A wine fan in Thailand

Are you a wine fan in Thailand? Then you're better off ordering beer in most restaurants. As for wine, expect only mediocre bottles, mainly from Australia. We rarely saw Thai wine on the menu, but of course we wanted to try it. With absolutely no expectations, but still curious, Niklas and I traveled from Bangkok to the GranMonte vineyards. And guess what? Most of the wines weren't all that bad.

Thailand's wine region is about a three-hour drive from Bangkok, in the Asoke Valley. For two and a half hours of that three-hour drive, you'll essentially see only the outskirts of Bangkok, but then it suddenly turns green, and signs for various wineries appear. We visited GranMonte. On 16 hectares of land in limestone soil, they cultivate various grape varieties for 90,000 bottles of wine annually. You could safely call that small-scale.

Tropical climate

In 2009, they harvested their first grapes in GranMonte, from vines imported from France, Australia, and Portugal: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Durif (Petit Syrah), and Verdelho. Thailand, of course, has a tropical climate: hot and humid. To keep the grapevines somewhat under control, they prune heavily twice a year. First, a short pruning in April. Shortly afterward, the rainy season begins, and the goal is to give the plants a bit of rest. The grapes are harvested in late January and early February during the dry season. This is when they ripen at their peak and are least susceptible to disease. If it gets too dry, they are irrigated with drip irrigation.

Elephants

All the common diseases that can afflict grapevines in Europe are also present in Thailand. However, there are more risks that can cause a poor harvest. For example, the birds from the adjacent national park are crazy about the grapes and set up nets as soon as they start to ripen. Elephants are a bit more difficult to control. I haven't heard any French winegrowers complain about them yet. The first year, they mainly destroyed a lot of vines by walking straight through the vineyard, but since the second year, they seem to have discovered the grapes themselves. Elephants seem to be careful pickers.

Picking competitions

Whether the Thai themselves are as careful pickers is debatable. They organize picking competitions among their staff. A clever idea, of course, to increase speed, but I have my reservations. Incidentally, harvesting takes place at night to keep the temperature as low as possible and prevent the grapes from fermenting in the crates.

Thai wines

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So, let's get to work! We expanded our tasting from four glasses to nine, giving us a good idea of ​​what Thailand has to offer. First of all: nothing was truly brilliant. In fact, all the wines lacked the complexity to be considered top-notch. On the other hand, we only found one wine truly bad. We asked for another bottle of that rosé, but it still smelled of chicory and cabbage. Not a success.

So what was enjoyable? Well, for example, a Chenin Blanc crémant. Initially served in a flute, but when we transferred it to a regular wine glass, it came into its own. The overly astringent finish softened a bit, leading to aromas of green apple and a touch of dairy from the lye aging. Nevertheless, this extra brut remained delightfully fresh. Nicely made!

Then there's the Verdelho Gradient. The best wine we tasted. The grapes grow a bit higher than the others, at 650 meters. This wine clearly has more depth than the Verdelho from the lower-lying vineyards. The wine smelled lovely and fresh and minerally, with a slight yeasty edge. Delicious.

Finally, an honorable mention for the durif (petit syrah). It smelled promising. Chocolate, tobacco, coffee, currants, leather (though not the plastic leather found in every Thai taxi). These aromas resonated on the palate, but the wine lacked body. These "thick" aromas ultimately didn't quite match the somewhat "thin" flavor to make it a truly good wine. Nevertheless: quite good.

On to Thailand

The bottom line: should you put Thailand on your list if you're looking for a great wine tour? Absolutely not. But conversely, if you're a wine lover and you're in Thailand, definitely visit a winery. It's fun to see (and taste) what's happening there. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised!