Tungabhadra River is the common connect between the two proverbial protagonists of this story – first one being HAMPI, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the other KRSMA Winery & Vineyards which identifies itself with the Hampi terroir being not very far from it. Both are located amidst gentle hills with an iron rich schist soil, red in colour.
Self with my better half checked into Hyatt Place Hampi on a three days trip from Bangalore. The mid July rainy season provided the light drizzles and cloudy skies throughout which in fact was a boon while visiting Hampi since the rock structures there can get extremely hot in bright sun.
We covered the Hampi in first two days which proved to be a deep immersive experience. Entering the Hampi precinct by crossing the wide gate made of granite, transports you slowly but surely to the bygone times of medieval Vijayanagar empire and you got to feel it to believe it.
In its hey days, Hampi was a flourishing metropolis with a population of almost half a million. It’s grandeur peaked in mid 17th century when it was destroyed by invasion and has been in ruins since then.
Been discovered and revived in the 19th century, it is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The various landmarks are now delineated and well maintained, prominent of which are the Nobles enclave, Hemkuta group of temples, Narsimha statue, Under water huge Shiva Linga, the 7th century Virupaksha temple, Vijaya Vittala temple, Matanga hill – the highest feature in the area, with all of these structures nestled in a natural bowl surrounded by hills made of huge boulders characteristic of the region. All this gives the entire setting a mesmerising aura.
Hyatt Place is about 40 minutes drive from Hampi and provides a comfortable stay if you are travelling by own car and is much recommended. The route from the hotel to Hampi is an added attraction since it passes through a beautiful valley studded with green fields, sunflower farms and cloud hugging hills. There are many other hotels and resorts near to the site too with easy availability of cabs.
On the third day we travelled to the KRSMA Estate – Winery & Vineyard which is about 3 hours drive from Hampi. Being wine enthusiasts it figured high on our vinous bucket wish list. The road till there passes through the picturesque area of boulder hills, lush green fields, ponds and trees leading on to a gentle rolling landscape near to the vineyard location.
As we entered into the vineyards through a wide black metalled gate, Mr Naidu the manager from the wine house welcomed us and showed us around the vineyards. KRSMA, which takes its name in parts from names of its owner couple Krishna And Uma Chigurupati, primarily produces two flagship wines – Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. The boutique wine house grows their own grapes and is now completely organic with no use of fertilisers or pesticides.
A short drive uphill brought us to the winery which is equipped with a modern inventory consisting of a Destemmer/ Crusher, Pneumatic Press, open and closed temperature controlled Fermentation Tanks, Bottling Plant, Labelling Machine etc. A large quantity of wine produced each year is also exported, mainly to France, as we learned.
The Winery also has a well laid out tasting room with walls adorned by posters of awards winning wines. The one which caught my eye however was a large sized picture of the owners at the North Pole holding a flag – which depicts their commendable adventure streak, which fares well with the spirit of their wine house.
The time spent at the vineyards and the winery was certainly a memorable one with a lot of learning while all the time being in the lap of nature. We bought a few bottles from the cellar door before starting back to our abode in Hampi. I’m sure a sips of these wines will transport us back in time to relive the amazing time we had at KRSMA Vineyards & Winery.