Pioneering winemaker finds early success
When a democratically elected Myanmar president takes office this week after decades of military rule, some will be toasting the historic moment with a beverage decidedly not paired with this tropical, Southeast Asian nation: surprisingly high-quality, locally produced wine.
They might pour themselves an Aythaya sauvignon blanc ("internationally competitive", says one wine critic), a Shiraz-based red ("marvelous improvement over initial vintages") or start off with a refreshing sparkling rose.
These all stem from Myanmar's first winery, a pioneering effort by German entrepreneur Bert Morsbach, who overcame both political minefields and viticulturally virgin terrain to find himself catering to a growing middle class and booming tourism, which together create more demand than he can currently satisfy. He doesn't even have enough left over for export.
