21.02.2020
After sending off the guests from the last Brahmaputra Tour at the Airport in Delhi on 16.02., I flew down to Goa and spent 5 wonderfully relaxed days with my friends Gurli & Jeff in Patnem Beach. That seemed to be becoming a tradition …
And as was a Sunday tradition – I arrived just in time because for once my flight to Goa was on time – we went for lunch to Santosh Beach Restaurant Galgibag. There I had the biggest Crab Santosh had found in the market the day before. Jeff had called ahead and made sure it was waiting for me. Crab Sukha is a favourite of mine and the location is great as well.
The rest of the days I had a massage almost every day and generally did nothing but hanging about, eating and having sundowners on the bungalow porch.
The funniest thing was – on my last Brahmaputra Cruise when we visited the Uluoni Market and the guests were busy buying vegetables, I bought a couple of the really good Assamese Lemons – also known as Nemu Tenga in Assamese – refering to the lemons only cultivated in Assam. These lemons are an important part of Assamese cuisine, contain high level of Vitamin C and are used for preparing refreshing drinks and pickles as well as garnishing curry and other dishes. I totally like the special fragrance of them and bought a couple for Rs 5 each when visiting the market. I brought a big one of them here with the mandatory bottle of Vodka for sundowners. Now, Raju – the bungalow owner – saw us having the sundowners and chatting away – Jeff told him those lemons were from Assam – and Raju immediately asked us to keep the seeds for him so he can grow them here … Unfortunately … there were no seed in it … but it definitely tasted good in the Vodka Tonic …
One day we had taken a public bus to Margao just for the fun of it and I was in heaven – not only because in the restaurants there – away from the beaches – the local gin cost only Rs 35 for a double shot of 6cl! Believe it! Tonic was Rs 80 – but we got out on a road trip and that itself was fun.
The first drink we had at Longuinho’s which had the stuffed history of a 70-year-old eatery and is something of a legend in Margao where locals and tourists alike visit for its old-Irani-café-like ambience. Jeff did not like it, but I thought especially the antique cash register was awesome.
Another day I walked to Chaudi to buy Goan Chashew Nuts for my peeps in Assam. They said not to bring Cashew Feni … I had much fun pulling their legs by sending photos of different Feni bottles.
And one morning Gurli and I walked over to Palolem to have a look. I have a friend who had been there 20 years ago and I took some photos to send her so she could see how it had changed. Guess, back then there were no lifeguards in jeeps along the beach …
So my 6 days in Goa were rather relaxing and fun. As always it was fab to catch up with Jeff & Gurli. And there was much good food involved as well as many gorgeous sunsets and tasty sundowners.
This morning at 04:30 I had left my beach hut in Patnem, though, and taken a taxi to Goa Airport. My Air Asia flight was on time at 07:45. Like already from New Delhi to Goa I had to pay 1 kg excess luggage – I had 16.5 kg and only 15 kg were allowed. Luckily they did not weighed my hand luggage … While I had left a big bag of uniforms and bits and pieces in storage in the hotel in Delhi, I still had a lot and had put most heavy items in my carry on.
Security check was a breeze and in transit I had a big coffee – they had proper machine coffee – while waiting for my flight. I looked around the shops a bit, but did not find anything interesting except some Gin flavoured chocolate. I did not buy it … It would have been cool to taste it, though … I have not found it anywhereelse yet …
My flight was on time and I slept through most of it. I landed in Bengalore Airport at 09:00 and my suitcase came out quickly. Soon enough I was out and lined up in the taxi cue. After a few minutes I got a taxi and once the driver had gotten direction from his boss we were on the way to Nandi Hills. The drive was only about 35 min. I had to pay Rs 90 highways toll and had to direct the driver with google maps, because he was not sure where to go. But it was rather straight forward. I had chosen the Hotel Mount Palazzo for the easy access location. Nevertheless, he charged me Rs 1000 for the ride – apparently it was metered … only I never saw the meter …
I wanted to go to Bengaluru, but not stay in the city. And Nandi Hills was actually closer to the airport than the city. Mount Palazzo was a large hotel complex, check-in was quick and it was no problem to check in as early as 10:15. My room was spacious. I booked a Junior suite for Rs 3350 a night and it even had a couple of windows. They did claim it had mountain views, but I looked onto the drive way. Well, it did have something like a porch out front and I could sit outside writing.
