Wine - more than just a drink...

Việt Nam•25/12/2023

“Wine is more than just a drink. It’s a culture – a wine culture that not only elevates the drinker, but also helps to understand the drinker's personality,” asserted Daniel Carsol, investor at VMV Asia (Phu Hoi Industrial Park, Duc Trong).

Ms. Hong Hanh next to a wine barrel at the factory.

Speaking about his reasons for choosing Da Lat as his wine production location, Daniel Carsol shared: “Why not Da Nang or Nha Trang, but specifically Da Lat? Because Da Lat is very similar to Bordeaux – the famous wine-producing region of France.” Before building the Cellier Indochina winery – a subsidiary of VMV Asia – in the Phu Hoi Industrial Park in 2008, he conducted a trial grape cultivation in Ta Nung (Da Lat) and noticed many similarities to Bordeaux. Daniel Carsol harbored the dream of opening a winery producing authentic French-style wines in Da Lat. Later, he met Ms. Ly Ngoc Thuy Hong Hanh, who shared his passion for grape cultivation and winemaking, and they became husband and wife. In 2017, the Cellier Indochina winery, owned by Hong Hanh and Daniel Carsol, was established. Hong Hanh is the CEO of the winery. The Cellier Indochina winery covers an area of 1.2 hectares, including offices, workshops, warehouses, and an open plot of land at the back. “We are planning to build a wine showroom on that open plot of land to serve tourists who want to enjoy wine, tour the winery, learn about the winemaking process, have snacks, etc.,” Ms. Hong Hanh said.

According to her, Cellier Indochina specializes in providing authentic French wines. Cellier Indochina's operating method involves importing wine from France, then extracting, processing, filtering, and bottling it. Throughout the transportation process, the wine in large storage tanks is always preserved according to a strict procedure to ensure maximum quality and flavor. Mr. Truong Minh Hoang, a worker at the Cellier Indochina wine production plant, said: "Here, the largest wine storage tank has a capacity of up to 24,000 liters." Each year, VMV Asia Company exports approximately 20 containers of wine to China, Thailand, and Cambodia. In addition, VMV Asia Company also supplies wine to companies, restaurants, and hotels in several locations within Vietnam. “I couldn’t have imagined that in Duc Trong there would be such a large-scale wine factory, complete with all the processes and equipment, ensuring hygiene and safety, and so visually appealing! The owner is very knowledgeable about wine and winemaking processes. She is a true wine enthusiast, not just doing it for business,” musician Quynh Hop confided.

Composer Quynh Hop expressed that she bought wine at Cellier Indochina not because of the low price, but because of the quality. It was the quality of the wine that convinced her. "French quality standards" is Cellier Indochina's business philosophy. "Come here to see for yourself and feel how we create quality wines," emphasized Mr. Daniel Carsol. Regarding the intention to organize tours of the Cellier Indochina winery's production process, Ms. Truong Thi Minh, Director of Pho Hoa Da Lat Tourism Company, said: "I think organizing tours is very feasible." However, Ms. Minh added: "The factory needs to research and adjust some spaces, as well as build more parking areas and restrooms. I think the factory should design a one-way walkway for visitors to learn about the bottling process, and the wine tasting area should also be expanded, along with the sale of suitable light snacks."

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