So....you think you're a well-travelled wine adventurer? Ever tasted an Indian wine before?? Neither had we, and were we ever surprised with how good this one was.... Tempranillo is the darling of northern Spain, where it reigns supreme over all else. The warm, dark red fruits mixed with a touch of oak and a soft finish are very enticing....and this hits the mark! The palate is full of raspberry and cooked plum, with a hint of strawberry. The oak adds a layer of vanilla and coconut, before soft tannins close things out. Really well balanced with plenty of interest.....Indian wine? Sign me up.

If there’s one ‘new’ wine producing country in the world we’re well and truly excited to explore further, it’s India. Wines from the vast Indian subcontinent might not have made it onto the shelves of every local wine store quite yet, but judging by the produce being released by leading Indian wineries like Charosa, we reckon it’s not long at all before they do. Bright, characterful, complex and wonderfully contradictory, this particular winery encapsulates something of the spirit of India, while remaining true to the principles of fine winemaking in every bottle. Charosa is among a handful of wineries currently exploring the potential of the beautiful Nashik region, which was selected by the first rush of viticultural pioneers due to its similarity to Tuscany, Italy. A gorgeous climate, a stunning landscape of verdant rolling hillsides, and even a handful of crumbling hilltop ruins really do give it more than a passing resemblance to the premier Italian wine region, and Charosa is on a mission to give such Old World centres of viticultural excellence a run for their money. The vintners present the whole operation as a combination of science and art, and are keen to put across their unique approach to making their quality wines - which involves the use of inert gas presses (something we’re seeing more and more of in emerging wine regions worldwide) and open tank fermentation. The technology and innovations may be state-of-the-art and on the cutting edge of winemaking, but the foundations of Charosa’s operation couldn’t be older: this is essentially about using the soil, the climate, and the carefully chosen fruit to result in wines which capture all that makes the landscape unique. What’s more, it’s about expressing a vision which leads to great tasting wine, and which is set to put Nashik, and Indian wine in general, firmly on the international wine scene.