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A recently arrived American friend of mine, an obstinate and devoted wine connoisseur, tasted the superb Syrah wine I served her and commented on the full bodied fragrance and physical warmth with hints of woodland spices, “This must be a French Syrah, right?” “WRONG!” When I showed her the bottle, she was astounded, Thai wine?, she asked, staring at the pretty-labeled bottle in utter disbelief.
Wine has become the latest rage in Thailand; Thai vintners are eager to benefit from the budding market for locally produced wines although they have encountered obstacles along the road because in terms of sales Thai wines haven’t been able to match imported ones. Thai consumers have a penchant for imported items as evidence of their social status in a country that’s progressively more upwardly mobile and disposable income is on the rise.
Because of all these reasons our curiosity was peaked so we recently spent a weekend enjoying the wine country on the foothills that cut across the valley along the Khao Yai National Forest, not far from Bangkok.
Our first stop was the GranMonte Estate, a quaint ‘boutique’ winery, the smallest and youngest of the vineyards that flank the Khao Yai expanse.
Family owned and founded in 1999, bounded by vineyards perfectly trimmed in staked rows, GranMonte welcomed us to an ideal setting complete with gently sloping evergreen ranges, tidy gardens and a pond; a perfect background for this small winery - and for us, a superb break from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
Situated at the 14th parallel, the vineyards at khao Yai are distanced from the traditional 30th to 50th parallels deemed ideal for viniculture in the southern and northern hemispheres where wine production has prospered for centuries. However, the 1200 feet above sea level along with loamy, clay soils and slightly cooler temperatures seemed to make the deciding difference in providing good harvests. Thailand is becoming a pioneer for the ‘New Latitude Wines’ because they originate from superior vines nurtured within the margins of nearly perfect environmental conditions in a slender strip of land at a latitude of only 14 degrees north of the equator.
Owners and vintners Mr. and Mrs. Lohitnavy offer short tours of their –off the premises- wine-making facility and answer questions from inquisitive visitors. The 40-acre family estate includes the vineyards, the Montino gourmet shop and cellar door for wine-tasting, and VinCotto restaurant – where Mrs. Lohitnavy indulges her love of cooking.
Their fertile acreage incorporates Tempranillo, Syrah, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes while table grapes such as Thomson seedless, Hamburg and Muscat among others, are also grown in the grounds.
During the tour, the wine-making process from harvest to bottle was explained. Hundreds of oak barrels stack a room where some wines are aged before bottling; oak casks add additional aromas to the brew and the best ones are aged between one and three years after harvesting.
GranMonte’s original grapevines Syrah and Chenin Blanc came to Khao Yai directly from France. Mr. Lohitnavy says, “There’s much sunshine in Khao Yai, but cool nights and breezes are good for Syrah and Chenin Blanc grapes; akin to the south of France, they thrive in these parts”.
GranMonte’s premiere vintage in 2001 yielded 20,000 bottles of red and 6,000 of white wines; a year later, production improved by 25%, and moving ahead ever since.
Sampling wines at their cellar also provided spectacular mountain vistas in a very relaxed atmosphere. Surprisingly light and crisp their recent vintage Chenin Blanc was favored by most people in our group. Second best was the ruby red Syrah or Shiraz blend, a full bodied but mellow elixir that would pair excellently with red meats, or pasta.
For wine and fine food enthusiasts, VinCotto Restaurant included dishes drawn from fusions of diverse gastronomic traditions prepared admirably, and with practical elegance.
Chugging along on first gear, our van climbed its way once again through abrupt twisting lanes bordering the dense tropical forest along the foothills of the national park.
Located in the heartland of the highly-acclaimed "wine country", PB Valley Winery & Vineyard is one of Thailand’s largest and the very first to set up shop in the Khao Yai region. Similarly to GranMonte, the valley here rises 1000 to 1200 feet above sea level and has proved to be an excellent valley-floor for vineyards. The PB Valley Winery sits in the heart of a 320-hectare prolific estate, only 80 of them devoted to viniculture.
