Fine Khmer Wines @ Beautiful Battambang

When Chan Thay Chhoeuay began growing grapes a decade ago in a small town twenty minutes drive from Bat-tambang province town, she didn’t expect the success she encounter today. Named after a mountain close to her three-hectare farm, Phnom Banan vineyard she setup in 2004 has been listed in the must-see section in most travel information.

In Bot Sala village, people next door thought Chan Thay Chhoeuay and her husband Leng Chan Thol, both 44, were crazy when they ventured into this wine-making business. But the farmers-turned entrepreneurs were not discouraged by people’s negative comments at all.

In a province much known for exporting rice and finest oranges, beautiful Battambang in the north-west of Cambodia, a tropical country in Southeast Asia, has much more to offer to domestic visitors and enthusiastic travelers. 

A visit to the province’s only vineyard for a bottle or two as a gift back home has become a new excitement for those who are their way to 10th-century Wat Banan, a mountainous Angkor ruin popular at weekends with local families out on picnics.

The vine were first sourced from neighboring Thailand, and followed by some from France. Her locally-made wines have been certified by Ministry of Industry since March 2005.

Of more than 4,500 plants growing across her farm, which include varietals like Black Queen, Shiraz and Kyoho, have been proven as a success story in a nation of 14 million people who prefer rice wine.
 
The family owned business also tried making a white wine from Chenin Blanc grapes but failed as the vines couldn’t sustain hot and humid weather. While the unique vineyard serves as an attractive point for tourists looking for wine tasting, the lady owner also has non-alcoholic sweet grape juice on sale.

Chan Thay Chhoeuay, who rarely drinks wine, first thought of only planting grapes, which is rare in Cambodia, but possible in countries like Vietnam and Thailand. “At least there are 10 to 100 foreign tourists visit our vineyard every day, to see our plantation and taste our wine... They usually bring back home bottle of wines with excitement,” said Chan Thay Chhoeuay.

Priced at $6 to $15 a bottle, the wines are on sale in Cambodia’s largest capital city, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap, the top tourist spot and home to Angkor Wat. Another best seller is Banan Brandy.

As the middle-aged couple pioneered in producing grape wine in an industry has long been dominated by Western imports, words spread across quickly that also attracted attention of none other than Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, and was followed by the provincial governor in granting tax exemption for 5 years to help the business to take off.