Best Indian Red Wines

I wish I had a rupee or maybe 10 for every time someone's asked me to suggest a good Indian red wine. I admit it's a tough find because there is a lot of flunk out there but some wines have been consistently good over the last few years. So here's my go-to list of Indian reds that you should definitely try. Let's begin with the red wine that first put India on the international This one was first made in 97 at the Grover winery in Bangalore and since the Zamba merger it's also been made in Nantucket. La Riza boasts of having international winemaker Michel Roland as consultant and despite the fact that it is beautifully drinkable now it is also a wine that you can safely shell out for another couple of years. Tempranillo is a Spanish grape that The wines show intensity and depth and yet go down really easily. In fact it is probably tougher to stay Tempranillo especially after the second glass. My favourite local expression comes from the Nasik based winery Cherosa which makes a reserve Tempranillo that will give Spain the shiver. Sese is the premium red reserve from the house of Fratelli. Based in Akhloj near Pune, Fratelli really manages to balance its range with affordable yet drinkable wines at one end and this cellar worthy wine at the other. Their winemaker Piero Massi is originally from Chianti et Italy and he decides the blend that makes up this wine depending on the harvest. Only the top 1% of Fratelli's estate grown vineyards goes into this wine. Just like with a chef and restaurant it is always comforting to know that the owner of the winery is also the winemaker. At the family run York winery Nasik, Kailash Trinani churns out some really enjoyable wines. This is his flagship Arroz, a premium red and the 2013 vintage is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. Although the blend is likely to change every vintage depending on the harvest, Kailash always plans to keep this lovely wine complex yet fruity. Based in Hampi hills, Karisma Estates was founded by Uma and Krishna Prasad Chidrupati. This Hyderabad duo interestingly enough has a record for running a marathon in every continent in 7 days and as good as they are with marathons, they are even better with wine. The Karisma Cabernet Sauvignon apart from the usual 750ml bottle also comes in a magnum which is a 1.5 litre bottle. It is the only Indian wine currency to be available in this format and this bottle is great to open at a special occasion or just sell for a few years or I guess if you are really thirsty. The last wine but certainly not the least on this list is an especially friendly one. Vishal Kadakia, the man behind the Importing House Wine Park decided to go local and imagined an easy drinking affordable and quality Indian red with a bit of a cork. With the daily dose, he really hit his mark. A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Sholapur region, this wine is fresh and fruity and luscious and just 10% of it is oak aged but there is slight left on the finish. So there you have it, my picks for the best Indian reds out there. And now to get back to work. Cheers!