Nashik wineries once start wooing tourists

Saturday, August 21, 2021

One can hear glasses half-filled with wines like Cabernet Shiraz, Sette and Arrostinkle in the tasting rooms of Nashik’s vineyards. It’s a sound that the staff here hadn’t heard during the months of the Covid pandemic.

The vineyards are now back to business after the state government relaxedCovid-related restrictions since June. The footfalls have been encouraging with more than 18,000 tourists visiting the vineyards in July compared to 9,000 in June. So far in August, more than 12,000 people have visited the vineyards.

Tourists from Pune and Mumbai are contributing significantly toward the renewal of Nashik’s well-known wine tourism. “More than 50% of the tourists at the different vineyards in Nashik are from Mumbai and Pune. Gujarat-based tourists constitute another 5%. The rest are from our region,” said association president JagdishHolkar.

Monit Dhavale, senior vice-president (hospitality) at Sula Vineyards, said that wine tourism in Nashik is catching up fast, as people are looking to relax following the easing of restrictions and the low positivity rate in Nashik. Many of Nashik’s vineyards are located near the backwaters of the sprawling Gangapur dam. Most tourists come here for weekend stay at the upscale resorts close to the wineries.

Association members said that various reasons have led to the increase in visitors to the vineyards – main ones being the doing away with e-passes for intra-district travel and Covid test reports.

“Nashik is easily accessible by road from Mumbai and Pune. The serene ambience at the wineries is just right for people to unwind with their families,” said Holkar.

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