Rajeev Samant began Sula Vineyards in 1997. After graduating from Stanford, he returned home to India with winemaking on his mind, turning his attentions to a family-owned plot of 30 acres in Nashik, India’s most important table-grape growing region. The terroir and climate there were, in fact, ideally suited to growing wine grapes, but nobody had really considered the idea as a viable business proposition. Rajeev teamed up with Kerry Damskey, a leading winemaker from California’s Sonoma Valley, and planted the first vines in 1997. Despite a great deal of initial resistance—the wine business in India was practically nonexistent, and getting a winery license was difficult—Rajeev’s distinctly Californian philosophy of a winery open to the public has sparked a wine revolution, leading to an excellent atmosphere of cooperation between the growing number of wineries in the area.

Sula Shiraz - 85% Shiraz and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
The Shiraz came mainly from the areas of around Dindori, which has hills and gentle rolling slopes with light to medium soils with good drainage. These grapes were hand harvested and the yields were controlled. The vines are irrigated by drip irrigation and are trained high on wires using the open U trellis system. Our Shiraz has a deep purple core and a full body with soft, ripe and rounded tannins. It has medium intense aromas of red fruits, cinnamon, blackberries, cacao and spice. This wine is richly structured with lively jammy flavors of red fruits and herbs mixed with pepper and hints of vanilla spice. It finishes in a long length.
Shiraz pairs well with Mexican food and herbaceous Pasta dishes. Also great with Indian dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala.
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Sula Sauvignon Blanc – 100% Sauvignon Blanc
India's first Sauvignon Blanc is a complex and crisp wine with flavors of cut green grass, bell pepper aromas with hints of spice and gooseberries. This bright, pale green-colored wine also has a racy acidity with a wonderful long finish. Most of the grapes come from two different vineyards, with the major share from the one near Dindori, about 50 kilometers away from the estate. This particular vineyard has red soil with lots of gravels and small loose rocks. The other vineyard at the estate has a sandy clay soil. The canopy characteristics at the two vineyards varied only slightly with all vineyards using the open U-trellis system. Aromatic and grassy, New World-style. Floral, crisp and dry with a hint of green peppers and a touch of spice at the finish. Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with spicy Indian food, especially coastal and Southern coconut-based curries and dishes flavored with coriander.
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Sula Chenin Blanc – 100% Chenin Blanc
This is India's first Chenin Blanc. The grapes come from different vineyards with differing soils of clay, sandy clay, fine gravel, and differing microclimates, all within a radius of 50 kilometers from the estate. The vines are pruned in the first week of October. The canopy characteristics varied only slightly between all vineyards. The wine was cold fermented in stainless steel vats and finished in a semi-dry New World style.
Light, fresh and fruity, with mellow flavors.
Chenin Blanc good as an aperitif; pairs well with salads and cuisines that have a hint of sugar and spice, as in Chinese, Southeast Asian and Gujarati dishes.
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