Grape wine from Thailand? Twenty years ago people laughed at the idea. Today, many of those who scoffed are drinking Thai wine. The country now possesses a small, but determined group of wine makers who are beginning to produce wine capable of complementing the Kingdom's justifiably famous cuisine.

It all started in 1982 when Chalerm Voovidthya established Siam Winery near Samut Sakorn. In 1986, the winery produced its first grape wine product, Spy, a wine cooler designed for the mass market. Although wine purists look down on products like Spy, it was a shrewd marketing move. The Thais weren't familiar with grape wine and this was an 'easy to drink' product attractive to those just entering the drinking and nightclub scene. Spy quickly caught on and now sells 90 million bottles per year and is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Thailand among women.

After the success of Spy, Siam Winery moved into the premium wine business. One of its first steps was to hire French winemaker Laurent Metge-Toppin as a consultant. Under his guidance, the first premium wine was introduced in 1997 and the first tangible sign of success was in 2001, when one of the winery’s white wines won a bronze medal at the London International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Initially, the winery marketed its premium wine under the Chatemp label, but in 2003 the more intriguing name 'Monsoon Valley' was introduced. Although premium wine sales locally have been modest (54,000 bottles in 2004), sales abroad have increased dramatically from 14,004 bottles in 2002 to 160,000 bottles in 2004 and a projected 250,000 bottles in 2005. The export demand has been fuelled primarily by a successful 'Thai wine with Thai food' marketing campaign in Thai restaurants overseas. In the UK in 2004, for example, Monsoon Valley wines were found in 250 Thai restaurants and selling at a rate of 15,000 bottles per month. The projections for the UK for 2005 are sales of 50,000 bottles per month in 600 restaurants, a growth rate that would put a smile on the face of any CEO.

In addition to the sales of the Monsoon Valley label, Siam Winery is now producing a white, a red and a rosé wine under a house label for the Blue Elephant restaurant chain. With 13 restaurants, 12 of which are abroad, sales in these restaurants should be significant. Furthermore,

Kim Wachtveitl, the winery's Director of Business Development, states that other restaurants have expressed an interest in developing their own house labels.

Although Siam Winery's premium wines are modelled after traditional Western wines, the winery has retained the individuality for which Thais are famous. More than any other, Siam Winery has developed a uniquely Thai character. To start with, two of the grapes used extensively by the winery-Malaga Blanc, a white, and Pokdum, a red-are 'local' grapes rarely used in wine making. Introduced into Thailand in 1685, the Malaga Blanc is a popular table grape in Thailand. Pokdum is a mutation of the Golden Queen and Muscat Bailey grapes that were cloned and given to friends by 'Nong Pok', a boy for whom the grape is named. Pokdum in particular shows great promise with a uniquely Thai taste.

Another feature that makes wine traditionalists stop and take notice is the way many of Siam Winery's grapes are grown and harvested. The vineyards from which the company buys many of its grapes are located in the fertile delta formed by the Chao Phraya and other large rivers emptying into the Gulf of Thailand. The region is crisscrossed by large canals built during the reign of King Rama IV. Farms have traditionally been irrigated by siphoning off water from these canals and letting it flow through smaller 'canals' that pass through the area's numerous orchards, vineyards and small farms. Water percolates from these smaller canals to the crops, eliminating the need for any other form of irrigation. The plots under cultivation are small islands surrounded by water from the canals, causing a wine writer to refer to the vineyards as ‘floating vineyards'. The vineyards, of course, really aren’t floating, but the name has been a publicist's dream come true and tour groups are now coming to see Samut Sakorn's 'famous floating vineyards'.

A fascinating sight is the panorama presented when the grapes are being harvested. The small canals around the vineyards make it difficult to transport the harvest by traditional means. As a result, the grapes are transported by small boats from point of harvest to trucks waiting at roadside collection points. The sight of a beautiful Thai woman paddling a boat laden with grapes produces a picture taking frenzy rivalling that seen at the floating market in nearby Damnoen Saduak.

There are currently three main wines produced from the Chao Phraya delta vineyards. The medium bodied Monsoon Valley Red is 70% Pokdum, 20% Shiraz and 10% Black Muscat. It is garnet red with a violet tinge, possesses bright and clean red fruit aromas and a spicy character. The light bodied Monsoon Valley Malaga Blanc is 85% Malaga Blanc and 15% Colombard. It is pale yellow and possesses aromas of lemongrass and watermelon. Although great with fish dishes, it makes for a pleasant aperitif. The Monsoon Valley Rosé is perhaps the most exotic of the three. Made from Malaga Blanc and Pokdum, it does very well with a variety of Thai dishes that are often difficult to match with wine, including the Kingdom's delicious, but spicy, salads.

In addition to the grapes grown on the Chao Phraya delta, Siam Winery produces wine from grapes grown in Pak Chong district near Saraburi. The company's Tap Gwang vineyard is devoted to Shiraz grapes and in 2004 its Shiraz Special Reserve won a bronze medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. In 2005 a Colombard wine will also be produced. Initial reactions to this new product have been positive. In 2007 the winery will open a winery house, education centre and restaurant near Hua Hin to publicize its wines. There will also be a 100-hectare vineyard near the centre.

It will be interesting to see if Siam Winery's premium wines continue to be produced from grapes grown in the floating vineyards of the Chao Phraya delta. This is definitely not the way it is done elsewhere, but never lose sight of the fact that this is 'Amazing Thailand'. The company is currently trying to adapt Colombard, Syrah, Mourvédre, Carignan and Muscat of Alexandria grapes to this style of vineyard. Hopefully, the experiments will be a success. The world's staid and conservative wine industry could use a little more of the excitement produced by Siam Winery and its floating vineyards.