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Category Archives: Wine regions of the world


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Redefining the Boundaries of Wine

New Latitude Winemaking at Monsoon Valley, Thailand

If you were asked to name the least likely place on earth to grow grapes, Thailand would probably be high on the list. Located between roughly 5° and 20° north of the equator, with most vineyards clustered around 13–15°N, it lies far outside what we have traditionally considered viable viticultural territory. Tropical, relentlessly hot and humid, with monsoon rains, blazing sun, unpredictable seasons and constant disease pressure, this requires viticulture played on expert mode.

And yet, Thailand is making wine. Not just novelty wine, but increasingly serious, drinkable and diverse wine that challenges our assumptions about where viticulture belongs.

My first encounter with Thai wine came almost by accident: a bottle from Monsoon Valley slipped into a Decanter ‘lucky dip’ box. Later, during a visit to Thailand, I tasted more of their range and was genuinely surprised by the quality, and I was intrigued to find out more. Initial curiosity quickly turned into fascination, how on earth do you grow grapes, let alone make good wine in a climate like theirs?

New Latitude Winemaking

The answer lies in what is now known as ‘New Latitude Winemaking’: wine production outside the traditional 30–50° latitude bands of the northern and southern hemispheres. These regions break almost every classical rule of viticulture and rely on intense human intervention, scientific adaptation and constant experimentation to succeed.

To understand this first-hand, I travelled to Monsoon Valley to meet their winemaker and viticulturist, Suppached Sasomsin. Suppached graduated in Biochemistry, followed by a master’s degree in Viticulture and Wine. He subsequently worked in different winemaking areas including New Zealand, France and Germany. His combination of passion, technical knowledge and practical ingenuity is central to the current project.

Monsoon Valley is on the Malay Peninsula, two hours south of Bangkok and 35 km from the seaside town of Hua Hin. The estate is unexpectedly grand: 110 hectares in total, with 48 hectares planted to vines.  I arrived in late November, expecting sunshine and lush tropical vineyards, but was struck instead by waterlogged soils, heavy humidity and low, rain-filled cloud. The monsoon had overstayed its welcome.

Suppached looked worried. He explained that the usual November pruning had to be delayed this year because it was simply too wet. Pruning now would not only be technically challenging but a disease risk.  However, if the pruning was delayed too long then harvest would be pushed forward to the rainy season. At this latitude, temperatures never fall below 0°C so vines never really shut down and experience winter dormancy. As a result, they simply keep growing, producing vast amounts of foliage. If left unchecked, it leads to poor fruit quality. The solution is extreme pruning. Vines here are pruned twice a year, heavily, once in April, when they are cut right back, and again in November.

Thai producers traditionally harvested twice a year, but here they have moved to a single higher quality harvest during the spring dry season. In Monsoon valley, this is usually mid-February to late March.

Viticulture without a rulebook

Waterlogged vineyards from relentless November rain

One of the most fascinating aspects of the visit was the nursery. Monsoon Valley is experimenting with new clones and crossings specifically adapted to tropical conditions. Some of the vines don’t even have names yet. This is long-term, highly complex work: crossing varieties, observing disease resistance, vigour, fruit quality and resilience to heat and drought. It is viticulture at its most experimental, driven by necessity rather than tradition.

Disease pressure is relentless, and there is no illusion about organic farming here: some judicious spraying is essential. That said, innovation is everywhere. One particularly striking technique involves crushing mussel shells into an ultra-fine powder and spraying it onto the vines. Under a microscope, the particles resemble millions of tiny daggers, physically deterring certain insects and pests. It was the first time I had seen this method used in a vineyard.We toured the estate by safari vehicle, rolling through vineyards framed by one of the most arresting backdrops imaginable: a vast Buddhist temple rising above the hills. It was a powerful reminder that this wine is grown in a completely different cultural and geographical context. Elevated vineyards benefit from a gentle breeze that moves up the slopes, moderating heat and reducing disease pressure. It is a small climatic advantage but, in this environment, every advantage counts.

Suppached Sasomsin demonstrating pruning methods at Monsoon Valley, Thailand

Training systems include the V-shape or Lyra system, which is a split-canopy trellising method used to manage vine vigour, improve fruit quality, and reduce disease pressure. This is particularly good in high growth or humid environments. By splitting the foliage, the divided canopy improves air circulation around the fruit. The system increases the vine’s productive surface area and photosynthetic capacity compared to traditional vertical systems. Soils are generally sandy loam.

