Big Banyan Wines
THE FACTS
Location:Chunchanaguppe village, near Bengaluru
State:Karnataka
Founded: 2006
Major shareholders: John Distilleries Pvt Ltd
Total area: 20 acres (8.094 hectares)
Area under vine: 500 acres (202.35 hectares)
Production: 550,000 litres
Google map: click here
THE STORY
The banyan tree, a
national symbol of India, remarkable for prop roots that hold up its crown
almost like a multitude of supporting legs, is an apt symbol for Paul John’s
spirits and wine empire. He built it in similar fashion, with three business
verticals – spirits, wines and hospitality – providing a diversified foothold
in the market. Big Banyan Wines was started in 2006 and has grown into a
well-established brand of quality still wines, distributed in the Goa,
Karnataka, Puducherry, Kerala, Telangana and Maharashtra markets.
John Distilleries has its spirits-manufacturing unit in Cuncolim, South Goa, where the barrel maturing of whisky had been in progress since 1996. It is here that on the advice of Italian consultant Lucio Matricardi the initial wine production was set up. The capital investment was significantly lower than for any other winery because the necessary infrastructure was already in place, which allowed the focus to be on establishing and embedding distribution in Goa and Karnataka, two important consumer markets in India. The grapes were sourced from Nashik.
With the significant expansion of its business and a steadily growing demand for the Big Banyan brand, a decision was taken to construct its first purpose-built winery off the Bengaluru–Mysuru (Bangalore–Mysore) highway, south-west of Bengaluru. Visitors will pass by a 400-year-old protected banyan tree in Kethohalli village, which abuts the Big Banyan Vineyard & Resort. Construction of the cellar of an originally planned capacity of 400,000 litres began in 2015, and the first grapes were crushed from the 2017 harvest. Since then, production capacity has been increased to 650,000 litres, and a visitor centre with its own wine shop opened in 2019. Guests can enjoy the veranda-style bistro all year round or opt for al fresco dining in winter, and have a choice of ranch houses or heritage-styled cottages to stay at – all surrounded by lush tropical gardens. In the span of just two years following the Covid pandemic, Big Banyan’s hospitality business grew to attract 50,000 visitors annually by late 2023.
Big Banyan’s may have been an uncharacteristically cautious approach to business in Indian terms, but consultant winemaker Matricardi, who earned his PhD at the University of California’s Davis campus, likes to quote the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild: ‘Patience is required to make great wines.’ In the case of India, Paul John realised it would be all about ‘mind terroir’; in other words, finding farmers with the right mindset for the task of producing high-quality grapes rather than masses of quantity, and imprinting the brand in the minds of consumers in two key markets before venturing into cash-intensive expansion. This cautious but commercially regimented strategy proved to be the formula for success. Ultimately, Big Banyan achieves balance in the wines so that they can be enjoyed with food in the company of family and friends around a table. The Italian approach could not have been more harmoniously integrated into this very Indian brand.
John Distilleries has its spirits-manufacturing unit in Cuncolim, South Goa, where the barrel maturing of whisky had been in progress since 1996. It is here that on the advice of Italian consultant Lucio Matricardi the initial wine production was set up. The capital investment was significantly lower than for any other winery because the necessary infrastructure was already in place, which allowed the focus to be on establishing and embedding distribution in Goa and Karnataka, two important consumer markets in India. The grapes were sourced from Nashik.
With the significant expansion of its business and a steadily growing demand for the Big Banyan brand, a decision was taken to construct its first purpose-built winery off the Bengaluru–Mysuru (Bangalore–Mysore) highway, south-west of Bengaluru. Visitors will pass by a 400-year-old protected banyan tree in Kethohalli village, which abuts the Big Banyan Vineyard & Resort. Construction of the cellar of an originally planned capacity of 400,000 litres began in 2015, and the first grapes were crushed from the 2017 harvest. Since then, production capacity has been increased to 650,000 litres, and a visitor centre with its own wine shop opened in 2019. Guests can enjoy the veranda-style bistro all year round or opt for al fresco dining in winter, and have a choice of ranch houses or heritage-styled cottages to stay at – all surrounded by lush tropical gardens. In the span of just two years following the Covid pandemic, Big Banyan’s hospitality business grew to attract 50,000 visitors annually by late 2023.
Big Banyan’s may have been an uncharacteristically cautious approach to business in Indian terms, but consultant winemaker Matricardi, who earned his PhD at the University of California’s Davis campus, likes to quote the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild: ‘Patience is required to make great wines.’ In the case of India, Paul John realised it would be all about ‘mind terroir’; in other words, finding farmers with the right mindset for the task of producing high-quality grapes rather than masses of quantity, and imprinting the brand in the minds of consumers in two key markets before venturing into cash-intensive expansion. This cautious but commercially regimented strategy proved to be the formula for success. Ultimately, Big Banyan achieves balance in the wines so that they can be enjoyed with food in the company of family and friends around a table. The Italian approach could not have been more harmoniously integrated into this very Indian brand.
