Bhutan a New Wine Country with Michael Juergens

This show was published Friday, February 2, 2024

Overview

Bhutan is a country located between Tibet and Nepal, in the Himalayas and stretches 300 miles from 300 feet altitude up to 25,000 feet in the mountain area. It shares borders with India and China and is land-locked.

Michael visited to run a marathon, and, realising there were no wineries but vines could grow there, decided to establish vineyards there and create a new wine industry/region. The plantings range from altitudes of 300 feet (100m) up to 9600 feet (3200 metres) at the highest point. Though quite far south, the latitude (28 degrees N) is not so much an issue as problems with monsoons and wasps!

In the last 7 years, they have planted 10 reds and 6 whites (all international varieties) plus 2 hybrids. One of these hybrids is Vidal, a grape that is fungal and powdery mildew resistant and so has potential. They are experimenting with various grapes planted at different sites and climate zones.

We discuss the unique cropping, due to the tropical climate in Bhutan, which means they can get two crops per year as the vine does not go into dormancy. They can control the vine through pruning and other mechanisms to manage the life cycle and let the vine rest through summer, for example, to prevent flowering and just have one crop instead of two.

Subscribe

Using XML subscription or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you normally listen to podcasts.

Sponsorship

The UK Wine Show is sponsored by ThirtyFifty. Our team of wine tasters are busy entertaining and educating UK consumers to help them get the most out of wine.

Support us on Patreon

If you are a regular listener, do consider supporting the UK Wine Show on Patreon. You can pledge a monthly payment, equivalent to a cup of coffee or very small glass of wine!

Become a Patron!

Music

The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.