In one plot, Sangiovese vines had recently been pulled up after dying during an exceptionally dry spell with plans to replant with Syrah, one of the estate’s key grapes. Syrah, Chenin Blanc and Colombard dominate here, alongside some intriguing plantings of Solaris and Muscaris

I concluded the visit by tasting the wines at Monsoon Valley’s restaurant, perched above the vineyards with sweeping views of the estate. Given the conditions, the heat, the rain, the pressure from every conceivable disease, the quality was remarkable. These are not wines pretending to be Bordeaux or the Rhône, they are wines that accept where they come from, work intelligently with it and are proud of the results.

New latitude wine making is not about romance or tradition. It is about control, science, adaptation and resilience. And in Thailand, against all the odds, it seems to be working.

A shorter version of this article appeared in the March edition of Decanter Magazine 2026.

Tasting Notes: Monsoon Valley

Syrah vines with a Buddhist temple in the mountains

Monsoon Valley Sparkling Extra Dry Rosé 2025
This was an immediately charming way to begin. Bright, refreshing raspberry flavours, underpinned by around 15g/L of residual sugar that softens the edges without tipping into sweetness. There’s a pleasing snap of acidity making it balanced and highly drinkable. Particularly notable is the fact that this was the assistant winemaker’s first wine, an impressive debut.

Monsoon Valley Solaris 2024
Solaris is a fascinating choice here. Bred for cold climates and prized in Scandinavia for its short growing season, developed at the Freiburg wine institute, Germany. It might seem an unlikely candidate for Thailand, yet its disease resistance and adaptability make it surprisingly well suited to tropical conditions. In the glass, it offers fresh gooseberry and citrus notes, with a clean, vibrant profile.

Monsoon Valley Chenin Blanc 2024
A wood-aged expression, spending seven months in barrel, this Chenin strikes an appealing balance between freshness and texture. Crisp acidity frames subtle citrus aromas, while the oak adds gentle breadth rather than dominance.

Monsoon Valley Signature Red 2024
A blend of Shiraz and Dornfelder, with the components vinified separately before blending. Thermovinification is sometimes used. This involves gently heating the grape must to around 60°C helping to extract colour, tannins and flavour compounds. This wine then spends 12 months in a mix of new and large-format oak casks. Suppached noted that it can be a challenging wine in the cellar, with a tendency toward reduction, but that effort is rewarded with depth and structure.

Monsoon Valley Cuvée de Siam Rouge 2021
Dominated by Shiraz (85%), Sangiovese once played a role in this blend but succumbed to drought and was replaced by other cultivars, a reminder that variety choice in Thailand is never static. The wine shows ripe plum, cherry and blackberry fruit, layered with gentle spice and rounded by ageing in French oak barrels.

Muscat of Hamburg (Pink-Skinned), Late Harvest 2025
A fittingly exuberant finale. Perfumed and intensely floral, this late harvest Muscat is fortified to 15% alcohol and carries around 120g/L of residual sugar. Lush and expressive rather than heavy, it celebrates aromatic intensity while retaining enough freshness to remain balanced.


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Postcard from Thailand

As published in Decanter Magazine March 2026 issue

Adam with Suppached Sasomsin, winemaker and viticulturist, Monsoon Valley vineyard

When I arrived at Monsoon Valley vineyard in late November, I expected sun-baked vineyards and postcard tropical glamour. Instead, I stepped into sodden soils, heavy air and low clouds threatening yet more rain. The monsoon hadn’t left when it should have and Suppached Sasomsin the estate’s winemaker and viticulturist was clearly uneasy.

As we walked the vineyards, he explained why. November is normally pruning time, a critical reset in Thailand where vines never truly sleep. With no winter dormancy at this latitude, the vines just keep growing, throwing out huge amounts of foliage unless they’re aggressively cut back. But pruning in these conditions is dangerous. Wet cuts invite disease, but if you delay pruning too long, the entire growing cycle shifts forward, pushing harvest into the rainy season potentially affecting fruit quality.

