I am sorry for the very long absence from this blog. I have been busy lately with quite a few things from all areas including setting up a new blog specific to fruit wines.

Please check it out here: The Daily Fruit Wine and let me know what you think!



I promise to be back very soon and do some serious updating. See you soon!

The other day I visited Chiang Rai winery. A beautiful facility surrounded by the lush rugged mountains of Northern Thailand.

We were greeted by smiles, which is obviously common in Thailand and had a very friendly and informative tour of the winery.

I was very interested in visiting this winery, as it is the fruit winery that has the best reputation in Thailand. Their main story is that they make “health wines”. Wines that have health properties in the fruits they use or in the medicinal herbs steeped in the wine.

I tried the off-dry lychee wine that had a great aroma but unfortunately was not very balanced.

The mangosteen wine was interesting and apparently their best seller. However, the wine was a bit vinegary and lacked varietal aroma and taste of what fresh mangosteens demonstrate.

One wine, which I really like and actually purchased, was the “Thai Tokay Wine” made from several kinds of herbs, such as, Doh - Mi - Rue - Lom, Aloe Vera and Santol. An interesting blend made in the sweet style and a nice tropical fruit, honey, almost apricot flavour, which I found alluring.
The winery produces about 40 000 bottles a year and has no problem selling them, mostly to Japanese and Korean tourists.

A trip to Chiang Rai winery proved to be a unique and interesting winery tour that should be done by anyone visiting the area.

The other day, the whole family had a day trip to Ayutthaya. It’s about an hour train ride north of where we live and was a great place to visit.

Quite popular on the tourist circuit but not busy at all as there are about 15 main sites to visit which include ruins, major Buddhist temples, ancient capital building and other very interesting sites.

We rented a tuk-tuk for half a day. The driver gave us a whirlwind tour of most places and we had a lovely lunch by the Chao Phraya River.

The history of Ayutthaya is fascinating; here is the “wiki”:

Ayutthaya city is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. The city was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong and became capital of his kingdom. The king came to escape smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri. Often referred as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam.

Ayutthaya was named after the city of Ayodhya in India, the birthplace of Rama in the Ramayana. In 1776, the Burmese army destroyed the city, and the ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was rebuilt a few kilometres to the east.

The city is located at the junction of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi and Pa Sak. The city is located at the junction of the Chao Phraya, Lopburi and Pa Sak rivers, and on the main north-south railway linking Chiang Mai to Bangkok. The old city is on an island formed by a bend of the Chao Phraya on the west and south sides, the Pa Sak on the east side and, on the northern side, the Klong Maung canal rivers, and on the main north-south railway linking Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

What amazed me the most while I visited is the sheer amount of history, culture and spiritual depth that exists in Thailand. This brief visit of Ayutthaya really brought this home.

There are still tons of things we did not get to see, so we will certainly be back soon.

Now that I am back in Thailand for a while, I am presently in the process of figuring out where to set-up a winery once financing is in place. Thailand is a very diverse place, with many areas that would probably be a good spot to set up. All areas are theoretically good. Fruit is available anywhere and prices do not really change too much from place to place, however there would be pros and cons for each potential place.

For the next few weeks, I am to visit many parts of Thailand to figure out where to set up shop so to speak.

I figured I would first go look around Pattaya City. It is a very popular tourist spot, quite close to Bangkok and there is already a large winery being set up there.

During this short trip, I visited industrial estates in the “EPZ” areas (Export Production Zones), the countryside along the way and Pattaya itself.

First impressions: Pattaya is a VERY interesting place.

Pattaya is nestled along the East Coast of the Gulf of Thailand roughly 160 km southeast of Bangkok. From a fishing village in the 60's, Pattaya has emerged as a favourite Southeast Asian vacation spot, particularly admired by Europeans, especially Eastern Europeans and Russians.

Pattaya is a very busy beach resort with countless restaurants, shopping malls and an overwhelming array of night entertainment facilities. I would compare Pattaya as the “Acapulco” of Thailand. There is a heck of a lot of things to do here and the city is a non-stop entertainment and water sports Mecca. However, what I think makes Pattaya particularly famous is its beer bars, nightclubs, exotic/erotic shows, saunas, massage parlours, and the very open and public sex trade. Pattaya at night is one huge party zone, especially along "Walking Street". I would say that the majority of tourists in Pattaya are single men…but they do not remain “single” for long….

As an area to go and enjoy the beach, Pattaya is not the place to go; however, to take part in the incredible amount of entertainment available there, it should not be missed.

The Silverlake Winery being set up very near Pattaya is very beautiful. Obviously, a lot of money is being poured into the project and much of it is from the European Union. It is being set up as not only a winery and vineyard but also a full service entertainment destination. I think they will do well for sure.


My initial thinking on the Pattaya is: Place to party? – . A place to do a wine business? -

Not that it is a bad place, it does have many pluses going for it but I just did not see any real Thai culture there. The whole area is incredibly westernized and is a big party town. I feel that people going there are mostly beer drinkers and would not go to Pattaya to visit wineries.

Overall, I really enjoyed my short trip to Pattaya. I will probably be back to party, maybe even sell wine, but I will leave it at that...