A trip to the subcontinent's answer to Napa Valley. 
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Complete this list of major wine producing countries: France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Chile, Argentina.. Hands up anyone who said India? The subcontinent may still be more renowned for its cuisine than its vintage wine but Roberto Giussani's feature shows that Indian wine is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Just four hours north-east of the teeming metropolis of Mumbai you enter the district of Nashik. This is wine country - an oasis of calm and luxury amidst the maelstrom of contemporary India. Although grapes have traditionally been grown in the region, it was only in the early 1990s that thought was given to producing wine. In 1997 Rajeev Samant and Californian Kerry Damskey planted the first Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc grapes on Indian soil. The gentle slopes, clay soil and coastal climate proved ideal and in 2000 the first Sula wines were released to wide acclaim. Fuelled by a domestic market that is growing at an annual 25% as wine becomes the drink of choice for young urban professionals and Bollywood stars, Sula Vineyards has grown into a major enterprise bringing significant economic benefits to the region. In addition to the wines, Sula runs a wine-themed resort and spa, offers Indian and Italian cuisine in two on-site restaurants, tasting sessions in the vineyard's own bar and hosts the annual SulaFest - a celebration of music, wine and good food that attracts Mumbai's bright young things every February. Indian wines are now being exported to the US, Europe and Australia so it won't be long before Sula Zinfandel and Sauvignon line up alongside Cobra and Kingfisher to accompany your Saturday night biryani.
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