Why I came here was because the state of Karnataka is India’s second largest producer of grapes. Different varieties of the fruit are cultivated here and Nandi Valley is a prominent grape growing region along with Cauvery Valley and Krishna Valley. As such, the state has several vineyards and enjoys a healthy production of high quality grapes every year. The other wine reagion of India is around Nashik in Maharashtra. I would have to go to Mumbai again to visit there. But I had been to Mumbai last year and Bengaluru was a new one for me, so I decided to come here. Bengaluru also has a Hard Rock Café, though.
I had tried to book a Winery Tour with Grover Zampa Vinyards, but for some reason they never answered any e-mails or phone calls or whatsapp and also activities booking on cleartrip did not work even though it showed availabilities. I have another tour booked for tomorrow, however, but wanted to do one today as well since I came here for the wine. Therefore I called Soma Vinyards as well, which is supposed to be very scenic. But they had a wedding today and no tours. And the man said something about local elections and no wine tours until March … Hmm … So I decided to just take a Tuktuk and head for Grover Zampa Vinyards and see if they are open and try my luck. If not, I could always come back and go up Nandi Hill …
Around 12:30 I got going and of course there was no Tuktuk to be found. Karahalli Cross – the junction next to the hotel – was just that – a junction. There were a couple minimarkets and vegetable stalls, but that was it. It had however several bus stops in all directions. Unfortunately, the bus signs were all written in Kannada, the language of the region … but I had already set my mind on a taxi and I had checked – there was Uber service here. So I used my app to order an Uber. Naturally, the driver was rather far away, called on my Indian phone and did not speak much English … But I have learned from experience already and handed the phone to the first hotel employee I saw in the driveway and let him speak to the driver. It took some 15 min until he arrived.
The ride to Grover Zampa Vinyards took approx half an hour and we arrived there just before the afternoon Winery Tour was supposed to start. However, I should have listened to my friend Gurli who had told me to let it go since they had not answered any inquiries … A very unfriendly man at the gate just waved us off without any explanation – Fully booked! – Not even for one person, sir? – No! Go! – Please, sir? – Only advanced booking! – Well, I would have done so if any of you had answered the phone or e-mails! – No! Full! Go! … Very unfriendly … Oh well, I should have known better than to come here. No wine tasting for me today then … I changed the destination on the Uber booking and the driver took me to Nandi Hills instead.
Nandi Hills is an ancient hill fortress built by the Ganga Dynasty and later enlarged and strengthened by Tipu Sultan – also known as the Tiger of Mysore – who lived in the second half of the 18th century, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and a pioneer of rocket artillery. It was rather close to my hotel and I wanted to visit there anyway. In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the Arkavathy River, Ponnaiyar River, Palar River, Papagni and Penna River. There are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Anandagiri meaning The Hill of Happiness. It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hills resemble a sleeping bull. Another theory holds that the hill gets its name from an ancient 1300-year-old Dravidian-style Nandi temple situated on this hill.
There was a road to the top of the approx 1450 m high hill. It was very steep and had some 40 very sharp curves before it reached the entry gate. Since I was not sure how far and steep it went on after the gate, I had to pay Rs 150 for the car parking entrance fee and had the driver drive all the way to the top. I could have walked it, though. But well. When the road leveled out, I had him stop and paid him. That little excursion this afternoon was Rs 900 … plus tips.
While it was really hot in the valley with almost no wind, up there on the hill it was comfortably cooler with a slight breeze. The climate at the top of the hill made it interesting to horticulturists – several species of plant were introduced into an experimental garden. It is now a park like setting. I walked first the cicular road for a bit. There were monkey everywhere. They were Bonnet Macaques – Macaca Radiate – a Macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on 3 sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers along with a related competing species of Rhesus Macaque in the north. The Bonnet Macaque feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, invertebrates and cereals and exists as commensal to humans, feeding on food given by humans and raiding crops and houses. Up here on the hill, they found plenty food – many people came for picnic in the gardens and the monkeys begged and stole whatever they could get.
I came across a troupe of them sitting on a car roof. There were 2 females with brand new babies, They were very protective of them, but I could nevertheless get very close. They look kind of funny since they have somewhat of a name-giving bonnet on their head.
I walked through the garden to Nehru Nilaya, the former summer house of Sir Mark Cubbon, a former Commissioner of Mysore. Nandi Hills was a retreat for British Raj officials during the hot season. Francis Cunningham then built the summer residence here for Sir Mark Cubbon, who, when he was Commissioner of Bangalore made this his summer residence. Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Queen Elizabeth II were among the other dignitaries who enjoyed their stay here. More recently, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the SAARC delegates chose this spot for a retreat after their international deliberations in 1986. Nowadays this bungalow has been converted into a guest house by the Horticulture Department of India.
I skipped looking at the temple located on the top. There were many people here already. Today and tomorrow is Shivaratri Festival and the driver had already told me tomorrow would be mayhem up here. By now it was almost 14:30 and I was ready for lunch. The Mayura Pinetop restaurant was just my style! Next to it was a view point platform with stunning views over the flat valley far below.
The restaurant itself had huge windows with the best views as well. The food was cheap and they had cold Kingfisher Beer! I ordered Veg Noodles and Paneer Butter Masala. I had better … but the view made up for the lack of flavor. And it was quiet there – no monkey, few people only.
After lunch I walked the road downhill with more view points and great visitas over the valley.
I came by the former summer retreat of Tipu Sultan – the Tiger of Mysore. It had become a guesthouse later and was now however dilapidated and in a state of neglect for several decades already. The building was covered with moss and weeds have grown around the structure.
It was a nice cool walk through the jungle like vegetation in this end of the park. More neglected structures were almost overgrown as well.
When I came through the gate I could already see the bus stop from a far. But first I needed a salty lemon soda on a street stall by the parking lot … The busses seemed to go often one after another within a few minutes. I asked a driver if he is going to Karahalli Cross and he said yes. So I got on and found a window seat. The ticket was all of Rs 20. I had a good view of the serpentines of the road.
The ride was only maybe 20 min or so, but it was an interesting one. Coming up in the taxi had not been as exciting and also the view was better from the bus.
I got off by the bus stop close to the hotel at the junction. Back at the hotel I asked at reception how often the busses to Bengaluru were going from here and they told me every half hour or so. That was great, because I could take a bus towards tomorrow’s Winery Tour location and then flag down a Tuktuk for the last 5 km. Rather than shelling out for an Uber again. I just had to get up early. I also ordered a taxi to the airport for Monday morning 05:00. It was only 30 min with no traffic to the Airport and my flight would be at 07:40.
In my room I sat outside on my sort-of porch and did some writing. There was no WIFI in the room, only in the Lobby. And my Indian number had not much reception but if I put the phone in a certain corner, then it worked well.
22.02.2020
This morning I got up early and went to the bus stop around 07:30. With 3 hrs spare until my Winery Tour started, I was sure I would make it by public transport. I waited at the junction with several other people for a long time. There were quite a few busses passing in direction of Nandi Hills, but none turned down my way towards Bengaluru. Hmmmm …
While waiting a couple beautifully decorated bulls were led down the street. I think they walked to the temple. They did look holy with their horn decorations. After all the bull Nandi is Lord Shivas vehicle. And at the moment there was the Maha Shivaratri Festival which is celebrated annually in honour of Lord Shiva.
I watched the other people flagging down motorbikes and cars, but I could not make out a system of how they decided who was worth flagging down. After 1 hr waiting I already had a Plan B to call an Uber, when a bunch of young guys stopped a shared Tuktuk and I hopped on with them. – You go to highway? – Yes, get on!
