A square table is set with precision: a charcuterie board of cheeses, spiced nuts, hummus, and fruits, flanked by four styles of wine glasses. A private session is in motion, and Sauvignon blanc slips into my ISO glass just as I’m asked to pull up the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine—the pro’s lexicon. The five S’s—see, swirl, sniff, sip, savour—give way to precise distinctions: pale or deep, light or pronounced, dry or sweet, delicate or full-bodied. Each note sharpens the verdict on quality.
I’m not in a cellar in Bordeaux or Barossa, but this is among the most immersive tastings I’ve experienced. The setting is the glass window-swept Classic Conservatory in Holland House, a French-style château at Murambi on the fringes of rural Nashik, just three hours from Mumbai. The whitewashed façades and French windows reveal themselves even before you reach the tall gates; the driveway edged with vines awaiting harvest later this year.
Sprawled across 2.5 acres, Holland House is the vision of Sonal C. Holland, India’s only Master of Wine. Originally built as her private holiday retreat, it is now managed by Amã Stays & Trails, part of the Taj portfolio, opening its château-style doors in February this year for those seeking an escape in India’s wine country.
The grandeur hits immediately. I step into a lofty entrance where a crystal chandelier drips from the ceiling, Persian carpets roll across polished floors, and oil paintings sit alongside ceramics from the Middle East. Even the stairway is lined with wine-inspired quotes, a hint of what lies ahead.
Each bedroom is distinctly imagined—its palette drawn from the language of wine. Blush, one of the rooms here, is soaked in soft magenta and sunlight, as delicate as a rosé. Amphora wraps me in earthy greens, recalling the ancient clay vessels once used to age wine. Terroir anchors itself in raw greys, a nod to soil and vine. I chose Harvest—a burst of blue energy, echoing the spirit of grape-picking season. My room comes with a tub that looks straight out onto the green pastures soaking up the monsoon showers.
I notice the pool table in the games room, but it doesn’t hold me for long. With every corner of this château whispering of vineyards and vintages, I have my sight set on one thing alone: more wine. Downstairs, I stretch out in the living room, its glass doors opening onto a heated pool with clouds wreathing the mountains beyond. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong drift over the sound of rain, carrying through to the Decanter Den, where cocktails appear at a word.
When hunger calls, I move to the abutting area where a 14-seater dining table with lion-head carved legs sits like a centre piece. Here, food and wine pairings are the default. Lunch is a comforting spread—dal, potato vegetable, palak paneer, butter chicken with rice, roti and salad. “Everything you see is sourced locally,” says Aditya Jadhav, the operations manager and sommelier, as he begins the pairing. The paneer and milk come from the neighbouring dairy, and vegetables from the estate’s garden or nearby markets. A Crane Lane Chardonnay from California cuts through the richness of palak paneer, while Grover’s La Réserve Syrah-Grenache stands up to the butter chicken. At the continental-style dinner, the South Australian d’Arenberg Ironstone Pressing, a GSM (Grenache-shiraz-mourvèdre) from 2015, lingers the longest—a bottle I last encountered on its home turf many years ago.
Later, the barbecue is served: creamy broccoli, mushrooms, paneer, and pineapple give way to chicken and butter garlic prawns. Despite the opulence of the setting, it feels less like dining at a retreat and more like being hosted in a friend’s home—one with impeccable taste and an enviable cellar.
Sleep comes easily. Mornings unspool slowly here: a dip in the pool, a walk across the lawns, and a breakfast of poha, idli, dosa with chutneys, eggs made to order, fresh fruit, and coffee. Later, Jadhav walks me through the estate’s grounds—tomatoes sprouting in one patch, wild pink hibiscus in another. The vines are still young, but promising. Sweeping lawns stretch into the hills, with plans for private cottages and an alfresco kitchen on the horizon.
I breathe in the crisp country air and linger over the final notes of my wine-fuelled retreat. Who needs to jet off to Europe, when château living now awaits in our own backyard?
