(48) Hospitality, Food & Wine, Monthly

T

oo soon and the grapes

aren’t ripe, a tad late

and the grapes are as

good as waste. This is

the daunting task faced

by the people at Pataleban vineyards

each year. Every year, June presents a

frantic harvest season for the people

working at the Pataleban vineyards who

work tirelessly all the way until August

to ensure all the different varieties of

grapes are harvested at the right time.

Growing and harvesting grapes is a

challenge to say the least as it requires

all the right combinations of the soil,

temperature, altitude and utmost care

to yield a good harvest. For Pataleban

vineyards, the combination has favored

them immensely.

Nepali wines aren’t very popular and

certainly not known for their taste or

quality and have a very mixed reputation

in the market. Kumar Karki, the

brainchild of this establishment, along

with Janapal Thapa and Dhruba Khatri

are working towards turning around the

fortunes of Nepali wines. The vineyard

has come a long way since its humble

beginnings in 2007 and slowly but

Pataleban Vineyards:

Redefining Nepali Wines

• Sagun Shakya