In operation for sixteen years, the PB Valley estate has emerged as the pioneer of Thailand’s finest wines. Considered one of the leading vineyards – nationally, and in the Southeast Asian region -- the facility commands an unparalleled and comprehensive high-tech viniculture operation.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 
A tractor pulling a roofless bus concoction shuttled us from the parking lot near the winery’s Great Hornbill Grill on our guided tour of the vineyards and winery. Our guide, German born Heribert Gaksch, General Manager of the vineyards Hospitality Division, explained about grape varieties for viniculture and the kinds of table grapes also grown in their acreage.Winemakers strongly believe that their wines are as good as the grapevines growing in their grounds, making the daily care of the vineyards and management of the harvest critical to the ultimate quality of a wine.
Premium wines made from grapes grown in this exotic tropical latitude of 14.3 degrees north need plenty of tender loving care. PB Valley is planted with Shiraz and Chenin Blanc grapes from French rootstock while the Tempranillo grapes are from Spanish extraction. Italy and Germany have also provided parent grapevines.
Once in the cool quarters of the production facility, we attended a wine-making presentation and explored the confines of stainless steel and oak vats while enjoying a wine-tasting break.
An expert and extensive viniculture enterprise, the PB Valley winery boasts professional expertise and equipment to le
ad the wine-making production in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
The winery’s first highlight was ushered in with their 1998 harvest bringing forth a vintage which proved that quality wine could be successfully produced locally. Today PB Valley has surpassed its own expectations.
With Chenin Blanc and Shiraz as their strong, on-going classics, they have also released a red wine based on Spanish Tempranillo grapes reaped from the long, dry and cool period prior to the 2004 harvest which was perfect for grape maturity, providing an excellent blend of sugar and acid. The wine itself, a profound, reddish purple color had some evidence of vanilla and cedar in its aroma. It would make a perfect companion for red meats, lamb or pork. The winery’s restaurant serves traditional Thai, Continental and German fare. They also have a gourmet shop and top-notch resort facility drawing in local and international guests.
The efforts of PB Valley are evident in the recent run of accolades from the media but are even more apparent in the premium wines they continue to make.
For us, this was a well-spent weekend as once again we discovered one of our ‘host country’s’ amazing surprises.
By Edie Wilcox@ August 2006
A recently arrived American friend of mine, an obstinate and devoted wine connoisseur, tasted the superb Syrah wine I served her and commented on the full bodied fragrance and physical warmth with hints of woodland spices, “This must be a French Syrah, right?” “WRONG!” When I showed her the bottle, she was astounded, Thai wine?, she asked, staring at the pretty-labeled bottle in utter disbelief.
Wine has become the latest rage in Thailand; Thai vintners are eager to benefit from the budding market for locally produced wines although they have encountered obstacles along the road because in terms of sales Thai wines haven’t been able to match imported ones. Thai consumers have a penchant for imported items as evidence of their social status in a country that’s progressively more upwardly mobile and disposable income is on the rise.
Because of all these reasons our curiosity was peaked so we recently spent a weekend enjoying the wine country on the foothills that cut across the valley along the Khao Yai National Forest, not far from Bangkok.
Our first stop was the GranMonte Estate, a quaint ‘boutique’ winery, the smallest and youngest of the vineyards that flank the Khao Yai expanse.
Family owned and founded in 1999, bounded by vineyards perfectly trimmed in staked rows, GranMonte welcomed us to an ideal setting complete with gently sloping evergreen ranges, tidy gardens and a pond; a perfect background for this small winery - and for us, a superb break from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
Situated at the 14th parallel, the vineyards at khao Yai are distanced from the traditional 30th to 50th parallels deemed ideal for viniculture in the southern and northern hemispheres where wine production has prospered for centuries. However, the 1200 feet above sea level along with loamy, clay soils and slightly cooler temperatures seemed to make the deciding difference in providing good harvests. Thailand is becoming a pioneer for the ‘New Latitude Wines’ because they originate from superior vines nurtured within the margins of nearly perfect environmental conditions in a slender strip of land at a latitude of only 14 degrees north of the equator.
Owners and vintners Mr. and Mrs. Lohitnavy offer short tours of their –off the premises- wine-making facility and answer questions from inquisitive visitors. The 40-acre family estate includes the vineyards, the Montino gourmet shop and cellar door for wine-tasting, and VinCotto restaurant – where Mrs. Lohitnavy indulges her love of cooking.
