Vietnam is one of a number of East Asian countries which have appeared on the wine radar since around the year 2000. Although its growth is far from rapid (and nowhere near as dramatic as that of neighboring China), Vietnam's wine production is steadily increasing. The quality of what is made in the nation's hot, humid climate is variable, and there are very few terroirs cool and dry enough to reliably produce wine. The only reason that winemaking has ever been taken seriously in Vietnam is the nation's French colonial history, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
French colonists planted the first Vietnamese vineyards in the Ba Vi hills just west of Hanoi, and later plantings were also made in the highlands at the country's center. The first commercial wine production in recent times happened in the humid coastal environs of Ninh Thuan province, specifically Thi Nai Bay near Phan Rang. Located 150 miles (250km) east-north-east of Ho Chi Minh City, this area sits at a latitude of 11 degrees north, making it one of the world's most equatorial wine regions. The location was chosen not for its suitable soils and climate, but because table-grape production was already well established there. The climate is so warm that the vines bear fruit almost without a break, so the pruning regime has been adapted to encourage just two or three peaks of fruiting each year. This increases the quality of the fruit and simplifies the winemaking process.
Other than wine and beer, Vietnam also produces vodka from rice or other grains.
