Bangalore and areas to its south form the third major wine region of Karnataka. It has most of its grape-growing areas and major producers located north and north-west of Bangalore city. Alpine Wineries, however, is closer to Mysore in the south. The area used to be a summer retreat for the British in colonial times as the climate is moderate, the altitude allowing for benign temperatures even in summer.

Much of the area is, however, flat. The northern Bangalore plateau is characterised by gentle slopes around the Nandi Hills, which peak at 1,479 metres, the average altitude being 950 metres and sinking to slightly above 800 metres closer to the city. There are no major rivers other than the Arkavathi and South Penner (or Ponnaiyar), which have their confluence near the Nandi Hills. In a valley near these hills was one of Kanwal Grover’s first locations for growing grapes for wine, but now, as the urban population of 8.5 million swells and land prices go ever higher, concrete developments threaten to squeeze agriculture out. Of course, being in the vicinity encourages hoards of tourists to the cellar doors, and helps in establishing and spreading the culture of wine in India.

East of the city, the vineyard soils tend to be red loam, whereas north in the Nandi valley sub-region there is red loam and gravel mixed with white gneiss. SDU Winery and Blackbuck Vineyards, located in the extreme north of the area, have brown loamy soils with red patches and scattered limestone and white gneiss granules.

The climatic data show moderate temperatures in both summer and winter, entailing a minimal diurnal difference, which may be a factor contributing to the less herbaceous character of the Cabernet. It also means that vignerons should be vigilant towards the end of the growing season because temperatures start to shoot up rapidly. Large bodies of water, such as the Gundamagere Lake, may have some moderating influences to enable, for example, Bangalore Soma Vineyards to produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The rainfall is noticeably higher than in the Mysore basin, but still insufficient and concentrated during the monsoon.

Rural Bangalore’s climatic data

Source: Indian Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India

Alpine Wineries. Nilgiri hills in the distance, Holesalu village, near Chamarajanagar

The soils are rich in clay (up to 45 per cent) and mixed with red granite and gneissic masses, with silt and sandy outcrops at places. Such poor soils are well suited to vines if supplied with organic supplements through manure. Table 2 provides climatic data for the closest available area. Temperatures are seen to be higher than in the rural areas north of Bangalore, but are still moderate, and there is a significant drop in average annual rainfall. Marsanne and Vermentino seem to produce good quality, while Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Syrah particularly excel. 

Mysore’s climatic data