In part one of this fun, fascinating interview with Michael Juergens, we discuss how we ended up in Bhutan and eventually set up the entire wine industry: from writing the business plan, working with government representatives, planting the vines, to preparing for harvest and wine-making operations and building the production facility.
Michael shares the beauty and culture of this special place, as well as all the challenges of doing this as a pandemic descended on the globe.
In Part 2 we cover the topics of naming the Bhutan wines, his award-winning rum company, wine studies as he prepares for his Master of Wine tasting exam, wine novels, and "Drinking and Knowing Things."
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/
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Music: “Write Your Story” by Joystock (Jamendo.com cc_Standard License, Jamendo S.A.)
