Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand) (AFP)

Tired of great wines? Help yourself to a glass of Thai wine. To sell their nectar, two sisters, Mimi and Nikki, must convince fans put off by the tropical climate, rub themselves against severe legislation and protect the vines from elephants who venture onto the estate.

Too hot, too humid, too sunny: cultivating the vine for a long time was considered impossible in the kingdom. Today, Suvisooth (Mimi) and Vissotha (Nikki) Lohitnavy embody this adventure.

In the remote province of Nakhon Ratchasima, three hours northeast of Bangkok, the GranMonte vineyard was planted in 1999 on 16 hectares of clay and limestone soil by their father, a former racing driver.

The two women have taken up the torch: Nikki takes care of the vineyard, Mimi of marketing.

Eight grape varieties coexist, including international varieties such as syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chenin blanc, grenache and viognier. 10,000 bottles are produced each year.

And success is there, some vintages having won international awards.

Who "who claims to have never drunk a" great wine "from tropical viticulture has not yet tasted one of the wines from the GranMonte estate", was enthusiastic in 2017 in the French daily Le Figaro, Jean-Baptiste Ancelot, an expert who has visited more than 500 wine estates around the world.

- Expensive and elitist wine -

A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in his hand, Nikki caresses the vines drawn with the line.

"Winegrowers around the world want to know what we do here," said the 33-year-old woman who studied wine tasting in Australia, AFP said.

"With climate change, they have to adapt to warmer temperatures, more abundant rainfall", so they are interested in our production methods.

During the monsoon, from May to October, the vine's vegetative cycle is put to the test and Nikki has to monitor the rainfall.

You also have to learn to cut the vines according to local conditions and work with temperatures that sometimes flirt with 40 degrees during the dry season.

This laborious viticulture makes Thai wines expensive and elitist. A bottle of GrandMonte sells for more than 25 euros.

- Duopoly -

The economic crisis linked to the coronavirus has left its mark.

The estate lost 850,000 euros, a shortfall difficult to make up for, especially since the alcohol laws are becoming more and more severe in the Buddhist country.

Buying them in stores is prohibited at certain times. And, the authorities announced in early July a forthcoming ban on online sales. Objective announced: prevent consumption by minors.

Furthermore, no advertising is allowed, according to a law of 2008.

GranMonte can make its wine known internationally, but not in the kingdom. "I cannot display a bottle, I cannot describe on the internet the taste of such a grape, nor its qualities", laments Mimi. However, most of its production is sold in Thailand.

The two sisters criticize this arsenal, denouncing a difference in treatment vis-à-vis the giants of the sector who are certainly subject to the same legislation, but take advantage of the notoriety of their brand to sell and advertise otherwise, according to them.

In their sights, a duopoly run by two of the wealthiest families in the country.

The Sirivadhanabhakdi, whose fortune is estimated at more than 10 billion euros by Forbes, are at the head of the Thai Beverage Company which produces Chang beer. The Bhirombhakdi (1.6 billion euros) own the brasserie Boon Rawd and the famous beers Singha and Leo.

To mitigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus, the sisters, associated with small craft brewers, ask the government to authorize advertising and continue to allow sales on the internet. But the hopes are slim.

In the meantime, Mimi is watching her vines carefully. Elephants from neighboring Khao Yai National Park sometimes venture there. "They abandon the bananas and eat our grapes, we must call the + rangers + to the rescue".

© 2020 AFP