Beating The Heat In Akluj

Five cool-climate grapes are growing well at Akluj in southern Maharashtra in the vineyards of Fratelli Wines and their wines are making exciting, unusual blends. Brinda Gill reports

- Brinda Gill

Fifteen years ago, no one would have imagined wine grapes growing here,” says Craig Wedge, Brand Manager, Fratelli Wines, looking at the vast spread of vineyards across the undulating stony terrain of Akluj. “You come here now and see a dozen grape varieties growing in Fratelli’s 300 acres of estate vineyards. And then you see cool-climate grape varieties among them and you say, ‘What the hell! What is going on here?’ These vines should be growing in the foothills of the Himalayas where the temperature is between 0°C and 18°C, and not here where the temperature is between 15°C and 45°C. That prompts the question – how did Fratelli make it happen?”

Once a dry, barren land, Akluj became arable and witnessed a transformation through the vision of cooperative leader, Shankarrao Mohite-Patil (1918-1979), who spearheaded the growth of sugarcane plantations, established a sugar factory and undertook several development initiatives.