Travel diaries: Indulge takes a road trip from Bengaluru to Grover Zampa Vineyard for a wine tour and tasting
After multiple lockdowns and endless quarantines, what we all want is to just get out of the city. But since we are still a little reluctant about travelling, we drove down to the Grover Zampa Vineyard at the foot of Nandi Hills for a short break. The vineyard makes for a perfect day trip from the city, especially for wine connoisseurs and food lovers.
Field day
About an hour’s drive away from the city’s centre, the scenic vineyard is spread over 300 acres. The gorgeous Bengaluru sky served as the backdrop as we started the afternoon with a stroll in the plantations. Unfortunately, it is not grape season right now, so we could not pick any fruit, but if you go during the early months of the year you can pluck some right off the vines! After taking a few Instagram-worthy photos, we headed to the winery to learn about their wine-making techniques.
Sommelier Yathindhar Giridharan guided us through the tour. Huge temperature-maintained fermentation tanks lined the walls of the winery. The processed grape juice is stored in these tanks for months. We also went down to the cellar to see the French oak barrels where the wines are aged. The vineyard has also been experimenting with some new and interesting fermentation techniques such as using egg-shaped Italian concrete tanks and Georgian clay pots. Back upstairs at the sprawling lounge area, guests can partake in the grape crushing activity in a giant oak barrel.
Make a note
Next, it was time for our wine tasting session. The lounge has a chic indoor restaurant, but we chose to sit by the serene koi pond in the outdoor area. Yathin took us through some of the bottles that the brand has on their portfolio. Starting with sparkling wines and rosés, we made our way to crisp whites and then ended the session with rich and elegant reds. We learnt what one can glean from the colours in the glass, swirling
techniques, the aromas and taste of the beverage. We also delved into wine pairings, with a focus on Indian cuisine.
It was finally time to dig into lunch. We started with a spicy baby corn dish. The piquant number was just what we needed after all the cheese and crackers, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. For the main course, we had a simple pasta in bechamel sauce. While we weren’t too impressed with the dish on its own, it paired well with the glass of the Grover Zampa La Reserve. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the wine boasts deep notes of chocolate, coffee beans and vanilla. With a slice of their in-house chocolate cake, our meal and the trip, both concluded on a sweet note.
Tours and tasting packages start at Rs 650++ . At Doddaballapur
anagha@newindianexpress.com
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