Deva Wines by SDU Winery, Bangalore

I love weekends; for it is that time of the week when I can sleep long hours, laze around, and spend time with my family and friends. However, a fortnight ago, my 5 days a week job spilled over the weekend, meaning no break. At that point, I didn’t miss the weekend and was all geared up for the new work week to begin. It was just the second day of the week when the long work hours had my system wanting the weekend to arrive. 

A little ahead in the same week, I could no longer wait for the weekend to arrive. Why?

Your first guess might be – ‘To sleep’

“NO”

“Then for what?”

I was excited to visit India’s first boutique winery that has been set up in the Nandi Valley Appellation. Yes, I received an invite for a winery tour to go through the wine making process, wine tasting, food, and again a lot of wine. It definitely was going to be a fun and educative day at SDU Winery.

At SDU winery, we tasted and savored various wines from the ‘Deva’ portfolio. Yes! ‘Deva’ meaning ‘Divine’ is the first brand of wines from SDU winery.

We took our seats around the table and in no time were joined back by Mohit Nischol, the wine expert and business head at SDU. Mohit kicked off the wine tasting session with a brief introduction about their Wine Maker ‘Andrea Valentinuzzi’ and how their focus was to deliver wines that are very easy on the palate.  

In the next 3 hours or so, we savored:

- A well balanced and but to be launched white wine ‘Deva Chardonnay’;

- Recently launched – the fruity and fragrant Vintage 2012 - ‘Deva Syrah’ and ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’, and

- The wonderfully blended Vintage2013 - ‘Deva Syrah’ and ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’ which is yet on its way to completion and launch.

I must admit that I am no wine expert and speaking on this note - None of the wines left me feeling uneasy or pungent in my mouth; which is how I assume a lot of us feel when we drink some specific wines. I loved these because they actually were so enjoyable and easy to drink.

Here is a little analysis from me on the tasting notes for the wines I consumed on this day:

A lovely, well-balanced ‘Deva Chardonnay’ – dry, medium bodied, mouth-watering and fruity white wine was first served to us. Once consumed, this wine leaves a nice lingering taste on the palate. This wine is yet to be bottled and launched in the market. I now eagerly wait for October which is when the white wine ‘Deva Chardonnay’ is expected to arrive at retail stores in Bangalore.

What followed was more wine tasting. This time around it was the turn of 2 red wines that have already been launched in the market a couple of months ago. They are vintage 2012 ‘Deva Syrah’ and ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’. Both these wines like Chardonnay are very easy on the palate.

‘Deva Syrah’ is a light red, fruity, medium bodied dry wine with a hint of spice notes. ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’ is a dark red, dry, good bodied wine with nice fruity notes and evident notes of spice. I enjoyed the fruitiness of the Syrah and the lingering taste left behind by the ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’. Ask me to pick one and it will be the ‘Deva Cabernet Sauvignon’ for the tannins in it leave a velvety feel.

These wines were enjoyed in the company of a lovely spread of bite sized snacks which included various cold cuts, breads, cheese board and accompaniments. This was a lot, but it really whet my appetite for a wonderful lunch that was being set up.

The wines we enjoyed on our last leg were again 2 red wines, vintage 2013 blended Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon which were very easy and enjoyable on the palate. Like the Chardonnay, these wines are on their way to completion and will be in the market soon.

There are more wines, both red and white which are currently being aged in the French Oak barrels that inherits flavors like vanilla, spices and more. I got to smell the red wine which was heavenly but didn’t get to try it yet. Mohit said, “Being a wine thief would really upset and piss off wine maker Andrea.”

Food is something I can’t resist posting about. So here is a sneak-peek at a scrumptious lunch.

What made my day incredible were not just the lovely wines and the food but also a world of knowledge that I gained all through the day. By the end of the day, I not only fell in love with Deva Wines but also with:

- The dynamics of wine tasting, and

- Wine making process.

I promise to write and share with you about each of the above points in the future posts to come.

A Quick Summary

I am so impressed by these wines that I have to mention again, “Deva wines are really easy drinking wines and I believe each one of you; whether first-timers or wine experts (and everyone in between) will really enjoy these wines.” 

Go to your nearest retail outlet and try it out for yourself. Red wines syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are priced reasonably at Rs. 275 and Rs 325 for the 350 ml bottle and at Rs. 500 and Rs. 600 for the 750 ml bottle. Believe me, they definitely are worth a try.

Deva Chardonnay, the white wine is expected to launch in October. Though I’m more of a red wine person, I await October which is when I can get my hands on this lovely well balanced white wine.

This is not all, Deva Reserve (both red and white) – premium wines are expected to hit the market too early next year. Yes, if you read a little above; these are the very same wines that are currently being aged in the French oak barrels.

Watch out for this space for more updates. For now, I’ll leave you’ll with a picture of the wines being aged in the French oak barrels.

Are you thinking of being a ‘Wine Thief’ too?