Nashik

VARIETIES GROWN
  • White: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Grillo, Roussanne, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Symphony, Ugni Blanc

  • Red: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir

NOTED SUB-REGIONS & VILLAGES
  • Igatpuri: western-most area around Mukane reservoir and the village of Kavnai, off the Mumbai-Nashik highway, with high-end producers such as Grover Zampa and Vallonné Vineyards
  • Gangapur dam backwaters: on the western doorstep of Nashik town, with leading wineries such as Sula Vineyards, York Winery and Soma Vine Village
  • Dindori: 70 kilometres north of Nashik town and at an altitude of 700 metres, it produces the prime quality Rhône varieties, Viognier and Shiraz, and has quality-oriented producers in the vicinity, such as Chandon India, Nine Hills and Chateau d’Ori
  • Ojhar: on the plains east of Nashik town, its true potential is still unexplored
  • Niphad & Gitakunj: on alluvial soils north-east of Nashik town, near the confluence of the Kadwa and Godavari rivers, Nero d’Avola and Grillo are particular to this sub-region because of the Reveilo Winery
  • Vinchur: east from Niphad, it has a government-initiated wine park. The area is focused on production rather than viticulture.
  • Charose: in a tribal area close to the Gujarat border, 70 kilometres north of Nashik town, at an altitude of 700 metres, it has noteworthy grapes of Cabernet, Viognier and Tempranillo

Nashik, the wine capital of India, is in the centre of the eponymous wine region best known to Indian and foreign wine lovers alike. The town, stretching along the banks of the Godavari, is considered small with two million inhabitants. The region is favourably located 190 kilometres, or a 3.5 hours’ drive on a relatively good motorway, north-east of metropolitan Mumbai and on the border with Gujarat. Nashik is one of the four centres for the Kumbh Mela, a mass pilgrimage that is held every twelfth year, with Hindus congregating to cleanse themselves of sin the river. An attraction nearby is the set of 24 interconnected and carved Pandavleni (also known as Trirashmi) caves, a Buddhist pilgrimage destination that dates to the 3rd century BCE.

 

Nashik is bordered on the west by the rugged Sahyadri, and its eastwards stretching sub-ranges, the Galna and Salmala, provide protection from the extremes of the northern winds. The Deccan plateau then opens up into a generous valley in the east of the region, the southern section formed by the basin of the river Godavari and the northern by the basin of the river Tapi.

Left: Hills of the Sahyadri. Igatpuri, Nashik

Right: Hills surrounding the Tapi basin near Charose village, Nashik


The Western Ghats were formed as a result of volcanic activity. Vineyards are at an average altitude of 550–600 metres, with a bedrock of black murrum (see photo below). The varying soil types of Nashik region are the weathered products of basalt and, with colour tones ranging from grey to black or from red to pink, are classified into the four categories of lateritic black soil (kali), reddish-brown soil (mal), coarse shallow reddish-black soil (koral), and medium light brownish-black soil (barad). In general, the brown and black soils are very fertile, while the red soils are less so and also shallow. Shallow alluvial soils are characteristic of the low-lying plains along the Godavari river. Lime nodules may crop up all across the region.

Left: Exposed black murrum bedrock. Indus Wines, Igatpuri, Nashik.
Middle: Brown soil (mal). Charosa Winery, Charose village, Tapi basin
Right: Brown soil with basalt pearls (barad). Charosa Winery, Charose village, Tapi basin

Left: Brown loamy soil (mal). Grover Zampa, Igatpuri, Nashik
Middle: Reddish brown soil (mal). Grover Zampa, Igatpuri, Nashik
Right: White calcareous rock. Grover Zampa, Igatpuri, Nashik

Nashik enjoys a hot tropical climate, which means that there are two growing cycles within a calendar year and the vines are never dormant. In practical terms, wineries use grapes grown only in the winter season, which is moderate insofar as the daytime temperatures remain in the mid-30s. However, at this altitude in inland Maharashtra the diurnal temperature range during the winter growing season is significant (see Table 1). The cooler nights better preserve the natural acids of the grapes, decreasing the need to acidify wines, a practice common across India’s wine regions. It also means the grapes need a longer hang time; Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, takes about 185 days to ripen, which is very close to other Cabernet regions of the world.


Nashik’s climatic data  

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


Nashik’s location brings the region under the influence of the south-west monsoon between June and October, but with significant variations across the area. The monsoon clouds first hit the hills at Igatpuri, depositing 3,500 millimetres of rain annually, making this western-most point of the Nashik region also its wettest. Farther east and north-east, the annual precipitation significantly decreases, in some areas to barely above 500 mm. The north-east monsoon, between October and December, has hardly any impact on Nashik other than scattered showers. The monsoon rains determine the timing of the pre-growing-season pruning and the degree of danger from diseases such as mildew in the vineyards, apart from impacting the underground water table and water reserves.

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