I Went To Sula To Taste Wine — And Left With My Own Blend

Three bottles of wine stand before me — two reds and one white, all unmarked apart from the name of the grape scribbled on them; this isn’t surprising, though, since I’m at a winery. But standing before me are also glass beakers, flasks, measuring cylinders, and even a pipette. Why would I need these? The mystery is solved when Sula Vineyards’ senior winemaker, Rupali Bhatnagar, tells us that we are going to make our own wine blend. A few years ago, I tried a similar exercise at a winery in The Barossa, South Australia. This time around, I’m part of a team, and we are competing against other wine enthusiasts at the annual Monsoon Tasting getaway at Sula Vineyards. 

Our motley group of five gets to work and starts measuring out the three wines: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier, in different proportions. The only restriction is that we cannot use more than 10% of the Viognier in our red blend (since we don’t want a too-sweet wine). The Shiraz is full-bodied and fruit-forward, and the Cab Sauv displays its typical herbaceous notes. While the latter is often referred to as the ‘king of grapes’ due to its popularity and versatility, our group unanimously prefers a slightly Shiraz-forward blend. What we finally offer Bhatnagar and the other judges is a combination of 50% Shiraz, 40% Cab Sauv, and 10% Viognier. And it proves to be the perfect mix since our group is declared the winner — and we each get a bottle of our own blended wine to bring home!

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Sula is Asia’s most visited vineyard, with over 4 lakh visitors already in 2025. Indeed, the Nashik vineyard is buzzing with people even on my mid-week visit. I stay at The Source at Sula, the heritage winery resort designed in California's distinct Spanish Revival style with 66 rooms, including several charming treehouses. I'm in a vineyard treehouse, which comes with a four-poster canopy bed, hardwood floors, and a cosy sit-out with endless views of rolling vineyards, the backwaters of Gangapur Lake, and the Sahyadri hills in the distance.

After check-in and a light lunch, the Monsoon Tasting experience begins with a short film on Sula’s pioneering journey of wine-making and wine tourism in India. Later, the other participants and I get an in-depth winery tour led by winemaker Rahul More, who explains the wine-making journey from grape to glass. Of course, we taste a few wines, but straight from the steel tanks. It’s an interesting experience to see how wine evolves over time into the final product we get in a bottle. And that’s exactly what we try next! At Beyond by Sula, the winery’s chic resort (a short drive from the vineyards), Bhatnagar gives us a taste of five wines from The Source series. I particularly enjoy The Source Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, a crisp, zesty white with tropical notes (which was the silver medallist at Decanter World Wine Awards 2025), and The Source Cabernet Sauvignon, a smooth red bursting with cherry, plum, and chocolate notes. But my favourite from the series is The Source Grenache Rosé, a fruity and elegant Provence-style rosé, which won a gold at the India Wine Awards 2022. 

The evening revelry at the Starlight Terrace, underneath a canopy of fairy lights, is kicked off by Rajeev Samant, CEO and founder of Sula Vineyards. After raising a glass to Sula’s 25 years, he takes us through a tasting of some of his favourite wines, including the Sula Tropicale Rosé, a multiple award-winning sparkling wine with tropical fruit and berry notes. We also try the Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon, a luxurious flagship red and the first Indian wine to win a gold at the Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2024. 

The Big Reveal

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The surprise of the evening is the launch of Sula Muscat Blanc, India’s first still Muscat, which is the lowest alcohol wine (just 7.5% ABV) in Sula's portfolio. “The launch of Sula Muscat Blanc was driven by a deep understanding of evolving consumer preferences, especially among newer wine drinkers seeking something light, aromatic, and lower in alcohol. Globally, Muscat has emerged as one of the fastest-growing white wine varieties, known for its perfumed character and easy-drinking profile. We saw a clear opportunity to bring this style to India,” says Samant. Made from 100% Muscat grapes, this light-bodied white has bright notes of citrus, lychee, and rose petals. The Sula Muscat Blanc is now available in Maharashtra at an accessible price of Rs. 875 for a 750ml bottle. While it's a vibrant, easy-going wine, it is a tad too sweet for my taste — I will be sticking to my very own, hand-crafted Shiraz-Cab Sauv blend instead.