Red Wine bargain in Phuket

[eezergood]

17 hours ago, schlog said:

No spanish brandy at supercheap. So the search goes on lol.

 

But they have some nice whiskys for a good price. Like Glenmorangie 18 years for only 4445 baht.....

How about the new central? 

 

[madmitch]

18 hours ago, schlog said:

No spanish brandy at supercheap. So the search goes on lol.

 

 

Have you tried Promphan?

[schlog]

1 hour ago, eezergood said:

How about the new central? 

 

Yup checked both Central and all Makros.

[schlog]

39 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Have you tried Promphan?

Yup checked but no have.

[xylophone]

Now back onto wine..................... 

 

And a few days ago one of my suppliers sent me a list of their latest range of wines and also some specials, so I ordered a few of the specials to try, mainly because I envisaged that a couple of them might go well with Thai food or pasta, and another particular wine would be good for "heavier fare".

 

I have been very pleasantly surprised by the Pinotage I bought (a South African wine) and I'm going to try the Shiraz tonight, however I've ordered 12 bottles more for a friend and at a grand price of 325 baht a bottle, I don't think he will complain, and I think it's quite probably the best cheap (real) wine I've tasted here, so I will be buying some more to complement my Thai and pasta dishes.

 

If anyone is interested in wine like this, with a minimum order of 12 bottles, then send me a PM and I will give you the details of the company and the local representative, and they will deliver.

[Chalong circle]

Some drinkable Pinot noir from Ventisquero at 500 bahts in Villa Market. Merlot from the same winery Ok for around 430 bahts.

[xylophone]

9 hours ago, Chalong circle said:

Some drinkable Pinot noir from Ventisquero at 500 bahts in Villa Market. Merlot from the same winery Ok for around 430 bahts.

Thanks, going down to VM today so will look out for it.

[schlog]

A very nice wine from Portugal for 699 baht @Tops in new Central in town.

[xylophone]

10 minutes ago, schlog said:

A very nice wine from Portugal for 699 baht @Tops in new Central in town.

Thanks Schlog, 

 

I will look out for that, and I see it is from the Touriga Nacional grape, a major contributor in the grapes used for port in Portugal, and have always wanted to try wine made solely from this grape, as I do like the more full-bodied and aromatic style these days.

 

Thanks for the tip.

[toofarnorth]

On 9/24/2019 at 5:24 PM, eezergood said:

I have Stilton at the ready! 

As you mentioned Stilton , up here in the styx and smog yesterday I saw 250g of Mainland 36 month old mature cheddar on the shelf reduced from 209 to 146 B.  as only one block I got it priced and it was 62 B , now that is a bargain .

Will try to find my way there later as see if we have any wine bargains.

[xylophone]

14 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

As you mentioned Stilton , up here in the styx and smog yesterday I saw 250g of Mainland 36 month old mature cheddar on the shelf reduced from 209 to 146 B.  as only one block I got it priced and it was 62 B , now that is a bargain .

Will try to find my way there later as see if we have any wine bargains.

Lucky man, and just yesterday I went looking for the very same cheese in my local Makro as it has had the 250 g vintage at around 240 baht a block, but sold out yesterday!

 

And as for getting it at 62 baht a block........... very lucky man.

[xylophone]

On 3/14/2020 at 11:11 PM, Chalong circle said:

Some drinkable Pinot noir from Ventisquero at 500 bahts in Villa Market. Merlot from the same winery Ok for around 430 bahts.

Thanks for the tip on that "Chalong circle", and I went down to Villa Market to have a look around the wine section and came up with a couple of good options.

 

Firstly I did buy the Pinot Noir from Chile and although I have been spoilt considerably by the better French Burgundies, which make all other Pinot Noir wines fade into obscurity, even the much vaunted New Zealand Pinot Noirs which I have found to be very much like weak lolly water!

 

As for this one, well it didn't have the fragrant aromas of a good Burgundy, but it did have some earthy tones and a bit of backbone so I could get to like it.

 

 I also bought a wine from Victoria, Australia, "Salisbury" which was on offer at about 460 baht and it was the Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark red label and 1848 written on it, and it was very good, some dark fruit on the nose and good tannins, a little soft which was great for this wine........very much enjoyed and will buy again.

