Karnataka is the second largest producer of wine in our country after Nashik in Maharashtra. With the rapid growing wine culture and tourism, the vineyards in Karnataka have seen massive footfall over the past few years. These vineyards are usually located on the outskirts of Bengaluru and are perfect for a weekend day out. The vineyards are not only known for their varied selection of wines, but also for their wide landscapes and the estate they are located in.
Bengaluru’s climate and soil conditions make it a perfect combination to farm wine grapes. Considering this, various companies have set up wine estates around the city and opened their gates to wine lovers. The wine estates are open to people who want to roam around the estate, do some wine tasting and learn how the wines are prepared.
So, if you are tired of the 9-5 routine throughout the week, a trip to your nearest wine estate is where you should head to kick back and relax with a glass of red, white, or bubbly. A serene weekend getaway to the beautiful vineyards is exactly what you need.
Here are some of the vineyards and wineries in Bengaluru that you must visit:
1. Grover Zampa Vineyards
The idea to open a vineyard first in Bengaluru was a Mumbai-based businessman named Kanwal Grover. He wanted to start the finest, good-quality Indian wines which led him to first use an optical sorting machine to choose the best grapes for wine fermentation.
The wine estate is spread over a huge 81 hectares of land and has 5 range of wines that you can taste. They offer a buffet lunch spread and a peek inside their wine-making process that you can experience on your weekend getaway. They also suggest and teach you about wine pairings along with a detailed wine tasting session. So, if you are looking to visit the oldest wine farm, this is it.
Location: Devanahalli Road, Doddaballapur, Near Nandi Hills
Timings: 9am to 5pm
Price: Rs 850 on weekdays and Rs 1000 on weekends
2. The Big Banyan Vineyard
From the oldest to the newest, Big Banyan vineyards first opened its wine farm in Goa and expanded to Bengaluru in 2016. The vineyard is situated near a 400-year-old Banyan tree, also known as doddaalada mara by the locals. Their vineyards are located over a hectare of land with a picturesque backdrop where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset while enjoying a glass of bubbly.
If you want to taste some authentic Bengaluru wine, this vineyard has it all. They offer a wine tasting of six varieties of their wines with 10 different types of cheese. From March to May, they also offer their visitors a chance to hand-pick grapes for the wines. This place is apt for a short getaway.
Location: Chunchanakuppe Village, Tavarakere
Timings: 11.30am-5pm (Closed on Sundays)
Price: Rs 800 plus taxes
3. Kadu Winery
Kadu Winery was renamed Heritage Winery. Kadu means wild in Kannada and aptly suits the location and experience of the vineyard. This vineyard is the only one on the list that gives back a portion of its proceeds towards Tiger conservation.
It is spread over 9 acres of land and offers a tour of the wine estate, wine tasting and wine preparation sessions for an additional INR 500 per person you can also take part in a wine stomping session.
This is the fourth unit of vineyard opened in Karnataka by the leading winemakers Sula Vineyards. It also has a restaurant Epulo, where you can wine and dine away in glory.
Location: Chekkere Post, Bangalore – Malur Road
Timings: 10.30am-5.30pm
Price: Rs 500 onwards and no charges for kids below 10 years
4. Kinvah Vineyards aka Nandi Valley Vineyards
This wine farm is spread across 250 acres of land near Bengaluru airport. It has two batches and have premium activities included. They offer a fancy welcome drink, 6-7 varieties of wine tasting, a visit to their winery where you can see the process of making the wine, grape stomping, and a delicious lunch. The duration of the tour is about 3 hours.
In this tour, you will be seeing the process of handpicking grapes for fermentation, making the wine for packaging, and bottling the wine. Its location and its extensive wine tour is the reason you must visit this winery in Bengaluru.
Location: Between Yelahanka and the airport.
Timings: 1st batch at 10.30am; 2nd batch at 1.30pm
Price: Rs 1795 for adults and Rs 900 for kids (10-17 years)
5. SDU Winery
The first female entrepreneur-run winery was set up by Ms ShambhaviHingorani in Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka. This wine boutique has a total of two wineries spread across 50 acres of land, one at ID Halli and another at TG Halli.
This vineyard has state-of-the-art machinery brought from Italy and has a perfect combination of a simplistic yet modern approach to the art of winemaking. Their method of making their wines matches the international standards of winemaking.
You can visit them for a wine tour and sip on their 6 selected variety of wines while looking at the Makali Hills that surround the vineyard. You can also participate in cake mixing sessions, or have a scrumptious lunch while sipping on some of their own Deva wines that they manufacture in their vineyard.
Location: Alkpura Village, Chikkaballarpur District, 73 km from MG Road Bengaluru
If you are a wine enthusiast or want to take some time off to relax on the weekends and be pampered- these are some of the finest wineries in Bengaluru that you must keep on your list of places to visit!