“Wine is one of the most civilised things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” - Ernest Hemingway in Death in the Afternoon
Standing amid oak barrels at the 20-acre Narmada Winery in Virginia’s Rappahannock County, I did not ask Sudha Patil whether she had been inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s wine-wisdom or if there was an aha moment when she decided to make a U-turn, from being an endodontist to founding the Narmada Winery.
It was on their 29th wedding anniversary that Pandit and Sudha Patil went hiking up a wine-trail as part of their retirement plan. It was passion, after all. “Passion is what takes you in interesting directions that you dream of. That’s how we started with the vineyard,” Sudha says about that big U-turn in her life.
That wine-fuelled turn began on undulating land in the pretty Rappahannock county. Virginia was still hopping on to the Bacchanalian bandwagon. And running a winery wasn't the first thing that came to the Patils' minds when they saw the rolling hills.
Narmada Winery is named after Pandit Patil’s mother. It was purported to be a vineyard with the sole purpose of growing grapes to provide to other Virginia vintners. But Sudha was curious about art and science of wine making: the oenology (study of wine and winemaking) and viticulture (science of growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes).
Providence intervened in the form of a virtuoso vintner - Jim Law of Linden Vineyards, who believes that the earth speaks through the vine and it is his calling to interpret that message in wine. He not only nurtures vines, he has nurtured other winemakers, including Sudha.
“To listen to your vines as they grow throughout the year when it comes to diseases and flavours. Proper pruning and dropping fruit to make great wines. There are no failures, it's always a learning process. If you end up finding that certain vines and varietals don’t grow well in your area, you need to replant and change the direction of planting,” Sudha mentions as her biggest learning from the guru of Virginia wine.
In 2009, the Patils, with their roots in Thane and Jalgaon (Maharashtra), began construction on their own winery facility. They joined hands with Tom Payette, a winemaking consultant, who focuses on winery and vineyard start-ups and expansions. Payette guided Sudha through her first few crushes and Jeremy Levey later stepped in as the Winery Manager.
But it is Sudha who pours the knowledge pint. Adept at chemistry, it helps her understand the techniques of creating wine. She uses her understanding of spices to coax latent flavours. On ground, she swears by minimal intervention as part of her sustainable farming philosophy.
Her dexterity with tannins, minerals, volatile compounds and intricate flavours works well in the steel stills. On the wine list are 2018 Chardonel with flavours of green apple, accented by soft vanilla aroma and warm acidic finish; 2020 Gulabi that’s salmon-pink in colour with essences of strawberry and melon; 2014 Cab Franc Reserve laden with berry and black pepper; 2008 Melange with complex flavours of deep fruits and toasted wood; 2018 Midnight that brings mild sweetness on the back palate, among other award-winning wines.
The wines also have interesting names: Midnight was the Patils' dog, Yash Vir that is made with the classic Bordeaux grapes is named after the Patils’ grandchildren and there’s a Gulabi, too.
Inside the Narmada Winery, there are peacocks everywhere; it's their logo, and it's seen as a statuette sitting over the bar counter, peacock feathers in baskets, jewelled peacock holding a candle...
On the walls have framed photographs of vignettes from the Narmada River. On the shelf sit bottles with medals snaked around their necks; the label colours borrowing from Sudha’s saree collection - sunflower yellow, lavender purple, fuchsia pink, ink blue. The Mom wine - their biggest seller - comes in a bright peacock blue bottle.
A wine tasting costs between $15 and $20 per person and the winery now has 500 Wine Club members from 37 US states. The Winery plans to introduce cooking classes and Sudha is keen on offering private dinners in her home that sits within the property.
Though Narmada Winery has won accolades and awards, it wants to remain a small, boutique-sized winery, producing no more than 5,000 cases a year. “We want to stay small and concentrate on making the best wines of Virginia with Virginian grapes. We never started with a goal of making a lot of money with this business, but, of course, it does not hurt to make some money also,” explains Sudha.
Pandit Patil is no more. But Sudha has kept the promise that the two made together on their 29th wedding anniversary - to produce good Virginia wine from Virginian grapes.
Good to know
Address: 43 Narmada Lane, Amissville, VA 20106
Timing: Thursday, Friday & Sunday: 12pm-5pm, Saturday 12pm-7pm,
Monday 12-5 pm by reservation. Closed on Tuesday & Wednesday.
Phone: + 1 (540) 937-8215
Email: info@narmadawinery.com
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