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Just landed in Southeast Asia, we were taken into the suffocating heat of the tentacular Thai capital.
At once, the rickshaw drives under the multi-level highways showed Bangkok as a stifling, turbulent
and noisy sauna. Nevertheless, the magnetism of the city was going to operate.
The palace and the Buddhist temples were luxurious, the cooking in the streets tasty and the girl
on the backseat of a motor scooter charming. The omnipresent smiles of the royal couple were to
be seen on their portraits in taxis, streets and even houses.
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Looking for flavours and colors, we had chosen to approach the Asian vineyards with the Realm of Siam.
The Thai wine belonged to Wines of New Latitude because the grapes from which it resulted were produced
between the 14th and the 18th north parallel lines.
Twenty years after the notion of Wines of the New World, we became aware of this second expression.
It described the recent vineyards situtated outside the 30th and 50th latitudes, which are the
settled geographic limits of the world viticulture.
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Only six, these estates started to produce in 1991. Set up on the hills of Phu Rua, a hilly
province renowned for its horticulture, Château de Loei tried to apply a quality policy.
In a subtropical atmosphere, high temperatures and heavy rains were the enemies of progressive
maturity and berry concentration. Besides a natural drainage, the chosen relief brought a
cooler and drier climate.
The property had also made the choice to have only one harvest per year while the climatic conditions allowed two.
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After the wine area of Khao Yai, our wanderings led us towards that of the delta of Chao Phraya.
We were about to cross the very spectacular floating vineyard with the fascinating team of Siam Winery.
For generations, farmers had been drying swamps up to gain land and develop 22,000 acres of vineyards.
Vines were planted in a soil rich in alluvium, on tiny oblong islands.
Contrary to South America, the numerous canals were not dedicated to irrigation but to getting rid
of the excess of water in the ground.
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The originality of this vineyard gave to some extent to Siam Winery a key factor of success.
To be different in an ultra-competitive universe and to fight the globalization of taste,
the winery gave great consideration in its range to the typical grape varieties, such as the
Malaga blanc and the red pokdum.
We understood that their vision, of creating wines to match a unique cuisine with
international reputation, was full of common sense and clear-sightedness.
“Thai wine for Thai food” gave them right away a niche position on export and domestic markets.
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Thailand, a new consumer wine country, was traditionally populated with tea, beer and brandy drinkers.
However, we were convinced of its high potential because of the presence of numerous western expatriates,
of the ceaseless tourist stream and of the progressive increase of the local standard of living.
On the dream islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan and Ko Tao, as in the very rich districts of large cities,
a number of luxury establishments were about to become big retail outlets.
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Phu Rua: Château de Loei -
Khao Yai: Khoa Yai, PB Valley, Granmonte, Château des Brumes -
Bangkok: Siam Winery.
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thailand
inside the great palace in Bangkok
vegetal sculptures in the capital
divine architecture
Ko Tao, the turtle island
fishing on Ko Samui island
malaga blanc in the golfe of Thailand
