“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.”
? Paulo Coelho, Brida
Wine is made to drink, and enjoy. The important thing about wine tasting or to be a true lover of wine is to be prepared to concentrate and revel in all its glory of taste, texture, and essence. A great accompainment for some of the finest cuisines, wine also can be nursed as an any time drink, to suit every mood.
Image credit: Nicolas Mirguet
Bangalore with its global appeal has taken on the wine culture with absolute panache. Gaining world repute of serving superior quality wine, the city now serves most of the favoured drink in its restaurants. The city also boast of vineyards that are usually located within a short driving distance and offers pleasant and ecstatic wine tours in Bangalore.
[If wine tasting is not for you, find out more about our other activities and tours]
Here are the top 10 places in Bangalore:
1. Bangalore Wine Club
Coming into existence as what started off as wine evenings among friends, today the Bangalore Wine Club is an eclectic group of wine lovers. As many flavours of the wine, so are the members ranging from professionals of the wine trade, hospitality and F&B professionals, corporate executives to wine aficionados and new wine enthusiasts.
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A pampered lot, enjoying several privileges such as dining and hospitality at partner establishments, they are bonded over the common love for wine. Members learn wine appreciation, art of wine making and are exposed to finer nuances of food that is best paired with a glass of wine.
2. Toscano Restaurant, Orion Mall
This fine dining restaurant has climbed the charts of every foodie who has lived in Bangalore. Combining the old world charm of Italian cuisine with new gen richness to serve an eclectic gourmet menu, Toscano Restaurant & Wine Bar offers an intimate yet vibrant atmosphere. Its lip smacking food goes best with an extensive range of Italian wines from their very own wine cabinet, playing soul mate to a delicious spread. Serving over 32 varieties of wines, the restaurant can easily spoil you with its blissful range of wines. Though a restaurant, Toscano is a great place to have a quick wine tour within Bangalore. Drop in here after a heady dose of shopping at the stylish Orion Mall.
[Can't find the right food to pair your wine with? Check out our food and wine tours]
3. Caperberry Restaurant, MG Road
Located in the heart of Bangalore’s high fashion arcade – UB City, Caperberry is an awesome destination to thoroughly enjoy an impeccable meal. As fine dine format, its creative menu and carefully selected Spanish wine list are highlights that blend perfect with warm hospitality and spot on service levels. This place is a temple of culinary artistry and science. Be prepared to embark on a journey that touches your sensory chords for wines. A great place with sauve ambience to celebrate any occasion, Caperberry is a gastronomical delight.
4. Olive Beach Restaurant, Castle Street
An ode to fine living in Bangalore, Olive Beach Restaurant is located in the quieter inside lanes; couple blocks from the very busy Vellara Junction. An old villa transformed to lure into a fabulous Mediterranean dining paradise, Olive truly celebrates life with all its richness. A menu integrating dishes from the Mediterranean coastline with a long list of elegant, aromatic and collection of rich wines from different corners of the world makes this a calming place to unwind and relax right in the city’s centre. An ideal setting for a mini wine tour in Bangalore, Olive serves champagne, bubbles, sparkling, red and white wines that are exquisitely collected from all over the world.
[Look up other activites and tours we offer in Bangalore]
5. Myra Vineyards, Victoria Road, Bangalore
A wine tour within Bangalore city limits? Yes…at the Myra Vineyards, you can enjoy a splendid and pleasurable wine tour within the city! This entrepreneurial start-up by an investment banker is just over 3 years and promises to be taking wine appreciation beyond their usual expectations. Myra Wines is all about the heart, appealing to the connoisseur and not intimidating the novice. Offering both red and white wines, Myra specialises in stylised wines in regular and vintage modes, which will make your wine drinking experience come alive.
[For more information, get in touch with us]
6. Nandi Valley Winery, Yelahanka (18km)
An easy drive out of the daily routine of the city-life will take you to Nandi Valley Winery. Offering some of the choicest of exquisite wines, this city based winery also offers wine tours for the discerning wine lover. There are inns set up on site at the vineyard which not only doubles up the fondness for wines, but also add more delight with its tantalizing food options. They also run wine education classes for introducing more people to the finer aspects of wine making and tasting. Try The Fizzo, a sparkling wine, whose bubbly nature and lemony taste makes it an ideal refreshment. The range of white and red wines catches the fancy of even a global connoisseur. Are you headed for this wine tour in Bangalore anytime soon?
7. Grover Vineyards, Nandi Hills (52kms)
One of the first vineyards to open its gates for wine tours in Bangalore, Grover Vineyards is an established brand with a phenomenal collection of wines available worldover. Situated in the scenic settings of Nandi Hills, this vineyard gives the perfect first hand initiation experience into the fine world of wine. Spread over 400acres, the tour takes you on a journey from grapes to bottles. Spend quality time at the winery, get to know about crushing, filtering, processing and packaging. Visit the barrel room where real, imported oak barrels are full of La Réserve. Set amidst lovely ambience is the tasting setup, where you can taste five different varieties of wine over an hour and a half whilst listening to relaxing music in the air conditioned cellar; the tour ends with a delightful lunch.
[Find out more about our tour of Grover Vineyards at Nandhi Hills]
8. Heritage Vineyards, Channapatna (70km)
Image credit: Bharathesh M.M
How about a poetry in a bottle? Head out of Bangalore towards ‘toy city’, Channapatna which is also the home to India’s delightful wine brand, Heritage Vineyards. A name that has popularised wine tourism, at the vineyard you will experience magic with wine, gain knowledge on wine making, tasting and savouring wine along with other processes involved. An ideal, quick and easy getaway, this wine tour in Bangalore takes you on a tour of the winery and unfolds the art of wine making in its sprawling vineyards that are pitched within a picturesque setting of rural Channapatna. The tour also lands at the Tasting Room, where guides will teach you how to recognise a good wine, the knack of swirling, the style to sniff and finally take a sip. Conducted all through the year, these tours are also laced with various food pairing packages that will enchant your day with different flavours.
9. SDU Vineyards, I D Halli (120km)
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Enjoy a passionate experience that involves wine making at the beautiful vineyards of SDU Winery at ID Halli. Located in Madhugiri district, on a wine tour to this vineyard, you can discover ‘Deva’, a brand of wine crafted from carefully tended vineyards. Renowned for cultivating incredibly concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon, SDU is one of the primary source for the Deva Cabernet Sauvignon. Imagine sipping wine at this exotic hill side location? This is made possible only on a wine tour in Bangalore.
10. Alpine Vineyards, Mysore (140km)
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Tailor made wine tours at Alpine Wineries is an unforgettable experience. Surrounded by gentle caress of hills and unspoiled nature with River Cauvery ebbing beside, this vineyard along the Bangalore Mysore Highway is a dream land. It is best experienced with an overnight stay, as the vineyard comes with restaurant and other attractive facilities. While here, learn the art and science of wine making, savour exotic blends, participate in exclusive wine tasting and food pairing sessions and much more. Getting away from your busy city life cannot be more refreshing than to get indulged on this wine tour.
