Red Wine bargain in Phuket

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, stouricks said:

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

No finished it the next night and it was still good!!

[madmitch]

Went to Chalong Tesco. Not only did they not have the wine in question but it looks like they've downsized their wine section. The shelves at the end now have a totally different product, one shelf was filled with large Spy Melon bottles, which were also interspersed amongst the wines on offer, many of which were fruit wines. Very few Tesco Select wines (though they did have the LBV port) and only four bottles of the Vineyards range, which is perfectly acceptable as a budget option.

 

Disappointing.

 

[xylophone]

45 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Went to Chalong Tesco. Not only did they not have the wine in question but it looks like they've downsized their wine section. The shelves at the end now have a totally different product, one shelf was filled with large Spy Melon bottles, which were also interspersed amongst the wines on offer, many of which were fruit wines. Very few Tesco Select wines (though they did have the LBV port) and only four bottles of the Vineyards range, which is perfectly acceptable as a budget option.

 

Disappointing.

 

That is disappointing MM! A couple of times in the past when they seem to have "downsized" there have been a few bargains to be had, but maybe the Pinotage was an end of line product?

 

All the same I will be keeping an eye out on their prices.

 

Actually they did drop the price of one of their Burgundies (Hautes Cotes de Nuits) by about 200 baht and I was tempted, BUT it was the 2014 vintage and these lower tier Burgundies have not lasted well when tried here, so wasn't going to take a chance at around 640 baht a bottle.

[schlog]

Had also no luck in lotus thalang and in town. No pinotage in stock and no other interesting wines.

Next time i need to be more fast.

 

But will not complaint. Stumpled last week in tops over a Faustino V red reserva 2011 for only 990 baht. Really cheap and never found that Faustino here before. But they had only 1 bottle.

[xylophone]

4 hours ago, schlog said:

Had also no luck in lotus thalang and in town. No pinotage in stock and no other interesting wines.

Next time i need to be more fast.

 

But will not complaint. Stumpled last week in tops over a Faustino V red reserva 2011 for only 990 baht. Really cheap and never found that Faustino here before. But they had only 1 bottle.

Long time since I've had that wine, and the last lot I saw was in the Promphan store........a while ago now!!

[madmitch]

In the local Tesco Express last night, about to pay and I noticed a Tesco Select Pinot Grigio on the shelf behind the counter marked at 298 baht. I asked to take a look, expecting it to be old but no, 2018. I then expected to be told the 298 baht was for something else but it wasn't. "Last bottle", said the guy serving. I dont drink much white wine but if I do it's generally a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio so I nabbed my bargain and its now chilled and ready to drink.

 

With Xylo's pinotage as well, seems like it's worth keeping an eye out for the bin ends.

[xylophone]

7 minutes ago, madmitch said:

In the local Tesco Express last night, about to pay and I noticed a Tesco Select Pinot Grigio on the shelf behind the counter marked at 298 baht. I asked to take a look, expecting it to be old but no, 2018. I then expected to be told the 298 baht was for something else but it wasn't. "Last bottle", said the guy serving. I dont drink much white wine but if I do it's generally a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio so I nabbed my bargain and its now chilled and ready to drink.

 

With Xylo's pinotage as well, seems like it's worth keeping an eye out for the bin ends.

Well spotted MM!!

[swerve]

This doesn't fit the Phuket red wine bargain, but...  The latest wines that I have found to be really nice are the Yealands brand.  Wines from Marlborough, New Zealand.  Two whites in particular: sauv blanc and pinot gris.  Priced reasonably (<600 baht) at Chalong Villa Market and I think very good.

 

There have also been a bunch of red Aussie wines on sale around 400 Baht that have been what I consider a good value.  Same store Chalong Villa Market.

Edited September 8, 2020 by swerve

[schlog]

On 8/31/2020 at 5:34 PM, xylophone said:

Long time since I've had that wine, and the last lot I saw was in the Promphan store........a while ago now!!

Yesterday in Tops in old Central Faustino V Reserva 2013 now in stock.

 

Found a primitivo di manduria reserva 2016 Giordano. Luca maroni 98 points. Must admit luca is correct and for around 800 baht a very very nice wine. Need to buy again to test more to confirm that this Giordano is better then the Zolla.

[madmitch]

I've just taken advantage of this offer from Wine Pro. 500 baht a bottle plus VAT. Not a bad deal if you like Shiraz

 

[xylophone]

32 minutes ago, madmitch said:

I've just taken advantage of this offer from Wine Pro. 500 baht a bottle plus VAT. Not a bad deal if you like Shiraz

 

Those wines have great reviews MM, and I do like Shiraz, but am wary of the high alcohol content as it can affect my normally settled reflux!!

 

Having said that a few bottles in the wine fridge wouldn't go amiss!! Will check it out.......

[schlog]

No red wine bargain but a very good belgium beer bargain. Normal price is 179 baht. Today only 79 baht. Tops in old Central.

[steelepulse]

14 hours ago, schlog said:

No red wine bargain but a very good belgium beer bargain. Normal price is 179 baht. Today only 79 baht. Tops in old Central.

Was this marked as a one day only sale?  I wouldn't mind picking up a few of these if they are still around at this price.