It was a tied squeeze in the Tuktuk. When I thought it was packed already, another passenger hopped in with us and sat on the back of the driver’s seat. There were people next to the driver on both sides as well and hanging off the back, too …
There would be a better chance to catch a bus at the main highway. When we reached there, I asked for the bus stop and the driver said to stay on. For Rs 50 he dropped everybody at the main bus stop in the town of Devanhalli – a town on the highway near the Airport.
The next available bus I asked if they went to Bengaluru via M:VIT Cross, which was the next stop I had to get off to turn towards the Winery. No problem, most busses were going to Bengaluru from here! I got on and for Rs 28 they dropped me some 35 min later right by the turn off. I had been worried, that it would take longer, but google is not always right in India. It does not know most of the bus times and when it comes to bus schedules it is clueless all together.
After I got off the bus I had to cross the highway and then it was some 4.7 km straight forward to the Winery. I was way to early – if I had taken a Tuktuk I would have been there an hour before the tour. So I decided to walk. It was not a very busy street and I needed the exercise … but it was hot … I found the Kinvah Nandi Valley Winery easily and arrived at 10:15 right in time to have a break in the shady yard before the start. There were already some other people waiting.
Nandi Valley Winery Kinvah Vinyards was situated close to Bengaluru and really well set up for wine tourism. The winery produces a diverse range of wines but is most well known for its flagship Kinvah brand, named after a wine of the Mauryan Era. Just before 10:30 everybody got checked in and a blue wristband was attached, so they knew who paid.
They had a beautiful setting with a huge garden. Welcome drink was Sangria and they said strait away – It is unlimited! You just help yourself! – Do not mind if I do!
I found a shady spot under some vines. The table was fashioned out of a half wine barrel. Everything was beautifully decorated. I was – of course – the only foreigner today. There were many young people and also some families with children. What those did at a Winery Tour, I was not sure, but well … They did have some games to play and some of the guys got into Badminton.
The waiter with the Sangria made his steady rounds and even though I did not wave him over, he always came by and filled my glass up again. Maybe it is written on my forehead? – Bring me more wine!? … It was a bliss to drink wine again after a long time of being in India – usually I drink cold Kingfisher Beer against the thirst or Old Monk Rum, because wine is just too expensive …
There was also a barbeque and they served starters. I took the non-veg. It was barbequed chicken with mint-coriander sauce and it was very spicy. But it was also very tasty, I have to say.
The only thing a tiny bit annoying was the blasting Bollywood music. It was a touch to loud for this beautiful Saturday morning. But well, I guess that is normal here. And I did not want to be like my guests … not that I would ever complain about something like that, though. Not in India. They like their Bollywood music and they like it loud!
They had the garden beautifully decorated and there was this flowering tree which I was not sure what it was. It kind of looked like a red Passion Flower. And it really was Passiflora Vitifolia – Grape Leaved Passion Fruit or Crimson Passion Flower which originated in Central America!
I had never seen it before. The leaves were serrate, 3-lobed and resembling grape leaves – giving this passionflower its specific name – vitifolia – meaning grape leave after the Latin for grape vitis. The flowers were bright red. There were no fruits, but apparently they have some that taste somewhat like sour strawberries.
At 11:15 the tour started. They made us assemble in the garden and then everybody had to introduce themselves on the microphone … Really? Damn … But it was over quickly and the guide took the group around to the production hall. We did not see any actual vineyards unfortunately, but just a few rows of vines planted to show the visitors. Also it seemed to be no wine season. There were no grapes anymore or yet. I only found one in the garden. One of the shade vines had a few grapes on it.
The guide Mr. Shashidhar was actually very good. But his English was extremely accented and he spoke very fast. I have to admit … even though I kind of knew what he was talking about, because I had been on a wine tour or two … or three … or some more in various places … I only understood half of what he said.
