This Channapatna destination is equal parts winery, classroom and restaurant

Domaine Sula in Channapatna, about an hour outside Bengaluru, is not just one of Karnataka’s largest wineries; it is also a destination in its own right — not purely for wine enthusiasts, but its estate restaurant is considerably more worth the detour for the food alone. Surrounded by mango orchards, the property opens gates to a paved pathway dotted with photo stops — bottle-framed seats, bright yellow trucks, a barrel pyramid and more.

Speaking of souvenirs, the gift shop is where you head towards to register for the winery tour, which takes you behind the label. With that done, we still had some time to spare before the experience commenced, so we headed to Rasa, the estate’s restaurant, that sat right opposite to where we were. Exhausted from the long drive, we needed refreshments, so we savoured a cup of cappuccino paired with yummy garlic bread.

Soon, we found ourselves walking past machines used for grape sorting, crushing and bottling phases. We then stepped into the enormous temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks where primary fermentation takes place, followed by the barrel room. Cool and dim, it holds rows of French and American oak barrels, the air carrying the distinct, slow scent of ageing wood and wine. The tour concludes outdoors in the vineyard itself, where several local grape varieties are grown and harvested before leading you to the tasting rooms.

Rasa, the restaurant, has two locations on the property. The first one we explored earlier and the newer establishment is a different proposition entirely: open-air and elevated and looks directly over the vineyard rows on one side and a landscaped garden on the other, where 25-foot decorative wine bottles rise between seasonal blooms.

While most guides lead you to designated tasting rooms, which sit by the bottle shop, we opted for a private session to sip the several flavours at our own pace while learning as much about the grape behind each wine. We also learnt that the accompanying assorted cheeseboard sincerely served cheese that was all made in-house.

The new Rasa menu is built around modern Indian and global fusion cuisine, designed specifically to pair with the wines. We began with the Bruschetta Tres Crostini — three preparations of creamy mushroom, classic tomato and spiced pumpkin, the last of which was the standout — paired with the tropical Rosé. The same wine worked equally well with the binge-worthy gluten-free Loaded Nachos, topped with beans, salsa and cheese sauce.

The Chimichurri Chicken, cooked in an Argentinian herb sauce, was well-made but was slightly too salty for our palate. We treated ourselves to a Vegetable Delight Pizza, leisurely sipping a glass of Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon between bites.

On the chef ’s recommendation, we ordered the Mutton Shiraz, a dish made only on request, braised with Sula’s Dindori Reserve Shiraz. Paired with Cheese Butter Garlic Naan, it was the best thing we ate all afternoon. Dessert brought Tiramisu and Mango Cheesecake, both quietly excellent, before a small pour of The Source Moscato closed the meal with a lychee finish and stole the spotlight entirely.

During our time here, we also learned that the property is planning to soon develop charming accommodation matching their current offering in Nashik. But more on that soon. Before leaving, we joined a grape stomping session — brief, cheerful and thoroughly recommended — then made a final stop at the gift shop, to pick a bar of the Dindori collaboration chocolate with Paul and Mike, which we had relished during the earlier tasting session.

₹600 onwards. At Channapatna.

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