If you hop into a car and drive 30 km away from Bangalore City, you’ll reach The Big Banyan Vineyard and Resort.

The website promises a stroll through the vineyards and a chance to see the entire wine-making process.

That happened, but in the span of 30 minutes.

The tours are all booked out. If you’re running late, there’s a fat chance you might not get a spot with the next group. We were lucky that we did.

One of the stops on my mother’s trip to Bangalore was a winery tour. Neither of us had ever been, and we were curious to see how it would unfold. We dedicated an entire Sunday morning to this.

I started by looking for a rental on a ride-hailing app like Ola and Uber. After three rejections, a very kind driver accepted the ride. The drive was smooth, even though patches of the road were bumpy. With excitement pumping through us, we made it half an hour late. I had called ahead to inform them to accommodate us with the next group. But we’d only know if that’s possible after reaching.

What did we learn? Schedule a cab early or start booking one hour before you actually decide to leave. The rejections come fast and easy here.

On arrival, I noticed that the parking is on the left, in front of the resort. The winery is on the right. After following a short, uphill, winding stone path, we reached the reception desk. With a Shiraz bottle towering over visitors, a swing set and comfortable seating sprinkled across two lawns, we settled in to wait our turn.

After half an hour, the tour kicked off.

It started with a brief video of Big Banyan’s journey so far. Accompanied by soothing music and poetic narration, it immediately captivated us.

Next, we headed to the vineyard. I was surprised that we had to walk across the road again towards the resort. I thought the vineyard would be behind the winery. So, walking there was a little challenging for senior citizens. Once we reached the vineyard, we were given a brief introduction about the grapes again. The vineyard was covered in net, so you couldn’t disturb the grapes or walk through them. We only had 5 minutes to walk around because another tour was starting soon. This was a bit disappointing because we didn’t have enough time to catch our breath.

We were taken to the winery next. The layout was impressive because it featured a ramp, and on either side, glass allowed you to see the production, barrels, and packaged boxes. Yet again, we were on a time limit. But that didn’t deter my mom from asking questions. She even hung back to understand how the process would work with Indian grapes compared to the European grapes they use.

Finally, we came to the fun part – the wine tasting! Mom whipped open the notebook they provided and jotted notes and measurements to try at home. As she sipped, she also noted which wine went with food and dessert.

We tried 7 wines, ranging from dry reds and dry whites to a sweeter dessert wine. That was my favourite!

Remember when I said we were on a time crunch? So was the tasting! It felt like someone turned an hourglass by the way we were downing wine. It was rushed, and the only good thing that came out of it was feeling a little buzzed. People were laughing louder, squinting more and gobbling the four cubes of cheese they provided.

After the tasting came the photo ops. They even offered free wine to anyone who posted a Google review. So, heads up when you read those!

Mom and I took a quick bathroom break before heading to the stomping. I waited for them to call us or for a group to gather because the website specifically mentioned the preferred group size.

When I inquired, the manager there said that it would just be my mom and me, in the open. Again, weird. But good that we thrive on not caring.

We got inside the bucket and started squishing grapes with our feet. Mom’s advice to really get the juice out: “Imagine it’s someone’s head!”

During the stomping, two girls from the group tour stopped by, curious. Mom, being mom, told them to jump in. It took a little convincing, and they hopped right in. I believe no one else would like someone to do this activity for free. It was not a cheap one. Yet, my mom just wanted everyone to have fun.

The girls had a blast and brought their friends later, but we’d already gotten out by then.

Before we left, we shopped at their in-house store. The wine is cheaper than buying it outside. Plus, you get a free wine glass – which we forgot about!

But we left with three bags full – not just wine, but buzz balls too!

So if you’re considering taking your parents somewhere, hope this convinces you!

Cheers to a fun day trip!

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