Australian travel journalist and guest blogger Julie Miller recently met Thai winemaker Nikki Lohitnavy and discovered a connection to Australia.

When student Nikki Lohitnavy returned to her home country of Thailand from the University of Adelaide after graduating, she received a surprising gift from her parents – her own vineyard.

Nikki is the first (and only) Thai woman to have earned a Bachelor's degree in Oenology (with distinction in viticulture) in Australia and is now the head winemaker at the family-run GranMonte winery, located in the beautiful Asoke Valley at the foot of Khao Yai National Park.

"When I came back from Australia, there were nothing but steel tanks out there. I had to completely rebuild the winery. Some things you just don't learn at university!" she jokes.

Six years later, Nikki is arguably Thailand's most respected winemaker, advising international wineries while leading Thailand's efforts to produce world-class wines.

She is also the country's only female winemaker and a great inspiration to other ambitious young women.

Nikki inherited her passion for wine from her father, Visooth, who was the first to buy the 16-hectare former maize field in 1999. At that time, there were several small vineyards in the Khao Yai area, a royal project initiated decades earlier, recognizing the area's potential as a wine-growing region.

Growing grapes in the tropics naturally requires an adaptation of traditional cultivation methods; but through experimentation, consultations and the use of a microclimate monitoring system, Visooth soon learned which varieties would thrive during tropical storms, monsoon season and scorching summer heat.

Things really took off, however, after Nikki returned to Thailand with internships at the Browns Brothers and Wolf Blass wineries under her belt. The winery now has a production capacity of 120,000 bottles per year, which should be reached within two to three years.

And believe me, GranMonte produces outstanding wines, from the full-bodied, award-winning Syrah to the light, fruity rosé made from Syrah grapes, named Sakura after Nikki's mother. Their wines have won over 100 awards in the last four years and are the most decorated wines in Thailand.

As Khao Yai becomes increasingly popular as a weekend getaway destination from Bangkok, the winery has developed into a full-fledged tourist business, with a stylish wine cellar and tasting room, a charming restaurant serving delicious European-style food, and a seven-room guesthouse.

Every year, 60,000 visitors pass through the gates of the wine cellar, of whom around 10,000 take part in a wine tour.

The tours take place three times daily and include a wine tasting at a price of 270 Baht per adult.

Further information can be found at www.granmonte.com

About Julie Miller

Julie Miller has been traveling to Thailand regularly since 2006 and has developed a deep understanding of the country's unique characteristics during this time. In 2010, she received the prestigious "Friends of Thailand Award" for her contributions to promoting tourism in Thailand through travel journalism.