lazygourmet Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Next January, I have a friend journalist who is coming with his television crew to make a documentary about Thailand wine production. They are going to stay for eight weeks (or so)... until the next harvest. Contacts has been made already with one winery (Khao Yai & Hua Hin Hills). Now trying to help him, a little bit more, I was just wondering if any member of this forum is involved in wine production... or has a better insider knowledge than me!?! Any suggestion and/or idea will be the most welcome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Moved to "General" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Send him a bottle of Thai wine to taste. Then he'll know not to waste his time coming here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Send him a bottle of Thai wine to taste.Then he'll know not to waste his time coming here. Unless they are filming in odorama... I do not see the point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDRIDER Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Hi Thai wine,,, taste like sh!te, and i tried a few Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian007 Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Well, I agree that the wine isn't very good yet, but I think that is because it is still in its infancy here. Some of the wineries have been operating for a while, and you're starting to see some consumable wines from them. Give them 10 or 20 years and it'll better. I saw the development of Southern Ontario into a wine region. It took a long time, and while generally they still can't compete with the big name areas, some wineries have won many international awards, and we've become famous for our icewines. If this show is about winery developments in new areas, it might be educational to look at Thailand and see what is happening here. I'm also curious if there is any attempt to make a product that is different from the rest of the market, in order to make a name for Thai wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 HiThai wine,,, taste like sh!te, and i tried a few What has your reply to do with the OP posters question??? Now trying to help him, a little bit more, I was just wondering if any member of this forum is involved in wine production... or has a better insider knowledge than me!?! You should not post if you have no answer to a question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDRIDER Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 (edited) HiThai wine,,, taste like sh!te, and i tried a few What has your reply to do with the OP posters question??? Now trying to help him, a little bit more, I was just wondering if any member of this forum is involved in wine production... or has a better insider knowledge than me!?! You should not post if you have no answer to a question! Hi Well maybe this guy dont know how Thai wine taste, at least he now know and can tell his friend, if its to much feel free to delete it Forgot: no answer here has been what the OP asked for Edited October 15, 2009 by HDRIDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkjames Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Found this article the OP may find helpful.. http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/2484.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Found this article the OP may find helpful..http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/2484.asp Cheers James As you might understand, the documentary will not be about quality of Thai wine. It will be about the uniqueness of harvesting grapes and making wine in South-East Asia (Bali & Vietnam are as well in the plan) Regarding my trade (hospitality industry), I had the pleasure to meet, from time to time, real people who are passionate about wine. Whose at the beginning did not thought about it as an investment... But like a golf course, passionate or not, at the end that costs a lot. (Grandmonte and Chateau des Brumes just come to my mind). These people are able to make 3 harvests in one year... (Faire pisser la vigne!) Which is giving something like the usual plonck ; that even most of the member of this forum cannot even afford! That's purely commercial... Thereafter, there is passion... and they produce at a minimalist level great wines, which are -more and more often- receiving medals. Next month, there will be another blind wine tasting, to compare Syrah (Shyraz) grown under latitude. 6 countries and 18 producers will be in the competition (3 are Thai)... You will be my guest,to guess which ones the are!?! I will PM you for details by the end of this month... PS: This time it will not be an unofficial TV pissup contest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkkjames Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Found this article the OP may find helpful..http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/2484.asp Cheers James As you might understand, the documentary will not be about quality of Thai wine. It will be about the uniqueness of harvesting grapes and making wine in South-East Asia (Bali & Vietnam are as well in the plan) Regarding my trade (hospitality industry), I had the pleasure to meet, from time to time, real people who are passionate about wine. Whose at the beginning did not thought about it as an investment... But like a golf course, passionate or not, at the end that costs a lot. (Grandmonte and Chateau des Brumes just come to my mind). These people are able to make 3 harvests in one year... (Faire pisser la vigne!) Which is giving something like the usual plonck ; that even most of the member of this forum cannot even afford! That's purely commercial... Thereafter, there is passion... and they produce at a minimalist level great wines, which are -more and more often- receiving medals. Next month, there will be another blind wine tasting, to compare Syrah (Shyraz) grown under latitude. 