Dhindori is 150 miles from India’s commercial and show business capital, Mumbai. The final hour of the drive from the capital to the burgeoning wine region is a nerve-jangling, back-straining experience. Once there, though, I am greeted by Sunil Patil, the farm manager of Sula Vineyards, who offers me a sinfully sugary cup of tea.

As we stand on red laterite soil 2,700 feet above sea level, we are looking at two faces of India: In one corner of this vineyard stands a prehistoric earth-and-grass hut that belongs to a family of nomadic shepherds tending to a flock of mangy goats minded by a shriveled-up dog; all around it are the stately green rows representing India’s hot-weather wine industry.

It is an industry fueled by a sudden and passionate interest in wine by a population that has traditionally been whisky drinkers.

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