Another new tax on wine?

[bankruatsteve]

2 hours ago, xylophone said:

Pass!!!!!!!! But found this...………..not complicated. Yeah right!

 

This benefit to Australian wine exporters multiplies after the application of Thailand’s heavy and complex alcohol excise and VAT tax regime – to where Australian wines (over 1,000 baht) can be around 65 per cent cheaper than wines from other countries (the exception Chile and New Zealand) when the same mark-up is applied. (Source: Austrade calculations)

In addition to import tariffs, imported wines are subject to other duties, fees and taxes:

• Surcharge / Special duty (US$ 10 per import lot)
• Customs Fee US$ 50
• Alcohol Excise tax: the rate is  Baht 1,500 per litre of alcoholic content for a wine bottle not exceeding  Baht 1,000 (retail). Wine priced higher than  Baht 1,000 (at retail) will be taxed at 10 per cent of its price and  Baht 1,500 per liter of alcoholic content.
• Municipal / interior tax: 10 per cent
• Health support project: 2 per cent, based on CIF/FOB value
• Public broadcasting subsidy: 2 per cent
• from January 2018 – Elderly foundation tax: 1.5 per cent
• Value added tax (VAT): 7 per cent, based on retail price

Are you missing a bullet for the percent that goes to new Beamers for gov. fat cats?

[xylophone]

35 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Are you missing a bullet for the percent that goes to new Beamers for gov. fat cats?

Quite possibly!!!

 

To be honest Steve, as I said, I know my wine(s) as it has been a hobby for over 45 yrs...….but getting to grips with the Thai tax/excise/customs/BMW/ whatever duty/tax etc is a nightmare and a mystery.

 

Previously mentioned I am buying some average to good everyday drinkers for reasonable prices (no fruit juice) so am happy enough.

[Lucky mike]

Great to see the free trade agreement in full swing !

[bankruatsteve]

12 hours ago, xylophone said:

To be honest Steve, as I said, I know my wine(s) as it has been a hobby for over 45 yrs...….but getting to grips with the Thai tax/excise/customs/BMW/ whatever duty/tax etc is a nightmare and a mystery.

In your experience, have you ever seen (other than products destined for sale in Thailand) a "fruit wine" where some fruit is intentionally added to grape?  

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

In your experience, have you ever seen (other than products destined for sale in Thailand) a "fruit wine" where some fruit is intentionally added to grape?  

Yes, the same type of products we are getting here, a mixture of wine and fruit juice (or grapes and fruit juice) are appearing on UK supermarket shelves, and I did post an article on this in the Montclair wine thread, where the UK writer was "disgusted" that it was very hard to distinguish these fruit wines from ordinary wines and suggesting that they should have a different section on the shelves for them.

 

The other thing he questioned was why on earth they should be allowed in the first place?

 

These types of wine have been around in France for some time and are very often called "aromatised wines" and indeed a couple of French imports into Thailand state that on the back of the label.

 

Fruit wine is also produced in Australia and one which is also found here is called "Charles Strong" and it is about 299 baht a bottle and I have tasted it, knowingly so, and to be honest it isn't at all bad!!

 

A particular wine chain here in Thailand sells wines that are produced in Vietnam, from grape juice from Australia and France and these are mixed with various fruits – – what my inside man calls "dark fruits" (blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, mulberry etc) for red wines and passionfruit juice and grapefruit juice, along with other juices for white wines.

 

So you can see it is a fairly widespread thing and IMO really serves to produce a cheap endproduct which has alcohol in it and is very drinkable, and of course in some countries/areas it may help producers get rid of surplus fruit stock in conjunction with winemakers who also have surplus low-grade stock.

[bankruatsteve]

When you think of it, these fruit wines really aren't all that different than a blend of grapes which is very common.  I imagine there are cases where the fruit might even enhance the taste.  Why there is such a derogatory perception for them escapes me.  I personally rate Mont Clair as "not bad" (maybe a Wine Spectator 75) and it is certainly drinkable for me.  

