Wine From…Thailand?
My friend Chris, who works as a chemist in the Rosenblum lab, came back from another trip to Thailand and brought back with him some wine made in the northeastern part of the country. I was surprised to find out that there even is Thai wine, though, I guess I shouldn’t have been, what with wine’s ever-increasing popularity. I couldn’t find Thailand in the 97 edition of Tom Stevenson’s Wine Encyclopedia, but according to a website dedicated to Thailand’s wine, Chateau de Loei is the country’s “most successful wine maker” with wines were that were made beginning in 1995, making about 40,000 cases a year. If I recall what Chris was saying correctly, the weather is actually warm enough to have two separate crops, the major one being harvested in February.
Unfortunately, the 2003 Chateau de Loei Syrah Reserve was corked, so we couldn’t really analyze it. Chris told me that the 2004 vintages he tasted on his vacation were actually rather good, so we’ll have to take his word for it.
My local Total Wine did sell a Thai red made with indigenous grapes for quite a while (but based on their website do not anymore). I always meant to pick up a bottle and never did.
That’s too bad, Justin. Do you remember what the grape was? And I hear Total Wine is a good store. I think one opened recently in Sacramento, so I need to check it out next time I’m up that way.