 

Also bought the Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon to give it a try, although I have often found the wine from this grape from Chile to be a little bit "green" or herbaceous as it is often called – – will find out when I try it shortly.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[madmitch]

21 hours ago, xylophone said:

 I also bought a wine from Victoria, Australia, "Salisbury" which was on offer at about 460 baht and it was the Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark red label and 1848 written on it, and it was very good, some dark fruit on the nose and good tannins, a little soft which was great for this wine........very much enjoyed and will buy again.

I've had a couple of bottles of the Shiraz, same brand. Not bad at all and decent value for Thailand.

 

I'll try the Cab Sauv next. Should be in Villa over the weekend.

[Chalong circle]

No worries. Actually the Merlot was 419 bahts. It is the one wich is on the bottom shelf. Another one "Reserve" is a bit more expensive. For Thailand, i Think the price is fair.

[xylophone]

On 3/19/2020 at 1:19 PM, xylophone said:

Also bought the Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon to give it a try, although I have often found the wine from this grape from Chile to be a little bit "green" or herbaceous as it is often called – – will find out when I try it shortly.

Well I have tried it and IMO it was a bit disappointing, compared to what I thought it would have been, as it was labelled a "Riserva".

 

As I mentioned before, I have often found this herbaceousness in Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the likes of Chile, although it can be found in some Bordeaux and a few other countries where it is grown.

 

Believe it or not it is actually because the grapes are not subjected to enough light and sunshine-heat, and a chemical in them, called methoxypyrazine, doesn't dissipate like it should, leaving this herbaceous taste.

 

So of the wines I bought in my little foray into Villa Market, I would say the Salisbury 1848 Cabernet Sauvignon would be the pick of the bunch and well worth trying if you like a nice Aussie wine at a reasonable price.
 

[xylophone]

On 3/20/2020 at 4:09 PM, Chalong circle said:

No worries. Actually the Merlot was 419 bahts. It is the one wich is on the bottom shelf. Another one "Reserve" is a bit more expensive. For Thailand, i Think the price is fair.

On the subject of Merlot, and not this particular "brand", I came across what appeared to be a bargain, only to find out that it was priced low for a reason.

 

The wine I am talking about is the one pictured below and is a Merlot from the Bordeaux region, although bottled by a cooperative which is sometimes open to speculation, and in my opinion it was bordering on very poor!

 

I didn't pay attention to the vintage year although I should have done, and when I got it home and realised it was a 2014, and cooperative bottled, I feared for the worst, and my fears were confirmed when I opened it.......it was too old, as cooperative bottled wines like this are meant to be drunk young, not six years after bottling and after having travelled halfway round the world, and it wasn't really fit for drinking, so I gave it some time and tried a couple of half glasses, before finally tipping it down the sink.

 

Serves me right, because what can you expect for 300 baht these days! So my advice is to stay away from this, or be terribly disappointed, or even sick if you drink it by the bottle!

 

PS. I may be being a little "harsh" with my verdict, although I will stick by it due to my experience with wines over the years.

 

 

 

[madmitch]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

On the subject of Merlot, and not this particular "brand", I came across what appeared to be a bargain, only to find out that it was priced low for a reason.

 

The wine I am talking about is the one pictured below and is a Merlot from the Bordeaux region, although bottled by a cooperative which is sometimes open to speculation, and in my opinion it was bordering on very poor!

 

I didn't pay attention to the vintage year although I should have done, and when I got it home and realised it was a 2014, and cooperative bottled, I feared for the worst, and my fears were confirmed when I opened it.......it was too old, as cooperative bottled wines like this are meant to be drunk young, not six years after bottling and after having travelled halfway round the world, and it wasn't really fit for drinking, so I gave it some time and tried a couple of half glasses, before finally tipping it down the sink.

 

Serves me right, because what can you expect for 300 baht these days! So my advice is to stay away from this, or be terribly disappointed, or even sick if you drink it by the bottle!

 

PS. I may be being a little "harsh" with my verdict, although I will stick by it due to my experience with wines over the years.

 

 

 

I shall trust your judgement, Xylo!

[sallecc]

Just for the guys in Kata/Karon area: if anybody is out of stock during lockdown, PM me as I have a friend here in Kata moving out and getting rid of his wines in the cellar... All good imported wines, I got dozen bottles myself, will keep my family happy until lockdown & alcohol ban (hopefully) ends 30.04. ????

