The rise and return of Grover Vineyards

Grover Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2014 bagged the Sauvignon Blanc International Trophy at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards held in Hong Kong recently

Grover Zampa Vineyards (as the company is now called) has been making waves with the resurgent quality of its wines, prompting me to cover it a lot more frequently of late.

Its latest achievement is the Grover Art Series Sauvignon Blanc 2014 bagging the Sauvignon Blanc International Trophy at the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA) held in Hong Kong recently - in addition to three silver medals, three bronze and two commendations (for other wines).

This is the first international trophy ever obtained by an Indian wine and signifies a remarkable comeback by a company that some had written off just a few years ago. DAWA is one of the most respected competitions in the world and getting such an award is like getting a Noble prize.

Tasting notes posted on the website, www.dawa.decanterchina.com, say the following about the wine: "A great expression of the varietal, with fresh white flower and tropical fruit aromas, green lemons and a leafy, herbaceous palate. Strong gooseberry notes, nettles, stone fruits, beautiful acidity and good freshness. Stands out."

Grover Vineyards launched its wines in 1992 and is today the oldest surviving winery in India (Indage Vintners, which launched in 1986, went belly-up two years back, while Goan units use table grapes, which do not count). Following some difficult years after 2008 (including an abortive partnership with India's largest wine importer, Brindco) the company merged with Ravi Jain's Mumbai-based Vallee de Vin in 2013 to form Grover Zampa Vineyards (Zampa was the name of the latter's wine brand, better-known than the unpronounceable company name).

The merger seems to have worked: with Kapil Grover's daughter, Karishma Grover, leading the charge for improving quality all round and industry veteran Sumedh Singh Mandla having brought in as CEO, the company is resurgent and re-entering markets and segments lost in recent years - although it will be some time before it can close the gap between its own 100,000 cases and Sula's 650,000 lakh cases.

There is no doubt that the quality of many Indian wines has improved remarkably of late: while Sula remains the most recognisable wine brand, Grover (with its old favourite La Reserve, whose new La Reserve white avatar garnered a silver medal at DAWA) is back in the reckoning. Others producing good quality wines include Charosa, Fratelli, Vallonne and York in Maharashtra; Alpine and Krsma in Karnataka; and Big Banyan in Goa. And that's not even counting Nine Hills from the erstwhile Seagram India and Four Seasons from United Spirits (formerly owned by Vijay Mallya) - indeed, if the tasting for 'Celebrating India's Finest Wines' a fortnight ago is any indication, be prepared for significantly better wines from both producers.

Wines I've Been Drinking: The Wine Connoisseurs is a small (10 people) and eclectic group of wine lovers in Bangalore who get together once a month to drink and discuss their wines over dinner. It's a 'by invitation only' scene, and each person has to bring his/her own bottle of wine which has to be worth at least $25 overseas or Rs 3,000 in India.

On Wednesday, nine of us got together at Italia at The Park (Bangalore) with nine wines - a bit over the top, but well worth the trouble. My personal favourite was the Norton Reserva Malbec 2010 from Argentina. Rated 90 points by Wine Spectator, this inky-black wine was simply amazing: rich aroma of berries and spice, with a full-bodied and soft taste of fruit, spice, and chocolate that was just yummy. The wine was #51 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2012 - a richly deserved accolade. Grab one if you can - the 2011 vintage (WS 92 points) is at about $15 in the US, and is a terrific bargain at the price.

Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant