WineNZ Summer 18-19 (1)

feature | cellar door
Every winery should have one.
Some may say that it is a huge
and brave gamble to establish
wineries in Thailand (Monsoon
Valley is one of at least three
run by the same company), but
when you discover the person
behind the venture is Chalerm
Yoovidhya, the degree of risk
seems less significant. Chalerm
is a member of the Red Bull
energy drink family and, earlier
this year, was reported by Forbes
magazine to be worth $US21
billion.
That aside, Monsoon Valley is
a pleasant drive from Hua Hin,
so when you’re over the beach,
the pool, and the golf, it makes
for a great day trip. Most of the
time Thailand is hot as stink,
but the winery does have an
air-conditioned indoor section
where you can let the sweat
evaporate before you dine.
The food — salmon and a
beef dish — was adequate, and
the wines I sampled, sangiovese
rose, sparkling, and white shiraz,
were agreeable in the 34 degree
heat and stifling humidity.
The staff were hospitable and
full of knowledge about how
wonderful the Monsoon Valley
wine is.
But the winery was interesting
more for its quirky novelty value
rather than as a potential serious
player on the wine stage. It made
a big thing about “new latitude
wines” produced by companies
in Thailand, Vietnam, India
and Brazil, which “understand
tropical viticulture and
winemaking, putting their wines
on a par with favourites from
the old world”.
It sounded like a load of old
cobblers to me, but I’m glad
they’re trying, and the trip to
Monsoon Valley was a great
day out. If you’re in Hua Hin,
it is certainly worth making the
trip to the vineyard — even if
it is only to see the elephants.
The winery has plenty of rustic charm.
72 WineNZ Magazine | Summer 2018-19