6 countries and 18 producers will be in the competition (3 are Thai)... You will be my guest,to guess which ones the are!?! I will PM you for details by the end of this month... PS: This time it will not be an unofficial TV pissup contest well with you in the contest, what chance do we have anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Found this article the OP may find helpful..http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/2484.asp Cheers James As you might understand, the documentary will not be about quality of Thai wine. It will be about the uniqueness of harvesting grapes and making wine in South-East Asia (Bali & Vietnam are as well in the plan) Regarding my trade (hospitality industry), I had the pleasure to meet, from time to time, real people who are passionate about wine. Whose at the beginning did not thought about it as an investment... But like a golf course, passionate or not, at the end that costs a lot. (Grandmonte and Chateau des Brumes just come to my mind). These people are able to make 3 harvests in one year... (Faire pisser la vigne!) Which is giving something like the usual plonck ; that even most of the member of this forum cannot even afford! That's purely commercial... Thereafter, there is passion... and they produce at a minimalist level great wines, which are -more and more often- receiving medals. Next month, there will be another blind wine tasting, to compare Syrah (Shyraz) grown under latitude. 6 countries and 18 producers will be in the competition (3 are Thai)... You will be my guest,to guess which ones the are!?! I will PM you for details by the end of this month... PS: This time it will not be an unofficial TV pissup contest well with you in the contest, what chance do we have anyway? Will keep you posted in November between Halloween and Friday 13th... Sans blague aucune, mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatouthruthefog Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Next January, I have a friend journalist who is coming with his television crew to make a documentary about Thailand wine production. They are going to stay for eight weeks (or so)... until the next harvest. Contacts has been made already with one winery (Khao Yai & Hua Hin Hills). Now trying to help him, a little bit more, I was just wondering if any member of this forum is involved in wine production... or has a better insider knowledge than me!?! Any suggestion and/or idea will be the most welcome... You can PM me (with your e-mail please) any time re the small winery run with German expertise just outside Chiang Mai city. But whatever happened to the very nice & cheap red Khow Khor (mai speling mae be rong) from Phitsanuloke? Disappeared from our shelves terminally about 3 years ago, just as it was getting good....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilsongbrown Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Well, I agree that the wine isn't very good yet, but I think that is because it is still in its infancy here. Some of the wineries have been operating for a while, and you're starting to see some consumable wines from them. Give them 10 or 20 years and it'll better.I saw the development of Southern Ontario into a wine region. It took a long time, and while generally they still can't compete with the big name areas, some wineries have won many international awards, and we've become famous for our icewines. If this show is about winery developments in new areas, it might be educational to look at Thailand and see what is happening here. I'm also curious if there is any attempt to make a product that is different from the rest of the market, in order to make a name for Thai wine. Whilst I believe the Thais produce quite possibly one of the very best cuisines in the world, all of their alcohol sucks, from their chemical laden beer to their mind numbing whiskey aka lao kao. So don't expect them to be able to produce something as sophisticated as a wine this lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarlos Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 (edited) Actually, it could be an interesting documentary, hel_l, anybody who buys a documentary about wine in Southeast Asia, probably doesn't know anything about wine anyway. Still, a good place to get soused (cheaply) with a nice atmosphere is many a thai traveler's dream. Have you considered mao berry wineries? There is one in Rangsit called Thiptipa Co.