In Virginia, an Indian-American couple has established a winery Narmada Winery offering a dose of Indian heritage to anyone who visits. Co-founded by Sudha Patil, the winery has a statue of Ganesh and one of Goddess Lakshmi – both of which guard either side of the fireplace.
The wall is adorned by various photographs taken in India. In the tasting room, custom-designed mirrors mimic the shape of mehndi designs, typically used to bedeck an Indian bride.
Narmada is the only one out of about 300 wineries in the state, which is owned by a South Asian, and just one of two owned by an Asian American, as reported by the Virginia Wine Board.
Located in Amissville, Narmada was started by Patil with her late husband, Pandit Patil, who passed away three years ago. According to the report, the winery represents their passion for growing grapes, their South Asian heritage and their love of family.
“My heritage is important to me. It was important for me to show that part,” Patil said in the AARP report.
According to Narmada’s website, www.narmadawinery.com, the winery features 18 wines, a blend of reds, whites, roses, and others.
To pursue their education, the couple arrived in the US from Mumbai about 40 years ago. Pandit pursued studies in engineering at the University of New Mexico and Carnegie-Mellon in Pennsylvania.
Pandit’s career as an engineer and Sudha’s as an endodontist flourished, but eventually, they began to plan their retirement. This was a time when Virginia was starting to be known as a region that produced quality wine.
At the couple’s 29th anniversary demand, they decided to give their vineyard plan a shape. The first vineyard was planted in 2004. The following year, several more acres were planted, and it has reached 20 acres today.
The construction of the Patils’ first winery facility began in 2009. With time, gold medals were awarded to Narmada Primita in 2009. Also awarded were Narmada Mom – the winery’s signature blend – and Narmada Viognier in 2010. Over the next several years, Narmada achieved more than 40 gold medals in national and international competitions.
The winery invites guests during Diwali and Holi.
