Soni Rai pays a visit to Pataleban Vineyard Resort, Chisapani and spends some time sipping wine and enjoying the greenery around

The weather was perfect for a ride to go away from the busy city of Kathmandu. My brother and I took an hour and a half ride to Pataleban Vineyard Resort, Chisapani. As soon as we reached our destination we were warmly escorted by one of the staff to the wine tasting programme. Pataleban Vineyard Resort is developing a project of international standard where locals and foreigners alike can enjoy its world class resort facilities.

At the wine tasting we were served with three varieties of fine wine made from the grapes from their own vineyard; red wine, white wine and rose wine. For an amateur like me it is best to start with white wine as it contains less tannin which makes it less acidic as compared to red wines. Although not a wine connoisseur, I could tell that the wines served was of top quality given the aroma tingling my senses. I didn’t have to sip it to know that it was a full bodied flavoursome wine in my goblet.

An hour later, we headed to the dining area for dinner. Our dinner consisted mainly of traditional Nepali Thali prepared by Chef Chandra Moktan. He shared, “We mainly focus on Nepali Thali as both foreigners and locals are always asking for it! They like the assortment of flavours that comes in a Nepali Thali.” Good food and good company took me way past my bed time. The next thing I knew it was already time for me to call it a day!

I woke up early in the cloudy morning. Outside the window I could see Manaslu, blanketed in clouds with snowy tips soaking in the sunshine. All rooms are decorated with soft light and Japanese style interiors with sliding windows and doors. Private balconies look out to the vineyard and beautiful gardens. This resort has the serenity of the mountains and the calm of the greeney; a perfect getaway for us urban folks.

Beyond vineyards

You cannot miss the walk in Pataleban Community jungle under the supervision of a guide. The jungle is bountiful in terms of flora and fauna like wild orchid, birds and herbal plants. A hike towards the popular pilgrim site, Indradaha which is only one and a half hours away should also be on your to-do list. The main attraction of the place is the sight of enchanting and magnificent mountains of Lantang, Ganesh and Manaslu. From the resort, Chandragiri is a three day trek away and Bandipur by road is approximately eight hours away. You can also request for an excursion to Manakamana Temple and Gorkha. Other than hiking and fishing one day rafting at Trishuli River can also be arranged by the resort facilitator.

Enjoy multi-cuisine dining

The menu at the restaurant is of a wide variety. You have a range of cuisine to choose from — Chinese, Italian, Thai, Indian, Continental or Nepali. Kafal Chautari Beer Garden located at the entrance of the resort serves liquors and home- made wines. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the main dining hall. If you are keen on making your own barbeque, you are free to use the Bar-B-Que Garden.

Experience the natural flavour of wine

Pataleban Vineyard Resort serves three varieties of wine; Kaule — red wine, Ashish — white wine and Koshu — rose wine. There are different types of grapes grown at the vineyard for different types of wines. The owner of Pataleban Vineyard Resort, Kumar Karki in a conversation with us said, “In a couple of years we will be developing a high quality grape farming with major focus on organic farming and animal husbandry.”

Participate

Being Nepal’s first vineyards with 11 different varieties of grapes, the resort conducts an event called ‘Grapes Plucking Festival’ during the harvesting time. The visitors can participate by being a part of the

initial wine making process. At this event, guests are provided with a-la-carte barbeque with a complimentary glass of wine, beer or soft drink and also get to savour the organic range of fresh grapes.