([email protected]) The mao berry makes a tasty wine, similar to a grape wine, especially in the north of Thailand, or in other mountainous regions. Also, it is very cheap(about 250 baht a bottle in Lampang). You might consider going to these wineries that specialize in mao berry wines, as there are a lot of them throughout Thailand. Edited November 12, 2009 by tcarlos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siam2007 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 why your friend will not visit CHATEAU DE LOEI ? were they not the pioneers in producing wine in LOS ? apart from that, I unfortunately must agree that I still have to encounter any decent Thai wine that would make me actually DRINK it instead of consider it as vinegar. but maybe I am just too spoilt for choices after growing up just 500 Meters away from our municipal vineyard ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian007 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 (edited) The mao berry makes a tasty wine, similar to a grape wine, especially in the north of Thailand, or in other mountainous regions. Also, it is very cheap(about 250 baht a bottle in Lampang). You might consider going to these wineries that specialize in mao berry wines, as there are a lot of them throughout Thailand. This is what I was talking about. While Thai grape wines will have a hard time reaching the best of western Europe, they can define themselves by creating other fruit-wines that may be better suited to the region. Some of the fruit wines in southern Ontario went on to win many international awards by using pears, cherries, and other local fruits. I know it's not "wine" in the strictest sense, but I hope it receives mention in this documentary. Wine can be fun too! (although acting as a sommelier can also be fun!) Edited November 12, 2009 by Meridian007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoorSucker Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Never heard of any actors from Somalia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I saw a documentary about producing wine in Thailand, years ago. Of course I don't know any details anymore, but maybe possible to find that again. I think (but absolutly not sure) that it was on TV5 (that channel you can get in Europe) 2002 or 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarlos Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 For you friend's documentary, look up a newer winery north of Chiang Rai, Mae Chan Winery. There is a website. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Silverlakes outside Pattaya are also producing wine, they are currently selling Shiraz 2007, plus a couple of others although I have not tried them yet I will take a trip out next week and get a couple of bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catmac Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Unlike some of the posters here, I have found some quite reasonable Thai wines. However, the present punitive taxation on wine will stifle any attempt to get the industry really developing. Without a good domestic market for its product, I can't see too many people investing. So sad, and so very short-sighted of the Government. Maybe a switch to drinking wine with a meal instead of the customary whisky, could do something to reduce the general level of alcoholism! Anyway, sorry I can't help you with your specific request, but best of luck in your endeavors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian007 Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Never heard of any actors from Somalia. As to the taxation, I've never understood why there are still such high taxes on domestic wines. You'd think they would want to make them more competitive with foreign wine (just like the beer and whiskey market), but it doesn't seem to be the case. If they could develop the market, maybe we could see some Thai wines without so many additives, that's what I really want to see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QED Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Silverlakes outside Pattaya are also producing wine, they are currently selling Shiraz 2007, plus a couple of others although I have not tried them yet I will take a trip out next week and get a couple of bottles. Are you sure about that? Last time I went there they were only producing grape juice - most disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazygourmet Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Thanks to all of you for your comments... Actually, I thought that this topic was already dead In the mean time, contactshave been made with Chateau de Loei, Chateau des Brumes, PB valley, Siam Winery (Hua Hin & Khao Yai) & Grandmonte estate. All with -each time- very positive feedback... Talking about quality of these wines was not my point... subject that can only be debated with a glass in your hand! The main interest is to produce a documentary about latitude wines. Bali being as well in the plan. Cheers... and I will keep you posted when available for viewing (sometime around Easter, next year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarlos Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 From my experience from winemaking in Temecula, CA, it is difficult to grow a grape in a non-temperate climate. The intense humidity just doesn't produce a grape with the right complexities as we are used to in the west. However, I am sure there are some wines worth trying in Thailand in highland areas, or if the juice is shipped from the highlands, it can be fermented in a winery production facility closer to Bangkok like Silverlakes, if that is the case there. Like I said before in another post, the mao berry wines are quite good and most laymen would not know the difference in a blind taste test from a grape wine. The ones that can be found online around Bangkok are Uncle Choo and De Pupanne. Cheers, Toby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Are you sure about that? Last time I went there they were only producing grape juice - most disappointing. Was there last Wednesday and they had a small selection of wines for sale, will pop out next week and get a bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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