THE ESTATE
Big Banyan has only 20
acres of its own vineyards near Magadi village, about 20 kilometres from the
Big Banyan Vineyard & Resort. Three varieties are grown here: Sauvignon
Blanc, Viognier and Riesling. The last was planted in 2020, and its maiden
vintage, produced in 2023, showed good promise.
An overwhelming percentage of the grapes are sourced from contracted farmers, with 200 acres (80.94 hectares) in Maharashtra and 300 acres (121.41 hectares) in Karnataka. The selection of appropriate terroir has been Matricardi’s greatest concern from the outset. He is keen to avoid highly alkaline soils, and so opts for soils of low fertility. Nashik was the main source of grapes at the start and now the supplier base has been diversified to include growers in and around Solapur, Sangli, Osmanabad and Pandharpur, all in Maharashtra. Bijapur in northern Karnataka and vineyards around Bengaluru also supply the new winery. In 2023, for the first time, grapes were shipped for custom-crushing to KLC Winery outside Nashik, presumably to manage duties cost-effectively for wines destined for the Maharashtra market.
Notable viticultural practices seen at Big Banyan are manure application combined with irrigation 40 days prior to picking for optimal ripening, and pre-growing-season pruning to prevent acids being burned away by the rising heat before the rainy season.
Mahesh Awate, the resident Indian winemaker since 2017, also fully subscribes to the philosophy of nurturing collaborative relationships with farmers and upholds the driving principle of working with vineyards capable of producing wines representative of the grape variety within Indian terroir. The significant use of Merlot is thus surprising. It is a difficult, if not an impossibly stubborn, variety in India. The secret of Big Banyan’s success with Merlot is in the vineyard: a careful balancing of carbon and humus along with appropriate aeration of the soil. The resultant wine is rich and impressive.
Zinfandel and Grenache have been added to the repertoire of contract-grown grapes, and both are used for the production of rosé wines. The varieties of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc are procured for the making of fruit-driven red wines, which were commercially launched at the cellar door in 2023.
An overwhelming percentage of the grapes are sourced from contracted farmers, with 200 acres (80.94 hectares) in Maharashtra and 300 acres (121.41 hectares) in Karnataka. The selection of appropriate terroir has been Matricardi’s greatest concern from the outset. He is keen to avoid highly alkaline soils, and so opts for soils of low fertility. Nashik was the main source of grapes at the start and now the supplier base has been diversified to include growers in and around Solapur, Sangli, Osmanabad and Pandharpur, all in Maharashtra. Bijapur in northern Karnataka and vineyards around Bengaluru also supply the new winery. In 2023, for the first time, grapes were shipped for custom-crushing to KLC Winery outside Nashik, presumably to manage duties cost-effectively for wines destined for the Maharashtra market.
Notable viticultural practices seen at Big Banyan are manure application combined with irrigation 40 days prior to picking for optimal ripening, and pre-growing-season pruning to prevent acids being burned away by the rising heat before the rainy season.
Mahesh Awate, the resident Indian winemaker since 2017, also fully subscribes to the philosophy of nurturing collaborative relationships with farmers and upholds the driving principle of working with vineyards capable of producing wines representative of the grape variety within Indian terroir. The significant use of Merlot is thus surprising. It is a difficult, if not an impossibly stubborn, variety in India. The secret of Big Banyan’s success with Merlot is in the vineyard: a careful balancing of carbon and humus along with appropriate aeration of the soil. The resultant wine is rich and impressive.
Zinfandel and Grenache have been added to the repertoire of contract-grown grapes, and both are used for the production of rosé wines. The varieties of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc are procured for the making of fruit-driven red wines, which were commercially launched at the cellar door in 2023.
THE WINES
There are three distinct levels of quality in the Big Banyan product range. L’Angoor, launched in 2021, is the entry level category. The varietal wines are mid-range quality, generously fruit-forward in style and some may have oak flavours due to the use of staves. The Limited Edition is an oak-aged red, richly spiced, hugely intense and with a fair concentration. Its weighty body reflects ambition and boldness.
THE LABELS
Big Banyan L’Angoor: a couple of entry level white and red wines.
Big Banyan: this varietal range comprises clean, fruit-driven and fresh wines
- Chenin Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Riesling (not commercially released yet)
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Viognier
- Grenache Rosé
- Zinfandel Rosé
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sangiovese
- Shiraz
- Merlot
Big Banyan Limited: made of Shiraz with at least 12 months of barrel ageing; a big and bold red wine
Big Banyan Bellissima: a late-harvest Muscat dessert wine
VIDEO GALLERY