lingering marmalade and honeyed finish. This is the first of many to follow and is sure to take the Indian consumers by a storm!
White wines with food
White wines and particularly sparkling wines make for excellent aperitifs, food accompaniments and can even be paired with dessert. Whether you want to pair wine with Butter chicken or a Gujarati thali, a pesto pasta or a chili chicken, there is a white for every kind of food and every kind of mood. While a red can sometimes weigh your food down, the freshness of the whites will bring out the best in it without being overpowering. A good white wine when served right can pair with a range of dishes from light to rich.
The future is bright!
At Sula, we’ve perfected the winemaking process to produce some of the best wines in India, including our award-winning white wines! We're proud of having crafted a range of wines, par excellence through a long-drawn process of trial-and-error, experimenting, and using the latest technology and sustainable wine making. Years of research and experience has led us to produce a wide range of whites that thrive in the Indian climes and please both the masses and seasoned palates. As wine understanding and consumption grows in India, the future of Indian White Wines looks as sparkling as its wines.
