Alok Chandra: Sula's world wines

A little-known fact about Sula is that it imports and markets wines from seven countries

A little-known fact about Sula, India’s largest wine producer (2016-17 sales volumes are an estimated 10 million bottles), is that it imports and markets wines from seven countries. It also imports some spirits and Asahi beer from Japan, but I’ll focus on the wines.

The wines and wineries are:

Bouchard Aîné & Fils: Founded in 1750 in the heart of Burgundy, France, and now part of the Boisset wine empire that includes 10 wineries from California and another 15 from France. The four Bouchard wines listed in India are typical of Burgundies: two Chardonnays (including a Chablis), a Pinot noir and a Côtes du Rhône — nice wines, priced @ Rs 1,575 to Rs 2,700. What is interesting is the fact that (so far) Sula has resisted the temptation to list more labels from the Boisset collection, which probably has over 500 wines in its portfolio.

Le Grand Noir: Four wines from Southern France (the Languedoc-Roussillon region), made at contracted facilities in a project mentored by wine writer and expert Robert Joseph, all priced at about Rs 1,000 per bottle. Young wines, fresh and fruit-forward, great for entry-level drinkers. 

Hardy’s: The seven wines from Hardy’s Stamp series (Rs 950-Rs 1,100) have lately been joined by some better-quality labels, ‘William Hardy’. These are just two of the 11 wine brands under ‘Hardy’s’, which, in turn, is owned by Accolade Wines, one of Australia’s largest wine companies, with wineries all over the world.

Kumala: Also owned by Accolade Wines, the four wines from this winery from South Africa are all priced at about Rs 1,000 and are excellent value.

Mud House: Yet another Accolade Wines winery, this interestingly-named winery from New Zealand has just two wines in India, a Pinot noir (Rs 1,030) and a Sauvignon Blanc (Rs 1,400).

Ruffino: An iconic Italian wine company, established in 1877 in Tuscany, whose four wines have been part of Sula’s portfoolio in India for many years. The Ruffino Chianti (Rs 2,100) is the most expensive, with the Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico (Rs 1,295) being an old favourite of Chianti buffs.

Cono Sur: The four wines from this Chilean winery are priced at Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 and offer excellent value — as the company’s website says “no family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine”. The Cono Sur Tocornal Merlot (Rs 1,203) is highly recommended.

 

The Trapiche Oak
Cask Malbec (Rs 1,600)
is very dark and full-bodied,
with complex aromas of meat
and figs and plums,
and a long chocolatey finish

Trapiche: And then there are four wines from the Mendoza region of Argentina that again offer an excellent QPR (quality-price ratio). The winery was founded in 1883 and is today the largest wine producer in Argentina, with some 2,500 acres of vineyards. 

Wines I’ve been drinking: The Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec (Rs 1,600) is very dark and full-bodied, with complex aromas of meat and figs and plums, and a long chocolatey finish. Its 2013 vintage is rated by Wine Spectator at only 88 points, which makes me yearn for some of its higher-rated siblings that go all the way to 93 points.

Alok Chandra is a Bengaluru-based wine consultant