Whether you enjoy the luscious mouthfeel of a barolo or prefer the intense sip of a cabernet sauvignon – there are a host of different vino options out there to choose from. For the most luxurious experience, however, take a peek at our guide to the best wine brands in India and the price points of their most coveted bottles. By Eshita Srinivas
For connoisseurs of wine, unwinding with a glass of something rich and layered is a time-honoured tradition. And with a host of studies verifying their antioxidant qualities, it’s safe to say that vinos are a healthy choice of poison. That said, picking the right one for your everyday sip can go from being exciting to overwhelming in under a few minutes.
In fact, pop by a liquor store and you’re bound to be flooded with a range of options, each offering a little something different based on their ageing process and region of origin. Some come with an acidic and spicy hit while others are delightfully light and bubbly. And the key to picking the perfect one for your home bar is to look at brands that are the best in the business. If you’ve yet to experience the opulent pleasure of tasting the finest grapes from across the world, take cues from our guide to the best brands of wines in India, complete with price list notes on their bestselling expressions.
Best wine brands in India: Elegant options and premium price lists
Tenuta San Guido
Sassicaia Bolgheri
When it comes to wines, you can’t do better than a bottle of the finest Italian elixir. Especially if that happens to come from Tenuta San Guido, a 2,500 hectare estate in Tuscany. Known as the first winery to produce a libation made with cabernet sauvignon in the 40s, the brand laid the basis for the ‘Bolgheri’ style of wines, which often also include merlots, perit verdots, and sangioves.
Naturally, their most prestigious and iconic offering is the Sassicaia Bolgheri, a ruby-hued option that has the aroma of cedar, wild berry, menthol, and fragrant blue flowers. Every sip features notes of coffee, licorice, and orange zest and the wine is balanced with a bright acidity. A fusion of 85 percent carbernet sauvignon and 15 percent cabernet franc, the vino is highly revered in wine circles, with a long list of admirers that includes the likes of Rihanna and David Beckham.
Price: Rs 34,000 approx. (750 ml)
Vietti
Castiglione Barolo
While we’re on the subject of Italian wines, we’d be remiss not to include this wine producer from Piedmont. Located in the heart of the Langhe hills, which are perched on the village of Catiglione Falletto, the wine cellar here has been around since the 1800s. The brand is most known for its single-estate expressions, particularly barolos.
The Castiglione Barolo is their flagship wine and boasts of a bouquet of flavour notes like vanilla, leather, cherry, strawberry, tobacco, plum, and violets. Aged for two years in Slavoniak oak, there’s an unmissable earthy quality to the wine. With a long, rich finish the elegant wine is a must-have in any collector or connoiseur’s repertoire. The best part? It’s at a remarkable price point for the quality it offers.
Price: Rs 11,600 approx. (750 ml)
Saint Cosme
Chateauneuf du Pape 2019
Held in high esteem around the world, French wines have been known to be some of the most luxurious, stellar investments for years now. In fact, like Italian wines, they are known to be the best in the business. Saint Cosme, located in the Gigondas village of Rhone valley, has been around since 1490.
Leading the wine production game in the region, their most popular expression is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a strong, punchy red that comes with notes of cherry, thyme, lavender, truffle, and olives. A blend of grenache, mourvedre, syrah, and cinsault grapes, it’s as elegant as red wine can get. Long on the finish, with an unmistakable warmth that comes from hints of dried spices and brandied cherries, this vino is a rich option. Best part? The 2019 expression is at its best drinking form from now until 2035.
Price: Rs 9,500 approx. (750 ml)
Dom Perignon
Brut Rose
We’re continuing our tryst with French wines with this iconic brand that’s known for its vintage bubbly wines. Interestingly, it’s named after a French Benedictine Monk who came from the Champagne region of France and was credited with creating wine corks and discovering a secondary fermentation process that added bubbles to wine. Besides, it’s also James Bond’s most cherished alcoholic brand.
You can hence, bank on tasting the stars, with their popular vintage offering Brut Rose, which comes with notes of tobacco, honey, licorice, fig, caramel coffee, and chocolate. The first sip is warm and sweet, marked by hints of vanilla, rose, and fruit. Full-bodied in nature, you might also spot notes of raspberries and wild strawberries between sips. Smooth, creamy, and toasty, this just so happens to be the best time to drink the wine (until 2036).
Price: Rs 39,000 approx. (750 ml)
Querciabella
Batar
Vegans, this one’s especially for you. Located in Tuscany, Querciabella has a 100 percent plant-based approach to the biodynamics of wine production and forbids the use of any animal products on its vineyards. Leading from the front is their iconic, elegant white wine Batar, which is a fusion of chardonnay and pinot bianco. Placed right alongside the red wines of the region, this coveted bottle was described by notable journalist and wine writer Hugh Jhonson as a “dream of a white.”
Every sip of this golden-hued libation is reminiscent of acacia flowers, chamomile, yellow peach, yellow plum, passionfruit, fresh pineapple, saffron, cedar, and melon. A balanced mouthfeel and refreshing, long finish make the experience of savouring this elegant white a delight. Pair it with steaks, curries, or pasta with sundried tomato pesto.
Penfolds
Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
Australia might not be the first country to come to mind when it comes to wines, but Penfolds, one of their oldest wineries is known world over for producing some of the finest vinos in the business. Around since 1844, the brand owes its delicious expressions to decades of science and innovation. As such, it’s one of the best wine brands, not just in India but world over.
Their Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is a deep and intense fusion of 53 percent structured cabernet and 47 percent rich shiraz, best had within the decade. First made in 1960, this was the vino that put the brand on the red wine map. On the palate, you’ll discover hints of liquorice, cola, cappuccino, brown sugar, juniper and spices. The faint undertones of cedar are unmissable as well. Polished and refined, with notes of dark chocolate and mocha, this wine was matured for 12 months in American oak, boasting of a delicious mouthfeel that’s worth the investment.
Price: Rs 10,900 approx. (750 ml)
(This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India)
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