Sunday, 17th August 2025

Key transformations at KRSMA Estates herald the era of wine tourism, yet the winery remains still deeply connected to its dramatic setting near Hampi. New hospitality spaces, expanding vineyards and a thoughtful approach to farming point to an estate growing in confidence and ambition. Most compelling of all are the wines, which continue to show elegance, restraint and a clear sense of place.

The drive from Hyderabad, in Telangana, to KRSMA Estates, in Karnataka, is a long one. We set out for our eight-hour journey at dawn to avoid the morning rush, leaving the metro city on an impressively smooth national highway before continuing on narrower single-carriageway roads. In the late monsoon season the landscape was lush and green, and the mountain ridges appeared to have been assembled from colossal, rounded boulders; piled one upon another in long undulating lines. The rivers were swollen after heavy rains of the 2025 monsoon season. To break up the journey, we stopped for coffee in the morning and later for tea at a traditional roadside chai stall.

As the road narrowed to hardly accommodate the width of our car and the countryside gave way to small hamlets, we knew we were close. Beyond the last cluster of huts, the rolling hills of Hampi opened out and the winery building of KRSMA appeared atop a hill ahead of us. As we climbed the modest incline, unfamiliar buildings started to take shape. A smooth road with clear markings replaced the pothole-dotted public carriageway, making it immediately clear that we had entered the 200-acre private estate.

The estate road leads to a roundabout with two further exits: one to the winery, the other to a collection of newly built bungalows. A flight of steps also rises from the same point to a large villa higher up the hill. Three bungalows house the accommodation: one is reserved for the proprietors, while the other two are divided to create four guest rooms. The design is deliberately simple. Built most likely of local stone, the buildings reflect the grey, red, beige and brown tones of the surrounding landscape. White walls, natural wood furniture and simplicity of design create an atmosphere of calm. Each room opens onto a spacious covered veranda with wide views over the Hampi countryside, and the overall impression is one of quiet, thoughtful comfort rather than display.

After settling in and washing off the dust of the journey, we climbed to the villa, which serves as a generous hospitality venue with a 360-degree view of the serene countryside. We were, I was told by the newly appointed hospitality manager and chef, the first guests to stay. After lunch, Naidu Gogi, the estate viticulturalist and winemaker, took me on a tour of the winery and the vineyards. The cellar itself has not changed much. The more notable developments are outside it. Alongside the new hospitality facilities, KRSMA has built a large reservoir to harvest monsoon rain for irrigation, an increasingly important measure as the vineyard area expands. Chardonnay and Sangiovese, which had previously been uprooted, were replanted in 2024, and a further 18 acres were in various stages of preparation for planting at the time of my visit.

The vineyards are farmed applying organic practices, though the estate is not certified. A bean cover crop is used to boost nutrients in the soil, and biodynamic preparations – B501 to B507 – are also applied as part of the estate's broader approach to soil health. Neem is used against pests and fungal pressure. Rose bushes at the ends of the rows remain part of the layout of the vineyard and may also help signal problems early on. Naidu explained that downy mildew is less of a concern here because of the constant movement of air, while powdery mildew is managed with sulphur applications when necessary.

I tasted Cabernet Sauvignon from two vintages, 2025 and 2018. The 2025, still a barrel sample and therefore tasted before bottling, already showed elegance and grace. Sampling the wine from two different barrels illustrated the importance of blending: one was rich, dense, elegant and spicey, while the other was juicier and more openly fruit-driven. Overall, KRSMA Cabernet, once bottled, offers style, elegance and generosity.

I also tasted three vintages of Shiraz: 2025, 2024 and 2019. The 2025 was intense and understandably tight, with firm tannins and concentrated dark fruit, and will require more time before release. The 2024, already bottled, charmed with its depth and generous juicy fruits. One bottle displayed excessive volatile acidity, a fault that gives wine an overly sharp, nail polish like note, but it had been open for some time. A second bottle was clean and highly enjoyable. The 2019 offered maturity and complexity, with nicely developed aromatics and a refined texture on the palate. A little decanting helped the wine open up further and allowed the tannins to become supple, lending a smooth mouthfeel. 

I finished with the 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, currently the estate's only white wine. It combined crisp citrus fruits and minerality. Its silky texture gave it a notably restrained expression, very much in the understated style of a Loire Sauvignon Blanc.

KRSMA Estates is no longer simply a remote winery worth the detour. It is becoming a wine tourism destination, one where visitors may unplug, pause and relax with great wine and food in the heart of Karnataka’s peaceful countryside.