 

[schlog]

Was yesterday after many years again at Phuket Grocery in Town. Got wet eyes after check out wine there. Stocked up this zolla i muri primitivo some days ago in makro for 749 baht/bottle. Phuket Grocery is much more cheap. Xylo maybe worth a trip for you to.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, schlog said:

Was yesterday after many years again at Phuket Grocery in Town. Got wet eyes after check out wine there. Stocked up this zolla i muri primitivo some days ago in makro for 749 baht/bottle. Phuket Grocery is much more cheap. Xylo maybe worth a trip for you to.

Thanks Schlog, I will have to get down there quickly, probably tomorrow now, as I do like that wine, however there may be a catch.......if you look at the label, next to the price, it says "Negroamaro Puglia", and the Negroamaro grape/wine does not fetch the premium price that Primitivo does, so it seems as though they may have mispriced it!!!!

 

Will definitely stock up on a few bottles in that case!
 

[schlog]

50 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Thanks Schlog, I will have to get down there quickly, probably tomorrow now, as I do like that wine, however there may be a catch.......if you look at the label, next to the price, it says "Negroamaro Puglia", and the Negroamaro grape/wine does not fetch the premium price that Primitivo does, so it seems as though they may have mispriced it!!!!

 

Will definitely stock up on a few bottles in that case!
 

Yup i also saw that but didn't had a second thought. I guess for both same 585 baht price like always in makro or tops both i muri priced same with 749 baht.

 

Good hunting tomorrow.

[xylophone]

3 hours ago, schlog said:

Yup i also saw that but didn't had a second thought. I guess for both same 585 baht price like always in makro or tops both i muri priced same with 749 baht.

 

Good hunting tomorrow.

I have actually just been there thanks Schlog, as I had to go and see my Daughter in Phuket to arrange her University move etc.......and when I asked her, she knew where the store was, so we went along and I grabbed 6 bottles!

 

Thanks again for the tip and I will enjoy a few glasses tonight.

[sammieuk1]

Being stranded has a few benefits one being an infinite choice of 200-300bt vintages with tonight's offering M+S own brand californian red at a fiver its a stunner????  

[stuarty]

M+S?

[LivinginKata]

47 minutes ago, stuarty said:

M+S?

 

Marks and Spensers

[stuarty]

Marks and Spencer (presumably in Central?) sell affordable wine?

[xylophone]

@madmitch @schlog @LivinginKata and others............have just come across a red wine bargain in Tesco Lotus stores so thought I would share it with you.

 

It is a 2019 Pinotage from South Africa and at 319 baht is a steal for that wine.

 

Being young, it is still fruity and comes across well with hints of dark fruit et cetera (all of the usual descriptions) but is not very tannic, so I didn't have a fat head when I drank three quarters of a bottle the other night with my dinner!

 

For those who don't know, the Pinotage grape is a South African invention, which crossed the French Pinot Noir grape with the Cinsault grape, which was called Hermitage in South Africa, thereby getting the name Pinotage. It has nothing to do with the French Hermitage wine.

 

I have never tasted a truly excellent one, and I don't believe the grape was made for this purpose, more to be able to provide an alternative to the grapes already used in South Africa, and also because the Cinsault grape gave it a resilient and hardy nature, unfortunately overpowering the Pinot Noir to a great extent.

 

A good workhorse grape in the main, although I do believe one or two producers in South Africa are striving to make a Pinotage which will make the rest of the world take note, but until that happens, if you find any in your Tesco Lotus shops at 319 baht a bottle, snap them up, or I will.

[Psimbo]

On 5/10/2020 at 3:25 PM, sammieuk1 said:

Being stranded has a few benefits one being an infinite choice of 200-300bt vintages with tonight's offering M+S own brand californian red at a fiver its a stunner????  

..... but hardly relevant to a thread about red wine in PHUKET.

[stouricks]

On 8/26/2020 at 4:22 PM, xylophone said:

so I didn't have a fat head when I drank three quarters of a bottle the other night with my dinner!

 

Where did the other 25% go please, breakfast?   PML 555

[sammieuk1]

1 hour ago, Psimbo said:

..... but hardly relevant to a thread about red wine in PHUKET.

And your comment is because ....????