Hans-Eduard Leiendeckers interest in producing wine dates back to his childhood, a

s his parents owned a small winery in western Germany.

I grew up not with milk, but with wine, he told Mizzima Weekly with a laugh.
Mr Leiendecker went on to study at one of the worlds oldest wine schools, Geisenh
eim University, before spending 16 years at one of Germanys most highly respected
wineries and won four awards for excellence.
However when Mr Leiendecker saw an advertisement in a magazine to become the dir
ector of technical operations at Myanmars first winery in 2006, he leapt at the c
hance to take on a new challenge.
Aythaya was founded in 1998 by a German winemaker called Bert Mosbach, whose per
sistence at winemaking in Myanmar eventually paid off. He first started doing bu
siness in Myanmar in 1989, but turned to vines after his basmati rice farm was c
onfiscated by a government minister. Following trials on no less than 10,000 vin
es that had been imported from France, Myanmar 1st Vineyard Estate made its debu
t with its Aythaya label in 2004.
Aythaya Winery in Shan State is located 25 kilometres away from the tourist hot
spot of Inle Lake and is a 15 minute drive to the bustling state capital of Taun
ggyi. With an elevation of 1,200 metres, the temperatures are refreshingly cool
and the scenery nothing short of spectacular.
The number of visitors arriving at the winery, which also has a restaurant and t
hree state-of-the-art bungalows at Monte Divino Lodge, has been doubling year on
year with as many as 300 people passing through each day during the peak of the
tourist season.
According to his Kalaw-born wife, Naw Ei Ei Brown, who is Aythayas Restaurant Adm
inistration Manager, in the last financial year the winery received 23,000 visit
ors, which was up from 11,000 in the 2013-14 financial year.
The restaurant area is expanding and a caf is in the process of being built. A se
cond bar will open in September.
Aythaya has several things going for it. It is one of only two wineries in Myanm
ar and imported wine has been a rarity since a government crack-down two years a
go that led to supermarket shelves being emptied and the stocks of distributors
confiscated. Although the green light was given to import wine at the beginning
of this year, it is clear that most retailers remain hesitant to do so.
However the fact that Aythaya has a near monopoly on wine consumption at present
in Myanmar doesnt matter, says Mr Leiendecker.
Lets take a look at wine consumption around the world. In Germany, its 30 bottles p
er head a year. In France it is 70 and in Italy its 90 bottles. You know how much
it is in Myanmar? A tenth of a glass. Even if that figure were to rise to a ful
l glass, it would still be nothing. The opportunity here is huge, he said.
Mr Leiendecker added that due to the higher current tax regime of 50 percent com
mercial tax plus 30 percent in import duties, the cheapest imported wines would
be priced at around $12. In the past, wine bottle prices were as low as $6.
Imported bottles of wine priced at $12 wouldnt really affect our sales, as were on
a par with that. And theres room for everyone. Wine is steadily becoming a part o
f the lifestyle of wealthy Myanmar people, he said.
However taxation policies on local wines continue to be a source of frustration,

as Myanmar is unusual in that it doesnt tax progressively according to alcohol c

ontent. Wine is taxed at 50 percent while whiskey is 60 percent.