11[J Inst. Enol. Vitic. Yamanashi Univ. 23 11-15 1988]

Studies on the Production of Grapes and Winemaking InThailand
Cooperative Research Program between Thailand and Japan

PRADlT

KARUWANNA"

andKOKI

YOKOTSUKA"

1) Institute of Food Research and Product Development,
Kasetsart University, P. 0. Box 4-170, Bangkok 10400,Thailand.
2) Institute of Enology and Viticulture, YamanashiUniversity, Kofu, Yamanashi 400, Japan.

High humidity is the rule in Thailand and Japan. As a result of this, grape
varieties must be tolerant especially to fungal diseases and viruses caused by highhumidity in the growing season. Furthermore, the grapes produced in the twocountries are of low acidity and low sugar even though the air temperature in
Thailand is rather high. Thus, it has proven difficult to establish European grape
varieties in the two countries, although north American grape varieties grow very
easily under such climatic conditions.
Koshu grape variety and Muscat Bailey variety are typical grape varieties
for white wine and red wine, respectively. The Japan's climatic conditions arevery suitable to the growth of these varieties. However, with the above two varieties, we cannot get enough grapes needed for commercial wine production. The
two varieties are expected to match the Thailand's climatic conditions. Therefore,
we are planning to plant various wine grapes including the two varieties in Thailand. Production of wines from these grapes will be carried out in near future. One
advantage in growing grapes in Thailand is that there are 5 harvest seasons forgrapes per 2 years.
As the first stage of this joint research between Thailand and Japan, we Investigated the real situation of grape and wine industries in Thailand.

12KARUWAN A and YOKOTSUKA

Grapes and Wine Production III Thailand
PRADIT KARUWANNA

developed gradually. Viticulturists and local
grape growers found out by many years ofThai people have been drinking wine fortrials that the centr al plain area aroundhundreds of - years without knowing or menBangkok is the suitable place for table grapetioning the alcoholic beverages they drank ascultivation. So in 1960 many table grape vinewines. The turbid wines they made and conyards were established for commercial pursumed at that time were (glutinous) rice wines
pose inakorn Pathom Province and thenand palm wines. The process of making wasexpanded to the nearby provinces of Samutalmost the same as nowaday's rice wine- mak- - Songkram, Samut Sakorn and Ratchaburi. Vitis
vinifera varieties of white malaga (white) anding. It was quite simple, using Laake-pang(Ragi) as an inoculum. There are many kinds ofcardinal (red) are the main commercial varieties at present.
Laake-pang. Some consist of only yeasts ormolds and some consist of mixtures of both.
The first commercial fruit wine production
Mostly Laake-pang are contaminated within Thailand began in 1939 by Siphya Fruitbacteria. To prevent the undesirable action ofWine Factory in Bangkok. The products werebacteria, small pieces or powders of herbs,
sometimes found on the market for about 20
spices and medicinal tree barks are usually
years, but finally the winery was completely
added to Looke-pang and fermenting wines.
closed. Local grape mixed wines were introThe quality of rice wines and palm wines wasduced to the market in 1967 by Pramualpol
Co. Ltd., Nakorn Pathom Province, and are
not so good and consistant. They had to drinkstill on the market at present. Rice wines
them within a few days after the end of(Ou, Sato, Kachae) were at that time profermentation or even drink before fermentaduced in a modified process by Sura Thaidirm
tion was terminated, otherwise the wines
Co. Ltd., Ayuthya Province, but disappeared
would have turned into vineger.
The first European wines may be brought - from the market only a few years later. The
first Thai brandy "Regency" was produced into Thailand by French Missionaries and representatives of King Louis XIV in the reign
1977 by Suwannapoome Distillery Co. lld.,
Nakorn Path am Province, and is still on theof King Narayana the great of Thailand
market with increasing volume of production(1656-1688). They brought the wines for theirevery year. Three coolers: Cooler Club, Spy
own consumption. The more new countries
and Seagram were produced in Thailand
Thailand contacted with, the more kinds ofsince 1987 by Pramualpol Co. Ltd.,
TCwines and alcoholic beverages from foreigncountries came in. But there was no idea of·Pharmaceutical Industry Co- Ltd., and Seagram(Thailand) Co. Ltd., respectively. Masala (whiteestablishing a winery in Thailand. This mayand rose') table wines are also produced byhave been due to lack of grapes and vinePramualpol Co. Ltd. since February 1988.
yards. Another reason was that very rare or
few Thai people drank wine or knew about
Wines, brandy and some coolers in Thailandwines at that time.
are produced from table grapes. Hopefullyin the next few years, new modern wineries
Seeds and cuttings of table grapes from theUnited Stated and European countries may
will be developed in Thailand since many oldhave been brought into Thailand during theand new vineyards are now active in cultireign of King Rama VII of Thailand (1925vating suitable new wine grapes for quality1934) and cultivated since ·then. Cultivationwine making.
Development of grape growing and wine
making in Thailand

Production of Grapes and Winemaking in Thailand
Meteorogical conditions

very short and not so cold. The wet monsoonal period starts against the end of thesummer. The annual rainfall and rainydays
are shown in Table 1 and 2.

Thailand, a tropical country, has 3 seasonsa year : summer (March-June), rainy ( JulyOctober) and winter (November-February). The
average temperature is 30-35°C. The winter isTable 1.

13

Annual rainfall by region (1982-1986)

Region

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

average

North-Eastern

1438.81341.31477.91361.81428.31409.6

Northern

1041.11238.51081.31260.31100.71144.4

Central plain

1453.41773.11250.51434.21431.31468.5Southern

2168.12256.42289.92280.72472.02293.4

unit : m.m.
Table 2.

