Bangkok Grand Wine Tasting set for July 7

The 10th Bangkok Grand Wine Tasting will be held on July 7 in the Grand Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, said Joe Sriwarin, president of Wine Professionals’ Services.
The event was established by Wine Today magazine in 2008 and is still the biggest and most elaborate wine-professional event in Thailand, where foreign boutique wine producers and importers exhibit their wines and offer them for tasting to 1,000 wine professionals, sommeliers, food and beverage professionals and high-end wine lovers.
In 2012 Wine Today ceased publication because the government banned all print-media alcohol advertising and allowed wine promotion to be held only behind closed doors.
Despite strict laws on alcohol and wine promotions, the wine-importing business is flourishing because Bangkok has become a top tourist destination, and Thailand is expected to receive 35 million visitors this year.
“We’ve seen the volume of wine double over the past 10 years with more wine importers, more fine dining, even more Michelin Star-concept restaurants, more wine bars and wine shops, and duty-free shops are opening at border crossings as well as international airports all over Thailand,” Sriwarin said.
“Geographically, Thailand is the centre of the Southeast Asia mainland, where with tourism becoming the No 1 industry, wine is an important part of the luxury lifestyle among 35 million visitors. 
“With wine consumption increasingly popular among Thais, with more Italian restaurants and eateries than all the neighbouring countries combined, this also helps in growing the wine trade.
“Bangkok is definitely becoming the Southeast Asian mainland’s wine hub: Grom here we can travel to Malaysia’s capital in the south, Myanmar in the north, Laos in the northeast, Cambodia and Vietnam in the east, all within one hour’s air time, and with borders connected to four countries, this helps make transporting wines become easier and faster.
“We are very pleased to be hosting the 10th Bangkok Grand Wine Tasting at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok again. [Foreign] wine owners, winemakers and representatives will be happy to learn that if they book exhibition spaces and stay at the five-star property, special packages await them.”