Listening to Suppached, I began to understand that viticulture here isn’t about following rules; it’s about constant risk management. This is the reality of new latitude wines: viticulture far outside the traditional comfort zone. Survival depends on intervention, science and adaptation. That philosophy was clearest in the nursery. New clones and crossings are assessed for vigour, disease resistance and resilience to heat and drought.

Disease pressure is constant, and organic ideals give way to pragmatism. One innovation caught my attention: crushed mussel shells, ground into a fine powder and sprayed onto the vines. Under magnification, the particles act like tiny blades, physically deterring insect pests.

Tasting the wines later, overlooking the vineyards, I was struck not just by their quality, but by their defiance. These aren’t wines chasing European models they’re wines shaped by place, pressure and persistence.


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The Inland Wine Regions of Spain including the Meseta

Here is a condensed one page summary of the WSET Diploma D3 material on the inland wine regions of Spain including those on the Meseta plateau.

The regions are all continental in climate, mostly warm. Those on the Meseta lie within Castilla Y Leon (Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro) and Castilla La Mancha (La Mancha and Valdepenas). Navarra, Rioja, Campo de Borja, Catalayud and Carinena within Aragon have also been included as they also have largely continental climates.

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Spain Meseta & Inland Wine Producing Regions KCDownload

See the Spanish wine regions overview to put this in context.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The Wine Regions of Eastern Spain

Here is a condensed one page summary of the WSET Diploma D3 material on regions along the eastern Mediterranean coastal strip of Spain.

The regions are mostly Mediterranean in climate and include: Catalunya with sub-regions Penedes, Montsant, Priorat, and Costers Del Segre the last two of which further inland become more Continental than Mediterranean. Also further south Valencia, Alicante and Yeculla are close enough to the coast to be Mediterranean whilst Jumilla and Utiel-Requenia in the foot hills are more Continental.

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Spain East Coast Wine Producing Regions KCDownload

See the Spanish wine regions overview to put this in context.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The Wine Regions of Spain – Overview

Spain boasts the largest planted vineyard area of any country in the world. However much of this area on the arid Meseta plateau where un-irrigated bush vines can only squeeze out very low yields. It is also the largest exporter of wine but only receives the lowest average price for it.

The Meseta dominates the country, a large raised plateau from 600 to 1000m in altitude, framed by several mountain ranges. The Duero, Guadiana, Tajo and Guadalquivir rivers have carved large valleys through the plateau which drain westwards. The River Ebro flows east along the North-Eastern boundary of the Meseta, through Rioja and down past Priorat, to the Med.

Spain is a large country with a wide range of climatic and growing conditions, however they broadly split into three zones: The Atlantic coast where Moderate Maritime conditions prevail, the Meseta plateau which is Warm Continental and arid and the western and southern Mediterranean coastal strip where is Warm and Mediterranean. This neat summary is slightly undermined by the fact that there are several sub-regions on the slopes of the mountains, that rise up from the coastal strip to the central plateau, that become less Mediterranean and more Continental.  However I found the generalisation a helpful way to categorise and remember the wine regions of Spain. 

I have condensed the WSET Diploma D3 material on Spain into these three broad zones. The Maritime zone along with an overall summary is posted here. The Meseta (with major continental inland regions) and the regions along the Mediterranean coastal strip, will be posted separately.  Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Spain Overall & Martime Wine Producing Regions KCDownload

To date (Oct 25) wines from Spain have come up fairly regularly in the country, region and mixed bag questions. For instance in both 2025 exams wines came up in the mixed bag; a Campo Viejo Reserva Rioja and a Verdejo from Rueda. Prior to that in October 2023 it was the Q2 country with an Albarino, a Rioja and a Priorat. In 2022 Rioja was the region with a Joven, Reserva and Gan Reserva and it has been in the Q4 mixed bag on 3 other occasions in the last 10 years. 

A Mencia from Bierzo, Godello from Valdeorras or even one of the modern perfumed Garnachas coming out of high altitude Calatayud (as part of a Q1 Grenache trio?) are yet to come up……

In the theory paper, a question on the white wines of Rias Biaxas, Rueda and Rioja just come up in October 2025 and before that one on Rias Biaxas and Priorat in October 2023.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The Wine Regions of Southern Italy

Here are the last summaries for Italy, condensing the WSET Diploma D3 material on the country’s  southern regions.

The regions all have a Warm Mediterranean climate with higher quality wines coming from DOC/G areas moderated by altitude or sea breezes. These regions are also the home of number of wonderful indigenous varietals that thrive in the heat.  Regions include: Campagnia on the west coast, Basilicata on the western side of the Apennines, Puglia the heel of Italy surrounded by sea on three sides and of course the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and tiny Pantelleria.

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

See the Italy wine regions overview to put this in context.

Italy Southern Wine Producing Regions Part 1 KCDownload
Italy Southern Wine Producing Regions Part 2 KCDownload

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The Wine Regions of Central Italy

Here is a condensed two page summary of the WSET Diploma D3 material on the central regions of Italy.

The regions include: Tuscany and Lazzio which sit on the western side of the Apennines and have largely Mediterranean climates. Umbria straddles the Apennines and is Mildly Continental. Marche and Abruzzo sit on the eastern side of the mountains bordering the Adriatic. These both have a largely Mediterranean climate except for inland parts of Marche which are mildly Contental.

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Italy Central Wine Producing Regions Part 1 KCDownload
Italy Central Wine Producing Regions Part 2 KCDownload

See the Italy wine regions overview to put this in context.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The Wine Regions of Northern Italy

Here is a condensed  two page summary of the WSET Diploma D3 material on the northern regions of Italy.

The regions include: Piemonte, Trentino, Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli. They sit below the Alp and Dolomite mountain ranges and have mostly a Continental climate except for parts of Veneto and Friuli which are Maritime. 

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Italy Northern Wine Producing Regions Part 1 KCDownload
Italy Northern Wine Producing Regions Part 2 KCDownload

See the Italy wine regions Overview post to put this all in context.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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The wine regions of Italy – Over view

Obviously a meaningful one page summary of Italy is just not possible, it vies with Spain as the largest producer of wine in the world by volume, boasts hundreds of indigenous grape varieties and each of its many regions makes their own distinct wines.

However I found it helpful to split the wine regions into three groups: The northern regions of Piemonte, Trentino, Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli which sit below the Alp and Dolomite mountain ranges and have mostly a Continental climate except for parts of Veneto and Friuli which are maritime. 

Next the band of regions either side of the Apennines across the middle of the country: Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Marche and Abruzzo. The Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas provide these regions with a warm Mediterranean climate except for the mountainous inland parts, such as Umbria, which are mildly continental.

Finaly the southern part of Italy: Campagnia, Puglia, Basilicata along with the islands of Etna, Sardenia and Pantelleria. These regions are also Mediterranean but with the heat turned up higher.

I have condensed the WSET Diploma D3 material into an overall summary map of Italy, posted here, and a pairs of sheets each summarising the above groupings which are posted separately.  Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Italy Overview Wine Producing Regions KCDownload

To date (May 25) wines from Italy have come up for both the country and region questions. For instance in October 2024 the three wines were Gavi di Gavi, Barolo and Aglianico and in Oct 2020 the wines were Amarone, Marche Verdicchio and Chianti Rufina.  Recent regions were Veneto, again with Amarone, Valpolicella and a Soave and Piemonte again with Barolo and Gavi di Gavi with a Dolcetto. The Barolo and Amarone were the bankers here and then knowledge of the main regions and their key varieties along with some deduction would have been needed to identify the other generally high acid reds and whites.  Barolo has come up several times in the mixed bag but so has Nero d’Avola. Pinot Grigio has come up in the grape variety question along with an Alsatian and New Zealand Pinot Gris which should make sense as a group.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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Chinese Wine Production

Here is a one page summary of the: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and making practices in China.

China has the third largest vineyard area in the world all be it that much of that is for table grapes. Even so it is a significant wine producer.

The map shows the main provinces where wine is grown there are some regions for example in Xinjiang province which are protected with Geographical Indications but these are not shown here and at the time of writing beyond the scope of the Diploma.

To date (May 25) wines from China have not featured as a country or in the mixed bag in the D3 tasting exam. As the most produced wines are international varieties made in an international style a Cabernet Sauvignon or Carménère would be hard to pick out as Chinese in origin in a mixed bag.  Also very little of the wine produced is exported but in the future perhaps Marselan and Petit Manseng, both gaining favour for their disease resistance, might become signature varietals?

China Wine producing provinces KC01Download

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, and Google aerial photographs.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.