A City That Wines Together Sways Together

All for wine, and wine for all.

Four Bengaluru-based sommeliers have poured themselves into the top ten of Culinary Culture’s Wine Superstars 2025:  Ganga Ghale of Wine in Progress or WIP (ranked #4), Harshith Prabhu of The Leela Palace (#5), Augustin Kingston of Lupa (#8), and Udiksha Arya of Farmlore (#10). This feature on Culinary Culture, a leading food media platform co-founded by Vir Sanghvi, has reignited the city’s long-standing relationship with wine.

Karnataka state has a wine-producing history of over three decades and is the nation’s second-largest wine producer after Maharashtra. The region also boasts century-old indigenous grape varietals like the Bangalore Blue, a traditional fox grape, and more recent varieties like the Anab-E-Shahi and Arkavati, both used for white and sparkling wines, and the Gulabi, used for rosé wines.

These city-based star sommeliers say that in the past five years, wine has shaken off its tag as a snob’s swig of choice.

Wine and dandy

Luru spoke to WIP’s Ganga Ghale — the highest-ranked woman on the list — and Farmlore’s Udiksha Arya — the youngest on the list at 26 — to get the wine-down on Bengaluru. There is a general perception that the city’s F&B scene is exciting because “its clientele is open to new experiences” — this is a proven truth, Ganga affirms. While the wine scene is nascent, she observes that it has broken through the “fancy dinner party bubble to become a more approachable option” in the recent past.

While echoing Ganga on the customer-facing side of this trend, Udiksha Arya also notes that local producers are now “less interested in bulk-produced, cheaper wines.” Instead, he sees that wine-makers are looking towards “better wine-making techniques, focusing on farming knowledge, and paying more attention to the produce, which in turn affects the end product.” These newer evolutions in local wine availability have nudged paying customers “to skip the 200 per cent duty tax on imported wines” and give locally produced bottles a chance.

Though the sippers and sommeliers have “gotten nerdier” about their wines, Udiksha reminds us that unlike other historically wine-drinking countries, “wine barely has a correlation with Indian cuisine; at the same time, there are a lot of ways to pair wine with our food.” He keeps it simple for us: “Your wine of choice should be able to pierce through the taste of food on your palate” and still hold its own. He offers the example of “sipping on a fizzy drink between mouthfuls of spicy biriyani,” where the overall experience is enhanced by both elements.

Ganga has a few other helpful entry points to finding the right wine. From a sommelier’s standpoint, she is interested in understanding the “flavours you are comfortable with; this can be derived from questions to do with the spirits you drink, the fruits and vegetables you like, or the perfumes you prefer, because of all of this information helps us figure out the direction of wines you might like and isn’t dependent on mind-reading.” She suggests revealing these personal leanings to your sommelier to cork out your soon-to-be favourite swill.

Riesling and shine!

Bonus: We got Udiksha to put together some options so you can impress at your many holiday parties. He’s even added some talking points to help you sound all-knowing at these shindigs.

Champagne Philippe Gonet

“Expect notes of lime leaf, green guava, and a razor-sharp mineral finish that keeps everything taut and energetic. Champagne has always had a personal corner in my heart — it’s a friend for every occasion.”

Domaine Wachau Grüner Veltliner

“The Grüner Veltliner shows citrus, white pepper, lentil broth, and river stone, all wrapped in a firm, food-friendly structure. Grüner Veltliner doesn’t shout — it listens. It supports food, sharpens flavours, and keeps evolving in the glass.”

Fratelli Master Selection Sangiovese Rosé

“This is not a cosmetic rosé — it’s serious. Cherry and cranberry lead the way, followed by dried herbs, subtle, savoury notes, and a firm, refreshing acidity that keeps it firmly in the gastronomic zone. It works across cuisines, seasons, and moods, and shows that Indian producers are thinking far beyond trends.”

Gramona Gessamí

“This fragrant, aromatic white from Spain’s Penedès region is bursting with floral notes — jasmine leading the way — and layered with peach, apricot, and citrus. At just around 11 per cent alcohol, this is the perfect brunch or lazy afternoon wine. It instantly brightens the room with its perfume.”

Grover Essence de Cabernet Sauvignon

“Essence is Grover’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Nandi Hills — structured, juicy, and confident. Red cherries, blackberries, graphite, spice, and firm tannins create a classic profile with Indian warmth. One of the earliest examples of Indian winemaking truly focused on single-vineyard expression, this wine lets you taste our terroir, clear and proud.”

Grover Signet (2000L)

“India’s most iconic red blend, Signet represents decades of refinement and ambition. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and other varietals, it delivers depth, spice, dark fruit, and age-worthy structure. This wine marks a turning point in Indian wine history.”

⁠KRSMA Sauvignon Blanc

“This Sauvignon Blanc, from the rocky soils of Hampi Hills, strikes a beautiful balance between tropical fruit, herbaceous freshness, and mineral grip. Passionfruit, gooseberry, citrus, and flint coexist in perfect harmony. This wine proves that Indian terroir can speak clearly when it’s respected. It’s confident, polished, and unmistakeably Indian.”

Musar Jeune

“This wine is the youthful expression of Lebanon’s legendary estate — vibrant, wild, and Mediterranean. Red fruit, spice, and gentle rusticity shine through, shaped by fermentation and ageing in terracotta amphoras. It’s lively, honest, and full of character.”

⁠Solicantus Bordeaux

“A modern, Merlot-forward Bordeaux from the Blaye district, Solicantus is the brainchild of Bangalorean Namrata Prashant. After nearly a decade of work in Bordeaux, she brought her own wine back home. It’s more than just a wine — it’s a remarkable story of perseverance, identity, and passion that comes full circle, with Bengaluru firmly at its heart.

The details: Farmlore is at Survey No:67, Mohan, Raju Layout, Bagalur, Sathnur Village; head here for reservations. Wine in Progress is at 105, KH Road; book a spot here.