HYDERABAD: Going to a vineyard, choosing the best bunch of grapes and buying them straight from the farm is not how it usually works in Hyderabad if you are in a mood to have grapes. However, for a few days one can have this experience between 9 am to 6 pm at the vineyard owned by grape research station of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University.
The vineyard, spread over 3.5 acre, has a whopping 59 varieties of grapes, said Professor G Ram Reddy, principal scientist at the Horticultural University.
Reddy, who also heads the grape research station, said: “The harvest is available now after pruning of grape vines in October. When grape vines are pruned mid-October, fruits are ready by mid-February. ”
The vineyard is being maintained by the University for the last 11 years. Once the fruits are ready for harvesting, a committee opens up the vineyard for an auction. Whoever wins the auction can sell the fruits. Corani Mahesh, who won the auction this week, said, “Anyone can walk in, choose the grapes they like, cut the fruits and buy them. The price ranges between Rs 150 to Rs 250 per kilogram depending on the variety. The sale will last as long as the fruits last, which would be mostly by end of this week.”