“To understand wine, you must understand ‘terroir’ — the sense of place. What came before and what happens after, to truly grasp the now,” says Craig Wedge, the Australian estate manager of the newly opened vineyard hotel, Hotel Irada. It’s 4 pm on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon. Under a beaming sun, we’re standing amid the freshly trellised vines that form the mise-en-scène of this contemporary boutique retreat.
Custom wall installation by Jaipur Rugs.
Even after Mallya’s exit, the estate remained a working vineyard, producing Four Seasons wine.
It is, fittingly, terroir — that intrinsic sense of place — that defines the spirit of India’s newest luxury vineyard hotel. Once the countryside manor of former liquor baron and ex-Kingfisher Airlines chief, Vijay Mallya, the estate in rural Maharashtra has been reimagined by 30-year-old Kanpur-based hotelier Yash Malhotra. Close to Baramati, it is now a stylish, design-forward 32-key getaway (only retaining the original structure) that thrives on creative collaborations, and channels the energy of modern club culture that is on the rise globally.
The ‘Irada’ experience begins even before you arrive — with a call from Craig a day prior, to gauge how you’d like to spend your time.
The estate in rural Maharashtra has been reimagined by hotelier Yash Malhotra.
Even after Mallya’s exit, the estate remained a working vineyard, producing Four Seasons wine (it still does), passing through a few hands — Diageo and Grover Zampa — before serendipitously finding its way to Malhotra. He transformed the estate into Hotel Irada in just 11 months, opening doors late October; while Grover Zampa continues to operate the winery. It has also just been named Marriott’s first design hotel from India.
The art collection has been curated by Method Gallery in Mumbai.
Picture a rug
A five-hour drive from Mumbai (or just two from Pune airport) brings you to a little stretch of wilderness off the highway. Hotel Irada is hidden within the folds of Maharashtra’s wine country — an ‘if you know, you know’ secret, known only among the initiated for now.
The focus here seems to be on curating a rounded experience for young and well-travelled Indians.
The imposing, neo-classical chateau, surrounded by a 66-acre vineyard (beyond which are pomegranate and solar farms, as well as 4,000 acres of reserve forest), is fronted by a grand fountain from the Mallya era. Sweeping twin staircases frame the entrance, leading you into an eclectic interior — a 19ft x 7ft custom wall installation by Jaipur Rugs depicting a typical day at Irada anchors the lobby, and Italian bistro Rosso (open to non-residents) sits right across.
Hotel Irada is hidden within the folds of Maharashtra’s wine country.
Beyond it, a leafy courtyard dotted with tables and board games could be anywhere in the world. I might just as easily imagine myself at Babington House in Somerset, Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire, or one of The Hoxton or The Standard hotels around the globe. Unlike many other vineyard resorts in the country, the focus here seems to be on curating a rounded experience for young, well-travelled Indians, on a par with international standards.
Hotel Irada is hidden within the folds of Maharashtra’s wine country.
‘Dial nine for wine’
The idea to build a chain of design- and collaboration-led boutique hotels across India had been fermenting in Malhotra’s mind for nearly five years, inspired by his stint in the hospitality industry in the US. Hotel Irada is the first in a series of outposts to follow.
The art collection has been curated by Method Gallery in Mumbai.
Originally designed by architect Navzer Irani, the property has now been reimagined by Calicut-based Humming Tree, who have leaned into the location for inspiration. For instance — the burgundy poolside umbrellas borrow from the hues of wine, as do the bathtubs in the rooms. And the key cards cheekily read ‘dial nine for wine’. The art collection has been curated by Method Gallery in Mumbai, even featuring pieces from Parisian flea markets. Instagrammable? Yes. But also thoughtfully layered.
Beyond it, a leafy courtyard dotted with tables and board games could be anywhere in the world.
As I walk towards my suite, I pass the glass-fronted bottling unit tucked behind a staircase, allowing guests a glimpse into the workings of the facility. Ditto with the glass skirting along the hallway, offering a peek into the fermentation room in the basement below — a reminder that we are residing in a living, breathing winery as much as a hotel.
No two rooms here are alike. Mine features arched ceilings, chevron upholstery and a burgundy bathtub. The small balcony overlooks the driveway and vineyard beyond, where a new 14-room wing is slated to open in January.
The imposing, neo-classical chateau, surrounded by a vineyard, is fronted by a grand fountain from the Mallya era.
Forest hikes and wine tastings
The ‘Irada’ experience begins even before you arrive — with a call from Craig a day prior, to gauge how you’d like to spend your time. There’s plenty to do: forest hikes and sunset trails, with the occasional chinkara sighting if you’re lucky.
At the Irada Pool Club on the first floor, the all-day menu moves easily from misal pav-inspired bruschetta to Neapolitan pizzas and Asian comfort food, even dosa at breakfast. Rosso masters hearty Italian fare, from champagne cacio e pepe and merlot poached beetroot carpaccio to tiramisu and artisanal gelato. The espresso shot right after? That comes from Subko.
Their Nyāsa spa is managed by the award-winning Ananda in the Himalayas (Ananda’s first such collaboration), with a tightly curated menu of immersive treatments. Located at the edge of the forest, the spa wing is replete with its own yoga pavilion, hot tub deck, and a sauna room looking out to the vineyard. Keeping up with the global trend of social wellness is Irada’s racquet club, with a pickleball and padel court right by the helipad originally installed by Mallya.
The tour of the vineyard, with grape varieties used to make Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Shiraz, and the tasting that follows aim to demystify wine.
But the marquee experience here, naturally, is the wine tasting. This is led by Craig — who brings nearly two decades of experience in hospitality, with eight of these years as the brand director for Fratelli. The tour of the vineyard, with grape varieties used to make Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Shiraz, and tasting that follows aim to demystify wine, especially “wine from India versus Indian wine,” as he puts it. The result is conversational, inclusive, and refreshingly jargon-free.
Soon, Irada will also introduce its own single-estate range of wines, to be sold exclusively on the property. It will complement an already robust wine selection — think global bests from Pinot Blancs to the cult Super Tuscan, Sassicaia — curated by French wine consultant Irène Hebrard.
Hotel Irada is hidden within the folds of Maharashtra’s wine country.
So yes, there’s plenty to fill your time with at Irada — or you could choose to do nothing at all. Disconnected from the rush of city life, time here moves at its own rhythm. And so can you.
Rooms from ₹25,000 and above.
