Raise a Glass to Aythaya Wine
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Inle Lake, Bagan, Yangon, Mandalay,
Myanmar
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The world of wine has a rich history. It is a cultural fingerprint in many countries that had influenced them both culturally and agriculturally. In most of the books telling the stories of wine, wine experts say that to taste wine is to taste the grape, soil of the land it has been grown and produced, season rain. Each wine has different level of dryness, softness, sweetness, influenced by the soil in the season grapes are grown. Those words are true, especially for wine experts or even those who so much like drinking wine.
I like wine, both drinking wine and reading stories about wine. There are many countries in this world producing wine, including boutique wine, for example Australia, France, Italy, Chili, Africa, or even in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, fruit wine of Vietnam or even rice wine of Laos, known as spirit. Nowadays, you can find wine is everywhere: in
beach hotels and resorts restaurants, some luxurious tented camps, in city cafes, galas, parties, honeymoon trip, on flights, balloon flight and
cruise trips like the Road to Mandalay, Delta Queen Cruise, Ayravata Cruise , Chindwin Cruise and Manohra Song Cruise, or in events and festivals celebrations. Wine has still played its role as a symbol of celebration. & nbsp;
Coming back to countries producing wine, when people think of Myanmar, wine is probably the last thing that springs to mind, but Bert Morsbach, CEO of Myanmar's premiere vineyard, is one of many 'new-latitude&rsquo ; vintners who hope to change that.
Back in 1997, Morsbach founded his vineyard, Aythaya Wine, among Buddhist monasteries on the slopes of Aythaya's Taunggyi Mountains, and aimed to create a wine that could compete with the top vintners from the world's classic wine-producing countries.
Producing wine in a tropical climate is no mean feat, and Morsbach faced many challenges and obstacles. "Had I not been convinced that we could make a quality wine up in our mountains, I would not have started the project," he admits. And after two failed crop seasons, Aythaya Wine was finally able to present its first wine, the 'Aythaya Red', at Yangon's Le Planteur Restaurant in December 2004.
Aythaya wines are part of the "new latitude wines," which are created in places far from the traditional centers of Europe, California, Australia and South America. In terms of wine-making, countries like Brazil, India and Thailand hope to someday stand in pride next to France, Australia and Chile and Morsbach is one hopeful contender in the movement.
The German-born vintner plans to eventually retire in Myanmar, and sees the Aythaya Vineyard as a labor of love. As part of developing the surrounding area, the vineyard has renovated a local Buddhist orphanage, earning it the name the "orphanage vineyard." They are also currently in the process of expanding their tourist facilities, which already include five guest rooms, a restaurant and swimming pool.
Why not add a visit to the Aythaya Vineyard to a tour of Myanmar? We know that wine enthusiast like you would never missed to raise a glass of wine or more to taste the grapes and soil of Myanmar. Exotissimo Myanmar makes stops at the Aythaya Vineyard on the way to Inle Lake, where you can indulge in some wine tasting and have lunch in an intimate setting.
Interested in a glass of Burmese wine? Have a look at our eight- day Essential Myanmar Tour.
Contact for making an inquiry for this tour at go.myanmar@exotissimo.com