The production hall was very well set up as any other winery I had visited in France or Germany or Argentina or South Africa. The Viticulture in India has a long history dating back to the time of the Indus Valley civilization when grapevines were believed to have been introduced from Persia. Winemaking has existed throughout most of India’s history but was particularly encouraged during the time of the Portuguese and British colonization of the subcontinent. The end of the 19th century saw the phylloxera louse take its toll on the Indian wine industry followed by religious and public opinion moving towards prohibition. Following the country’s independence from the British Empire, the government encouraged vineyards to convert to table grape and raisin production. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, a revival in the Indian wine industry took place as international influences and the growing middle class started increasing demand for the beverage. By the turn of the 21st century, demand was increasing at a rate of 20-30% a year. The city of Nashik in the state of Maharashtra is called the Wine Capital of India – I have yet to visit that one! One day!
History of Grape Cultivation in Karnataka and – the initiation of grape cultivation in the state – can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad brought the fruity variety and introduced it in the northern districts of the state. Later – in the 19th century – the Christian missionaries popularized it in the southern districts as well. Due to the favorable agro-climatic conditions it yielded good results and the cultivation of the fruit flourished.
Karnataka has today around 9700 ha of land under grape cultivation. The state government is extending various kinds of support for the establishment of new wineries and the production of grape-wine in the state. They want to produce high quality wine that can be exported to the international market.
Southern India is home to several indigenous table grape varieties that can also be used in wine production. Popular non-native grapes include the Bangalore Blue and Gulabi Black Muscat. The Turkish grape Sultana is the most widely planted grape in India and covers more than half of the 60,000 ha planted in the country. In addition the imported varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc and Clairette Blanche have been establish as well as Shiraz and Merlot amongst others. Grape is an intensive crop. It requires a lot of effort, hard work and investment to produce high quality. The government is encouraging traditional farmers to switch over to cultivation of grapes and reap high returns. Even entrepreneurs and foreign wine-makers are being encouraged to set up wine processing units across the state.
The summer growing season in India tends to be very hot and prone to monsoons. Many of India’s wine regions also fall within the tropical climate band. Vineyards are often planted at higher altitudes along slopes and hillsides to benefit from cooler air and some protection from wind. The altitude of the vineyards typically range from around 200 m in Karnataka, 300 m in Maharashtra, 800 m along the slopes of the Sahyadri to 1000 m in Kashmir.
Wine grapes are grown once a year. The guide explained that they could actually harvest twice, but after monsoon season they cut the wine flowers, so the vine does not bear fruits, because they would be of lesser quality. Harvest normally takes place in February and is usually done by hand. Unfortunately I did not see any wine harvest anywhere around the valley. I think, it might have been finished already, because I also did not see any grapes on the vines either … I am not sure and to be honest, I forgot to ask. So in India they have to prune the grape vines twice annually – once after the harvest and again in September to prepare for the harvest 120 to 150 days later. This is as the vine continues to grow all year round here, unlike in the colder climates of the classical wine-producing countries, where grapevines become dormant during their winters. Of course, in actual practice some vineyards here may prune early and so harvest as early as January, while others may postpone this till even May.
All grapes are still harvested by hand in India. This is because no vineyard is apparently geared for machine-harvesting, because the vineyards here are small and manual wages still low. This is in sharp contrast to the practice overseas, where only the most expensive wines are made from hand-harvested grapes.
Today the state has a number of wineries that produce excellent quality wines. Several new wineries are coming up with latest technology and machineries to produce wine that can be exported to the international market. The Karnataka Grape processing and Wine Policy 2007 is making the process of establishing new wineries a hassle-free matter. According to statistics, there are 17 wineries in Karnataka at the moment.
Here at the Kinvah Winery they did not have wine cellars. They had show rooms for the visitors – an Oak Barrel Room and also one where they had set up the Sparkling Wine production. I asked if they do have cellars, but they said no. They use regular rooms and regulate the climate in them accordingly.
After the tour we returned to the Taverna by the garden and settled in for the wine tasting. I was lucky to find a seat in the front and next to some couples from Bengalore who were actually interested as well. There were a lot of others that were just here for the booze and made too much noise.
We tasted 2 white wines and 3 red wines. The guide Mr. Shashidhar was a riot here, too. He got really into the tasting-and-getting-the-flavours-out-thing. The first wine was a white Kinvah Sauvignon-Chenin Blanc. It was not bad for my liking, but I had better.
