A FAMILY AffAI

Gran Monte Vineyards

- Carol Wright visits GranMonte Vineyards located in the Asoke Valley, close to Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, and discovers a thriving family enterprise producing award-winning wines

It was Louis XIV's envoys who introduced white Malaga grapes to Thailand in the 17th century. However, grapes were only grown as fruit until the 1980's when the Thai king encouraged farmers to diversify their crops. Vineyards were encouraged, and experiments showed that varieties such as Shiraz and Chenin Blanc flourished in Thailand's tropical climate.

In 1999, the Lohitnavy family bought 12 hectares of land, a former cashew and corn farm, in Thailand's Asoke valley near the Khao Yai National Park to the northeast of Bangkok. Having always had an interest in wine, Visooth Lohitnavy decided to plant a vineyard here as a retirement project. This eventually evolved into full-time occupations for Visooth, his wife Sakuna and his daughters, Nikki, who became the general manager and winemaker, and Mimi, who took on the role of director of PR and Marketing.

Their vineyard, GranMonte, named for a nearby craggy limestone hill, has become a leading Thai producer, winning over 100 awards in the past four years, including Best National Producer for six years at the AWC Vienna International Wine Competition.

With a degree in oenology from Adelaide University, Nikki is Thailand's first and only academically qualified oenologist, and is noted internationally for her knowledge of winemaking in tropical climes