 

Went through Villa in UT today and the wine shelves are bulging.  Also seeing more of the 3 liter Mont Clair showing up but they don't seem to be moving.  ha ha

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

When you think of it, these fruit wines really aren't all that different than a blend of grapes which is very common.  I imagine there are cases where the fruit might even enhance the taste.  Why there is such a derogatory perception for them escapes me.  I personally rate Mont Clair as "not bad" (maybe a Wine Spectator 75) and it is certainly drinkable for me.  

 

Went through Villa in UT today and the wine shelves are bulging.  Also seeing more of the 3 liter Mont Clair showing up but they don't seem to be moving.  ha ha

Well, we all have different tastes and long may that continue otherwise all my good wines will disappear from the shelves!

 

Quite right there are wines which are a blend of different grapes, however these blends are put together to ensure that the end product is as good as it can be and the addition of another grape should be of benefit to the final product.

 

For example, several grape varieties are used in the classic Bordeaux wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) and their percentages are varied depending upon the quality and structure of the vintage, so that the end product is the best expression of that wine.

 

Whereas the likes of Montclair and its friends are put together purely to get round tax/excise and cost issues and have nothing to do with taste I'm afraid.

 

To be truthful, if I had no other red wine to drink, and I was partaking of some spicy food, then I would not turn down a glass or two of Montclair or similar, but for whatever reason (and I've never figured it out, although I have posted a few possible reasons) after about three glasses, I do get a headache the next morning, whereas normally I can get through almost twice that much of a non-fruit wine without morning after effects?

[mogandave]

Well, we all have different tastes and long may that continue otherwise all my good wines will disappear from the shelves!
 
Quite right there are wines which are a blend of different grapes, however these blends are put together to ensure that the end product is as good as it can be and the addition of another grape should be of benefit to the final product.
 
For example, several grape varieties are used in the classic Bordeaux wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) and their percentages are varied depending upon the quality and structure of the vintage, so that the end product is the best expression of that wine.
 
Whereas the likes of Montclair and its friends are put together purely to get round tax/excise and cost issues and have nothing to do with taste I'm afraid.
 
To be truthful, if I had no other red wine to drink, and I was partaking of some spicy food, then I would not turn down a glass or two of Montclair or similar, but for whatever reason (and I've never figured it out, although I have posted a few possible reasons) after about three glasses, I do get a headache the next morning, whereas normally I can get through almost twice that much of a non-fruit wine without morning after effects?

Maybe the Montclair comes in bigger glasses...

[morrobay]

Speaking of the likes of Montclair and friends: What about Maldino Rosso ? 

https://www.vivino.com/wines/maldino-rosso-red-wine-v-ep4kt-uv

 

"Vino Aromatizzato Rosso, 2L , 14.5% alcohol for 470 baht. Yesterday I picked this up in Pattaya. It had the blue seal and did not say fruit wine, so it not being much more than the 2L Montclair(before) looked a goog buy. Later on closer reading on back: ingredients: wine, with aromatised alcohol, sugar.

It is color between a rose and a red. So im worried that it may be watered down and not buying another one.  Not that I like the cheap 2L wines 

but I refuse to pay $20 + for what I used to get at  Trader Joes in CA. For $3 or $4 a good dark rich Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon from Russian River or Napa/Sonoma.

[xylophone]

33 minutes ago, morrobay said:

Speaking of the likes of Montclair and friends: What about Maldino Rosso ? 

https://www.vivino.com/wines/maldino-rosso-red-wine-v-ep4kt-uv

 

"Vino Aromatizzato Rosso, 2L , 14.5% alcohol for 470 baht. Yesterday I picked this up in Pattaya. It had the blue seal and did not say fruit wine, so it not being much more than the 2L Montclair(before) looked a goog buy. Later on closer reading on back: ingredients: wine, with aromatised alcohol, sugar.

It is color between a rose and a red. So im worried that it may be watered down and not buying another one.  Not that I like the cheap 2L wines 

but I refuse to pay $20 + for what I used to get at  Trader Joes in CA. For $3 or $4 a good dark rich Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon from Russian River or Napa/Sonoma.

Looks like a steal!!! 

 

Well, perhaps useful for unblocking drains or cleaning the rust from your motorbike!!

 

The aromatised alcohol could be grape brandy added after the fermentation of a "weak/nondescript" wine...…..but many variations on a theme poss here.