Before we could taste it, though, we had to go through the process of smelling and identifying flavours. Swirl the glass and smell, then swirl more and smell. There is a certain technique to do it, that Mr. Shashidhar wanted us to perfect.
The second white wine was a Kinvah Sauvignon Blanc. It was not bad either, I have to say. I would have bought a bottle of that one to take home, but unfortunately they did not have it in their shop afterwards.
There was much more swirling in the glass to be done before the actual tasting as well. I am not sure, but I did not smell all those aromas he told us there would be. But then again, I am more for drinking the wine anyway.
When the first red came along – a Kinvah Manthan – the guy next to me and I got into that swirling before the presentation started and I actually detected black currant and he thought he smelled banana. And what can I say? We were right! Those were the first 2 aromas the guide pointed out. This wine is actually a Cuvée made of 4 different red grape varieties. I am not a red wine person, but that one I liked.
Before we could taste the 2nd red wine – a Kinvah Shiraz – Mr. Shashidhar demonstrated us his very own tasting method. Of course, he used water for demonstration purposes. It was hilarious. Where did he come up with that method? I do not know and I had never seen it before.
The Kinvah Shiraz had a deep colour with an aroma of dark fruits again – apparently – which added an interesting note to the zesty taste of this wine, he said. And there were supposed to be aromas of smoke and tobacco …
He made us practice this tasting method a couple of times and watched that we did it correctly. I think I tasted the smoke afterwards … or maybe I just said it to satisfy him …
The final wine we tasted was a Kinvah Reserva – again blended out of several grape varieties and apparently the only one we tasted which was aged in oak barrels. It was indeed a very rich red wine.
At the end of the tasting only a few hard core people were left – everybody else had already moved to the lunch buffet. That was also included and it was a good buffet, too. I helped myself to a big plate of food and sat in the cool inside with a family from Bangalore.
Sangria was still on unlimited offer – I had a couple of glasses more for the road, before I left around 14:15. But not before I had bought a bottle of Kinvah Manthan in their shop – unfortunately they did not have any white wine for sale. But well, that bottle is just going to sit in my souvenir wine shelf at home along with all the other bottles of wine I carried home from farflung corners of the world.
I decided to walk the few minutes from the winery to the main road and then flag down a Tuktuk to get to the highway. But I was lucky – a guy with a car stopped – he was from Kinvah and was going to the city. He gave me a lift to the bus stop at the highway. Thank you very much, sir! … It was way too hot in the afternoon to walk those 5 km again.
At the bus stop I did not have to wait longer than a few minutes for a bus. Several Airport busses passed, but then the next one was going to Devanhalli, the town where I caught the bus this morning. It was Rs 30 and the bus was not too full, so I had a seat. I got off at the terminus and asked around for a bus to Chickballapur – the next bigger town north of Nandi Hills. I had decided to go there and then catch a bus south again to my hotel rather that hoping for a lift along that stretch from the highway to Karahalli Cross. There was a bus right there waiting and I got on straight away. It was a cinema bus – an old Bollywood movie was playing on several TV screens and the sound was … loud … Well, I had a seat and it was Rs 20 to Chickballapur.
Reaching there I had to walk a couple of blocks to the state bus stand around the corner. The first bus I came by there was already going to Nandi and I got on. The bus passed many vineyards on the way.
While on the bus I had decided to stop at Bhoga Nandishwara Temple. It was supposed to be one of the must-see temples in the area. I might as well have stopped there since I passed it by bus anyway. In fact, the bus stopped there … I remembered the Uber driver yesterday telling me, that today would be the big festival and many people would come to the temple on Nandi Hills. Now, here it was no different … The village road was blocked with a fair ground and stalls selling everything you can think of. The bus terminated at the main parking lot outside of town and I would have to walk through town anyway to catch another bus for the rest of the way to the hotel on the other side. Now I knew why there had not been a bus to Bengaluru from my junction this morning … Now I had no other option than to dive into the festival activities as well … but that is another story …
