Haryanvi wines

A winery at Bawal is rolling out some intriguing wines

No, the headline does not refer to the name of a new wine label — that’s ‘wines from Haryana’, which are being rolled out under the ‘Luca’ label across north India even as we speak.

Jugaad is a unique North Indian term that, while untranslatable, broadly means “getting it done, somehow” (remember the CWG?). Nirvana Biosys, a Delhi-based company, has essentially jugaad karoed some very decent wines using imported ‘natural dewatered grape juice’ — concentrated grape juice. The juices are imported from Italy and South Africa, and processed into the corresponding varietal wines at a well-appointed winery at Bawal, some 80 kms from Delhi on the Jaipur road. That’s also the very first winery I know of in north India.

The company itself is a joint venture with the Mauritius-based EC Oxenham & CY Ltd, a 75-year-old family-owned company started by the grandfather of the present owners; the concept is the brainchild of J P Gupta, a 64-year-old MTech from IIT Delhi. Oxenham provides the winemakers (French) and the technical expertise — it’s had many years to perfect the technique back home.

I recently tasted the wines (available in Delhi and Gurgaon). The Luca Sauvignon Blanc (Rs 500 in Delhi) has classic aromas of asparagus and green peppers, and a dry, crisp, balanced taste, while the Luca Muscat (Rs 400) has a fruity and lemon aroma and a sweetish palate that’s targeted at entry-level wine drinkers. Then there’s the Luca Merlot (Rs 400), with red fruit and berry aromas, soft, supple tannins and a decent finish, as also the Luca Cabernet Sauvignon (Rs 500) which is richer and more full-bodied, with a longer finish.

I also tasted their unique Luca Lychee wine, made from the fruit. The wine has an attractive aroma of figs, honey and nuts, a balanced sweetness, and a dry and little astringent (but pleasant) finish — quite intriguing, not unlike a Riesling Spatlese, and definitely worth trying.

The company has plans to introduce wines at divergent price points (Zoya @ Rs 300, and a Reserve @ Rs 600) as well as a sparkling Rosé (“She”), Brut, and Mango wines, and targets a pan-India presence and breakeven within three years.

Perhaps this will pave the way for more rational wine policies, taxes and prices in states other than Maharashtra and Karnataka — after all, if decent wines can be produced anywhere, anytime, then the tyranny of the one-time grape harvest can be broken, and consumers can be given decent quality wines at a reasonable price produced anywhere in India (or the world). Try the wines — you will be pleasantly surprised.

Other wines I’ve been drinking:
Italian wines from producers Masi, Michele Chiarlo and Pio Cesare, at the European Art of Taste promotional events at the Italian Embassy and Tonino Restaurant, Delhi. This three-year effort to promote selected Italian olive oil, cheese, pasta, and (of course) wines has also been to Mumbai and Bangalore. Masi’s Soave and Valpolicellas are eminently drinkable, while the Gavi and Barbera wines from the other two were superlative.

Balle’ Balle’ and Cin Cin!

[Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant]