You had me at “Crazy…”
“You had me at ‘crazy’ and ‘Bhutan,’ I wrote back to Alex in response to his awesome podcast guest pitch. Alex immediately introduced me to Michael Juergens. Sure enough, Michael was the happy, enthusiastic Master of Wine candidate I’d met briefly a few years back. Once you meet him, you won’t forget him.
Micheal Juergens is a senior partner at a big four accounting firm, a professor of Advanced
Auditing at UC Irvine, and an avid marathon runner. It’s true he’s also a drummer in a punk rock band, and the owner of the world’s only “Punk Rock Old World Wine Bar.” He’s also a Certified Sommelier, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and owner of the So Cal Rum Company.
But wait, there’s more! Michael is a successful author, wine writer, and engages in adrenaline-fed hobbies that involve motor sports and going very, very fast. And oh by the way, he is the guy responsible for now being able use the words “Bhutan” and “wine industry” in the same sentence.
Bhutan & Wine
That’s right. Michael set up the entire wine industry in the Kingdom of Bhutan. This beautiful place is tucked away in the Himalayas between China and India. I believe once you hear the story of how it all came about, you’ll be as enamored with the project as I am. Druk Yul, is what the Bhutanese and most maps call the kingdom. It translates to “the land of Thunder Dragon.” Thunder Dragon + wine = count me in!
It all started with a marathon, because of course it did. A handful of years later, Michael is sitting across from me on a Skype call telling his story. Now he can proudly regale us with more stories from, no kidding, his six vineyards in freaking Bhutan.
Viruses, Caterpillars, & Watermelon – Oh My!
As of this recording six vineyards were planted (sorry, no wine maps yet) with nine initial international varieties and one of my favorites: Petit Manseng. The vineyards range in altitudes from about 3000 in warmer, eastern Lingmithang, to around 9000 feet in Yusipang in the west, just outside of the capital city of Thimpu. Some have dramatic views, terraces and steep slopes, like Yusipang and Paro, near the airport. Others are in flat valleys like Bajo and Wangduephodrang in the Punakha Valley.
This past summer 25 acres of the new GorTsahalu’s 60-acre vineyard was planted with an additional four varieties: Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo. They’ve left room to “fail forward” and see what works.
Here is a cool picture of Michael planting – and the monks blessing – the very first vine – ever. It’s a Merlot vine in case you’re curious.
“They,” by the way, is the Bhutan Wine Company.
What’s Next?
Currently they are working out the bugs. By bugs we mean big, green caterpillars that have been creeping on some of the vines recently. Michael shared how they had to plant watermelons in Lingmithang’s vineyard to tame insane vine vigor; stay tuned for more experimentation here. This adventure, he acknowledges, will have some bumps in the road, and more learning along the way is part of the journey. Adrenaline, #amirite?
The next phase of his 10-year business plan involves building the production facility, for which he already has blueprints. I am in awe of the chutzpah and drive it took to write the plan for an entire nation’s wine industry! We’re talking production rules and every detail from selecting, planting, spacing, and trellising vines to logistics and coordinating with the government entities. Consequently, much was done since 2019, so … mostly during a pandemic.
Keep Stalking!
The second half of my interview with Michael drops on 24 September. You’ll hear more about the social and cultural aspects of this undertaking. I promised you monks, remember? Here’s where they come in: the monks named the wine brand. Cool monks, if you ask me. We also have a conversation about what we can learn about and from the Bhutanese culture. Finally, we rap wine studies, his rum company, novels, and his delightfully irreverent wine newsletter and blog Drinking and Knowing Things.
The links below can help you learn more and stalk keep up with Michael, the Bhutan Wine Company, and all his exciting projects. I enjoy his refreshingly candid writing style, and dig the wine recommendations for regular people. I also cannot wait to see what the monks named the “wine baby.”
You won’t want to miss the second half of this awesome interview. Just go here to subscribe to the Glass in Session® Winecast or find it wherever you get your podcast fix.
Michael (yes, the dude with the full sleeve tattoos) engaging in the national sport of the Kingdom of Bhutan, Archery.
Resources from this episode:
Websites:
Bhutan Wine Company: http://www.bhutanwine.com/
Bloomberg: The World’s Newest Wine Frontier Is the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, McCoy, E. (9 August2019) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-09/the-world-s-newest-wine-frontier-is-the-himalayan-kingdom-of-bhutan
Drinking and Knowing Things: https://www.drinkingandknowingthings.com/
Drinks Business: First Vineyards Planted in Bhutan, Miller, R. (5 April 2019) https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/04/first-vineyards-planted-in-bhutan/
Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan: The 4 Pillars of GNH https://www.gnhcentrebhutan.org/what-is-gnh/the-4-pillars-of-gnh/
Once in a Lifetime Journey: Surprising Facts About Bhutan – Land of the Thunder Dragaon, Mar (2020) https://www.onceinalifetimejourney.com/once-in-a-lifetime-journeys/asia/18-surprising-facts-about-bhutan/
SoCal Rum Company https://socalrum.com/
Sommelier Business Himalayan Hills Of Bhutan Can Be The World’s Next Napa Valley (2019)
https://sommelierbusiness.com/en/news/industry-news-37/himalayan-hills-of-bhutan-can-be-the-worlds-next-napa-valley-137.htm
Spirits of Bhutan: K5 Himalayan Whisky http://spiritsofbhutan.com/index.html
Tourism Council of Bhutan: Tourism Policy (2021) https://www.tourism.gov.bt/uploads/attachment_files/tcb_cW0p_Tourism%20Policy%20eBook%20(1).pdf
World History Encyclopedia: Bhutan – Land of the Thunder Dragon, Martins, K. (2019) https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1348/bhutan-land-of-the-thunder-dragon/
World Wildlife Fund: Bhutan – Committed to Conservation https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/bhutan-committed-to-conservation
Podcasts:
Follow Your Different with Christopher Lochhead: 196 The Last Wine Frontier: Bhutan W/Michael Juergens (4 August 2021) https://lochhead.com/196-the-last-wine-frontier-bhutan-w-michael-juergens/
Road Dog Podcast with Louis Escobar: Episode 159 Michael Juergens https://roaddogpodcast.com/
