A New Chapter
In the late 2000’s an idea started brewing at Chandon. What if sparkling wines were produced in India? Chandon has always pursued new opportunities in unexpected lands across the globe. Chandon Brasil and Chandon China are prime examples of this passion. India is a land of million opportunities and was favourable for Chandon to craft and serve premium sparkling wines to a population who yearns for novelty and authenticity.
Our chapter began when Tony Jordan, former CEO of Chandon domain, set off to learn about India’s emerging viticultural regions, from Bangalore in the south to Himachal Pradesh in the north. Every nook and corner was explored for opportunities until his eyes fixated on Dindori, a village in Nashik. Lying at an altitude of 600m from Nashik’s western ghats is the small town of Dindori, currently home to Chandon India.
About The Land
A calmer city away from the bright lights and sounds of the metropolitan hubs, Nashik is home to several pilgrimage sites. The climate is cooler and the region is known for its rich yield of table grapes. The city’s efficiency to produce great wines has got its reputation of being called “The wine capital” of India. From Mumbai, it takes around three and a half hours to travel the 200km or so by road.
India’s tropical climate and Nashik being a very fertile region accounts for an average rainfall of 600-900 mm each year. Hence, even though India is located in the northern hemisphere, we harvest our grapes in winter, the same time as our southern hemisphere siblings in Argentina, Brazil and Australia.
Our viticultural team believes that the key to quality wines in this unusual climate is
harvesting the right grape varieties. Grapes that do exceptionally well in India are Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and our hero grape – Chenin Blanc.
Due to strict government laws regarding multinational companies owning lands in the country, we do not own our own vineyard here. Instead, we carefully select our grapes from trusted local growers, who work in close proximity with our viticulture team.
Our exquisite Chandon Brut and Chandon Rosé have garnered international recognition in the most prestigious competitions. Each winning, ‘Gold’ for 2 consecutive years (2019- 2020) at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships (CSWWC.