Their fertile acreage incorporates Tempranillo, Syrah, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes while table grapes such as Thomson seedless, Hamburg and Muscat among others, are also grown in the grounds.
During the tour, the wine-making process from harvest to bottle was explained. Hundreds of oak barrels stack a room where some wines are aged before bottling; oak casks add additional aromas to the brew and the best ones are aged between one and three years after harvesting.
GranMonte’s original grapevines Syrah and Chenin Blanc came to Khao Yai directly from France. Mr. Lohitnavy says, “There’s much sunshine in Khao Yai, but cool nights and breezes are good for Syrah and Chenin Blanc grapes; akin to the south of France, they thrive in these parts”.
GranMonte’s premiere vintage in 2001 yielded 20,000 bottles of red and 6,000 of white wines; a year later, production improved by 25%, and moving ahead ever since.
Sampling wines at their cellar also provided spectacular mountain vistas in a very relaxed atmosphere. Surprisingly light and crisp their recent vintage Chenin Blanc was favored by most people in our group. Second best was the ruby red Syrah or Shiraz blend, a full bodied but mellow elixir that would pair excellently with red meats, or pasta.
For wine and fine food enthusiasts, VinCotto Restaurant included dishes drawn from fusions of diverse gastronomic traditions prepared admirably, and with practical elegance.
Chugging along on first gear, our van climbed its way once again through abrupt twisting lanes bordering the dense tropical forest along the foothills of the national park.
Located in the heartland of the highly-acclaimed "wine country", PB Valley Winery & Vineyard is one of Thailand’s largest and the very first to set up shop in the Khao Yai region. Similarly to GranMonte, the valley here rises 1000 to 1200 feet above sea level and has proved to be an excellent valley-floor for vineyards. The PB Valley Winery sits in the heart of a 320-hectare prolific estate, only 80 of them devoted to viniculture.
In operation for sixteen years, the PB Valley estate has emerged as the pioneer of Thailand’s finest wines. Considered one of the leading vineyards – nationally, and in the Southeast Asian region -- the facility commands an unparalleled and comprehensive high-tech viniculture operation.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 
A tractor pulling a roofless bus concoction shuttled us from the parking lot near the winery’s Great Hornbill Grill on our guided tour of the vineyards and winery. Our guide, German born Heribert Gaksch, General Manager of the vineyards Hospitality Division, explained about grape varieties for viniculture and the kinds of table grapes also grown in their acreage.Winemakers strongly believe that their wines are as good as the grapevines growing in their grounds, making the daily care of the vineyards and management of the harvest critical to the ultimate quality of a wine.
Premium wines made from grapes grown in this exotic tropical latitude of 14.3 degrees north need plenty of tender loving care. PB Valley is planted with Shiraz and Chenin Blanc grapes from French rootstock while the Tempranillo grapes are from Spanish extraction. Italy and Germany have also provided parent grapevines.
Once in the cool quarters of the production facility, we attended a wine-making presentation and explored the confines of stainless steel and oak vats while enjoying a wine-tasting break.
An expert and extensive viniculture enterprise, the PB Valley winery boasts professional expertise and equipment to le
ad the wine-making production in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
The winery’s first highlight was ushered in with their 1998 harvest bringing forth a vintage which proved that quality wine could be successfully produced locally. Today PB Valley has surpassed its own expectations.
With Chenin Blanc and Shiraz as their strong, on-going classics, they have also released a red wine based on Spanish Tempranillo grapes reaped from the long, dry and cool period prior to the 2004 harvest which was perfect for grape maturity, providing an excellent blend of sugar and acid. The wine itself, a profound, reddish purple color had some evidence of vanilla and cedar in its aroma. It would make a perfect companion for red meats, lamb or pork. The winery’s restaurant serves traditional Thai, Continental and German fare. They also have a gourmet shop and top-notch resort facility drawing in local and international guests.
The efforts of PB Valley are evident in the recent run of accolades from the media but are even more apparent in the premium wines they continue to make.
For us, this was a well-spent weekend as once again we discovered one of our ‘host country’s’ amazing surprises.
By Edie Wilcox@ August 2006
