Cabernet Sauvignon Of Sula Vineyards Wins Contest

India-West News Desk

MUMBAI – RASA Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, the flagship label of the Nashik-based Sula Vineyards, has become the first-ever Indian wine produced from this revered category of grapes to win a gold medal at the prestigious Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2024.

The red wine was rated along with an array of other Cabernet Sauvignons priced under £30. As reported on the website of the competition organizer, the UK-based ‘Drinks Business’ magazine, gold medals were awarded to “a number of vibrantly fruity, gently oaked, well-balanced wines”.

Among the winners from the wines, which, like the rest, were judged at a blind tasting by an independent jury comprising experts from all over the world, ‘Drinks Business’ highlights Kenwood Vineyards for its Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma in California (“unusually inexpensive at £27”) and Sula Vineyards’ RASA Cabernet Sauvignon (“at the more modestly priced £17.99”).

The award won by RASA marks the first time an Indian wine has received a gold medal at the Global Masters Awards in any category.

Interestingly, India’s slowly maturing wine industry is still not known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape variety that is famously the backbone of the top wines of Bordeaux, France. The gold medal for RASA, though, will make the world look at Indian Cabernet Sauvignons with greater interest.

Sula was founded by Rajeev Samant in 1999. An alumnus of Stanford University, he worked at Oracle Corporation in California after graduation. After quitting his corporate job, Samant established Sula upon his return to India.

Sula was named after Samant’s mother – ‘Sulabha’. Samant steadily grew the company over the next few years by introducing newer grape varieties and expanding the company’s offerings. Over the last few decades, the Nashik region has transformed and is often referred to as “India’s Napa Valley”.

It has grown to be India’s largest and most awarded wine brand. Sula introduced grape varietals such as Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, and Zinfandel in India and is the leading player in the Indian wine industry.

Samant, on the latest award said, “Receiving this gold medal for our flagship wine during Sula’s 25th anniversary year is deeply symbolic. It reaffirms our evolution from humble beginnings to an internationally recognized brand.” (with IANS input)