Annual rainy day

Region

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

average

North -Eastern

120.0

116.7

124.4

120.4

109.8

118.3

location by region (1982-1986)

Northern

112.8

119.9115.9

126.6

106.7

116.4

Central Plain

124.1

122.5

113.2

131.2

113.7

120.9

Southern

166.3

154.5

178.5

176.7

167.0

168.6

unit

day

Viticultural practice

The four main grape growing provinces around Bangkok are Nakorn pathom, SamutSakorn, Samut Songkram and Ratchaburi.
White Malaga(95%), Cardinal and Muscat Hamburg (5 %) are the three varieties of tablegrapes grown there. Under tropical conditions,vines keep on growing. Fruiting is induced bypruning and artificial defoliation. The vines
are planted 3.0 m. apart in rows approximately 4 m. wide. In the low land areas where thewater level is relatively high there is a 3m. wideirrigation canal between the rows. The vinebank is about 0.8- 1.0 m. above the water level. The vines grow year round and the harvesting time can be manipulated by adjusting

the pruning time so that grapes can be harvested every month. The two principal trellis
system are a seven wire overhead trellis andan overhead pergola system. The overhead training system results in a main trunk to 1.6
m. high and a 2 m. wide fruiting frameworkof four arms at perpendicular to each otherspread over the wire lattice. The developing
shoots of the main framework are pruned to7-10 buds and all the leaves are plucked fromthe vines by hand. The first pruning can bemade when the vine is only 10-12 months old.
Harvest takes place after pruning approximately 110-130 days then the vines are left
for 1 month before being repruned and defoliated. After three crops the canes are pruned

KARUWANNA and YOKOTSUKA

14

back to two-bud replacement spurs. Cardinaland Muscat Hamburg varieties can be pruned
to produced three crops a year whereas whitemalaga variety will only produce 2 crops ayear or 5 crops over a 2 years period. The
average yield per vine per crop is 15-30 kg.
Planting density will average 100-130 vines perrai (0.4 acre). The life of a vine is short normally 5-7 years on the low land areas andTable 3.

more- than 10 years on the normal or highland.
The current market price for white malaga is
US$ 0.6-2.0. Cardinal and Muscat Hamburg sell
at about US$ 0.6-1.5. The berries usually
have· the following composition : 14-16° Brix,pH 4.0 ±0.5, total acidity 0.3-0.4 % (as tartaricacid). The annual production of grapes (19821986) is shown in table 3.

Annual production of table grapes.
1982

1983

Area( rail26,620

Total harvest (tons/yr)

63.82

Yield (tons/rai/yr)

2.40

1984

1985

1986

23,132

20,884

19,865

16,213

45.09

30.02

27.49

25.5

1.95

1.44

1.38

1.57

unit : kg/rai/yr.
1 rai =0.4 acre.

Import and local

wines

The most important countries which exported wines to Thailand are France, Germany,Table 4.

U.S.A., Australia and Italy. Quantity and spirit tax of the imported wines to Thailand
during the year 1983-1985 is shown in Table 4.

Quantity and spirit tax of the imported wines during 1983-1985.

There are 3 wineries (Pramualpol Co. Ltd.,
T.e. Pharmaceutical Industry Co. Ltd. andSeagram Co. Ltd.) and one brandy factory(Suwannapoome Distillery Co. Ltd.) in Thailand.
Pramualpol Co. Ltd. produces both wines andcoolers but the other 2 companies produce

Production of Grapes and Winemaking in Thailand
only coolers. TC Pharmaceutical Industry Co.
Ltd. is the largest winery in Thailand. Sales
Table 5.

volume comparison of the local brandy, wineand cooler in 1986-1988 is shown in Table 5.

Sales volume comparison of local brandy, wine and cooler.

Category

1986

Brandy301,260

Table wines

96,720CoolersUnit

151988(Jan.-Jul.)

1987
749,540

517,340

57,68035,3401,648,000

1,365,828

It.

Research arid development for wine grapes
cultivation in Thailand.

Research and development is being done
since 1981 by Seagram and Sons Co. Ltd. fromthe United States sent cuttings of 18 different varieties of wine grapes to be cultivated
at 6 experiment stations in Thailand. The results were quite satisfactory but research anddevelopment on many different imported grape
varieties cultivated at different places In
Thailand are still carried on by both privatecompanies and governmental agencies. Somevarieties showed high potential yield withgood adaptation to the climatic conditions ofThailand ie Chenin blanc, Trebbiano, Marsanne,
Chasselas, Excelsior, Portugieser, Seibel, etc.
The
world'swell-known
varieties
ze
Chardonnay. Portugieser, Seibel, etc. The world's
well-known varieties ie Chardonnay, Riesling,
Sauvignon blanc, Semillion, Muller Thurgau,
Cabernet sauvignon and Malbec can be grown
but the yield is lower and the characteristic
is partly lost.
Acknowledgement

The author would like to express his thanks'
to Department of excise, Ministry of Finance,
Thailand, for their courtesy in providing somedata.

References

1) Agricultural Statistics of Thailand Crop
Year 1986/87. Office of Agric Economics,
M in. of Agric and Co-operatives. Thailand.
2) Agro-Food. Fac. of Agro·industry, Kasetsart
Univ., Bangkok : 1 (1) 2-8. (1988).
3) The Australian Grapegrower & Winemaker.
No. 282, June 1987. page 36-37.
4) Thirty Year of Horticulture in Thailand.
Kasetsart Univ., Bangkok, 7-9 Nov. 1987.,
Page 94-98.
5) Alcohol Fermentation Society of Thailand,
Kasetsart University. 2 (1) 59-67. (1983).