Nasik, a place near Mumbai known to be a spiritual hub is indeed the wine production area of India. At the beginning of my trip to Nasik, I really thought not to understand much about this city. I quickly found a beautiful guesthouse and went to explore the city after sumptuous lunch. In theory the town is welcoming and offers some historical monuments to ogle at. Nasik is a "holy" city which hosts the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world.
The ghats and that's about all
The city definitely has a charming picturesque but there's nothing to roll over. If I had not seen those in Varanasi, I might have been completely charmed by those massive gathering near the stairs of RamGhat. The Ghat seemed to be an explosion of ambulant colors. Women from top to bottom were dressed very colorfully, and men donned white clothing. The weather in Nashik does not help much. It’s really difficult to motivate yourself as you turn to a bottle of water per hour. I visited some historical temples, but by mid-afternoon it gets really hot in Nasik (like a toaster). Exploring the city solo helps to talk to local people and understand the culture in a better way. After finding a small restaurant that serves tasty rice and vegetables for dinner, I returned quietly to sleep at the hotel. It's a bit sad to say but at the end of the day, I did almost nothing to tell of the afternoon visit.
Discovering Sula Vineyards of Nasik
In the morning with lot of enthusiasm, I took tuk-tuk to tour the famous sula vineyards. The Nasik wine is known in a lot of places in India and around the world. The first stop was at the ownership of Sula Vineyards, the most famous wine in India. The vines were quite impressive and bemused me at the first sight. Each estate members had put laudable efforts to maintain vineyards in a neat manner.
Before tasting wine, I discovered and understood the manufacturing process. A small group was confirmed for the plant tour and we come to the heart of manufacturing area. Our guide distilled some information right from picking the exact amount of grapes, fermentation and preservation of grapes in oak barrels to render pleasant touch.
As often, after a visit to a winery and vineyard, it was time to taste wine. As everyone was excited, we had to cling to the table to keep the kick. After having tasted Sula wine, we moved to understand the next operation. After a good half hour the wine had begun to make some effect. The next visit was still not ready and all glasses had begun to tap my brain. I preferred to make a "tactical retreat" to the hotel. What could be better, than to recline in my room with the wine buzz? Yes, I was not drunk but wine had just made the right effect which made me feel tipsy.
At the end only the first operation seemed really interesting, but I felt it’s not enough to spend a full day. In my opinion, the place is much hyped and overrated. The next day, I took the first bus that leaves Nasik for Pune to return to daily chores. Still, you need to visit Nashik at least once, if not for the historical temples but for the famous Sula vineyards.