In the unrelenting heat of Thailand, a local ice cold beer is always a welcome retreat. In fact, it's hard to imagine that other than bottled water, I would crave anything else during this journey. However, after a few weeks traversing the country, I began to crave something that's hard to find outside of outrageously expensive hotels and restaurants - a nice glass of red wine.

Being the Oenophiles that we are, my husband and I rarely go more than a few days without a glass of wine with our meal. But where could I find such a treat?

I read about a cafe within the central walled area named "Writer's Club & Wine Bar," which sounded like a good place to start. We went expecting to find a cheap French bottle, or perhaps something Australian; and while we did find those listed on the menu, much to our surprise there was also a bottle of Shiraz made right here - in Thailand!

Could this be true? Thailand is certainly not a known wine region, but we had to try it!

Much to our surprise and happy pleasure, it was a delicious bottle of wine. Not overly fruity, with a gentle finish that even in the heat, was thoroughly enjoyable. Our red wine craving was more than satisfied and we now had the satisfaction of sharing a wine tasting experience that few people, even wine experts have been privy to.

If you find yourself craving a glass in Chiang Mai, be sure to stop in at 141/3 Th Ratchadamnoen. The bottle we had was the PB Khao Yai Reserve Shiraz 2006. Enjoy!