bengaluru the kodava people are known for their love for nature and its products one member proudly said that they can make a fine wine out of anything and everything the community in bengaluru is also a witnessing a winemaking renaissance and new inventions of wine crop up time and again here with recipes shared by wordofmouthbut the wine making in kodava culture isnt something that was passed on from generations this wine creating frenzy is relatively new among us i dont remember my grandmother making any wine at home says ponnamma barianda a microbiologist who hails from murnad in coorgaccording to this victoria layout resident the wine making and serving didnt really exist among the community this the 90s in functions or family gettogethers men used to be served hard alcohol and women used to stick to fruit juices but it gradually changed from the late 90s when women started to enjoy some wine in gatherings then slowly some ladies started to make their own and serve it in events much to the appreciation of those attending barianda recallsa healthy contestwhat was just traditional grapebased wines gradually started to evolve into wines fermented out of pineapple gooseberries mulberries starfruit cherry and even the betel leaf and rose petals the women of kodava community in bengaluru began to experiment in their kitchens and came out with new and unique varieties of wines soon people from outside the community started showing interest kodava women started competing with their winemaking skills in meetings and the commercial value of these drinks started to mountanitha ben kariappa had to quit her marketing job involving real estate to concentrate on a restaurant business it also allows her to indulge in her favourite hobby wine making on any given day her kitchen in indiranagar has a dozen unique wines she had made over the years he oldest bottle is seven years and interestingly its base is the red rose petal i like to experiment with new flavours and ingredients our community comprises of people who are naturelovers and we cherish what it has to offer to us therefore making wines from local ingredients is where some kodava women are excelling proudly adds kariappa as she shows her bottle of rose petal wineright now she has a set of nine wines she has fermented including flavours like mint betel leaf grape passionfruit ginger and chilly her sons wedding in november turned a platform to showcase her winemaking skills as she served a variety of flavours much to the delight of the attendeeskariappa doesnt plan to market or sell her wines but is keen on serving it to her family and friends who can appreciate her skill and of course give feedback be it positive or negativeno expiry date commercial valuea real kodagu wine and honey doesnt have an expiry date says ponnachanna madhu a winemaker and dealer from madikeri who acquired his mothers skills in making using local flavours for wine namely hibiscus jackfruit jamun and even