[schlog]

46 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

Was this marked as a one day only sale?  I wouldn't mind picking up a few of these if they are still around at this price.

Nope wasn't. Be quick it's tasty.

[steelepulse]

22 hours ago, schlog said:

Nope wasn't. Be quick it's tasty.

We weren't quick enough.  Mrs SP went to Tops and was informed that no more were left.  

[madmitch]

Has anyone ever returned a bottle of wine to a shop in Thailand if it's off?

 

Just opened a bottle that I only bought today from Promphan and it's corked.

 

Don't think I threw the bill away!

[sammieuk1]

21 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Has anyone ever returned a bottle of wine to a shop in Thailand if it's off?

 

Just opened a bottle that I only bought today from Promphan and it's corked.

 

Don't think I threw the bill away!

Was it a bottle of Bob Hope or no Hope just a random guess at the answer to your question ????

[schlog]

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

Has anyone ever returned a bottle of wine to a shop in Thailand if it's off?

 

Just opened a bottle that I only bought today from Promphan and it's corked.

 

Don't think I threw the bill away!

Nope never. I use it to cook delicious goulash.

[xylophone]

10 hours ago, madmitch said:

Has anyone ever returned a bottle of wine to a shop in Thailand if it's off?

 

Just opened a bottle that I only bought today from Promphan and it's corked.

 

Don't think I threw the bill away!

Yes, I took one back to Villa Market in Chalong and even though the wine was extremely cloudy and foul-smelling they wouldn't take it back/replace it, so I asked to see the manager and he was just as adamant nothing was going to happen, so I suggested that he should taste it!

 

He was very reluctant, but did so and immediately screwed up his face and my wine was replaced, although he did say in fair English that this would be the only time that he would do that! So you see it's not easy.

 

Probably less so in your case if the wine is "corked" because as (as a rule) it still looks good, and most Thais wouldn't know the difference between a bottle of corked wine and a bottle of urine!

 

So I'm afraid old friend that you may have to wear it, although in some cases there is a difference between a wine being corked and having "cork taint", because this can go away if the bottle is left open or decanted.

 

As any good chef will tell you, never use a bad wine for cooking, as why would you want to introduce a bad taste/smell to your cooking.

[luckyluke]

3 minutes ago, xylophone said:

As any good chef will tell you, never use a bad wine for cooking, as why would you want to introduce a bad taste/smell to your cooking.

It has been a long tradition to use the same wine one drink with his meal as to prepare the meal.

[xylophone]

1 minute ago, luckyluke said:

It has been a long tradition to use the same wine one drink with his meal as to prepare the meal.

But as you would never drink a wine that was off, then you would not add it to your cooking!!

 

By all means add a good wine to your cooking, but why would you want to add a wine which was spoiled/off?

[luckyluke]

5 minutes ago, xylophone said:

But as you would never drink a wine that was off, then you would not add it to your cooking!!

 

By all means add a good wine to your cooking, but why would you want to add a wine which was spoiled/off?

I tried to explain it was common ( still ? ) to not use a cheap wine for cooking, and a better one for drinking.

[schlog]

31 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Yes, I took one back to Villa Market in Chalong and even though the wine was extremely cloudy and foul-smelling they wouldn't take it back/replace it, so I asked to see the manager and he was just as adamant nothing was going to happen, so I suggested that he should taste it!

 

He was very reluctant, but did so and immediately screwed up his face and my wine was replaced, although he did say in fair English that this would be the only time that he would do that! So you see it's not easy.

 

Probably less so in your case if the wine is "corked" because as (as a rule) it still looks good, and most Thais wouldn't know the difference between a bottle of corked wine and a bottle of urine!

 

So I'm afraid old friend that you may have to wear it, although in some cases there is a difference between a wine being corked and having "cork taint", because this can go away if the bottle is left open or decanted.

 

As any good chef will tell you, never use a bad wine for cooking, as why would you want to introduce a bad taste/smell to your cooking.

For most cooking sure but in a goulash you don't taste the difference between corked wine or 2000 baht wine. Done it many times also for guests and never ever one complaint about it.

[xylophone]

29 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

I tried to explain it was common ( still ? ) to not use a cheap wine for cooking, and a better one for drinking.

Nothing wrong with using a cheaper wine for cooking, provided the wine is stable and not off.

 

Indeed one of the French recipes for coq au vin states that one needs a bottle of Burgundy for the dish and a bottle of Burgundy for the table, however with the cost of Burgundy I have never followed that recipe!!!

 

The original poster (mm) did say that his wine was corked, and this is caused by a chemical compound called 2-4-6 Trichloroanisole which is produced in the cork at the time of bottling and spreads into the wine and I quote the following: –

 

A wine which is corked is a wine which has a specific flaw that is caused by contamination by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA for short),  and TCA is produced by little airborne fungi and bacteria that comes in contact with chlorine and phenolic compounds. The most common way to build TCA comes from cork manufacturing when fungus reacts to a conventional plant fungicide that contains chlorine.

While corked wines are ruined, drinking a corked wine is not going to cause you any physical harm if you ingest it. Other than make you cry from the loss of course. The bad smell does not go away with air or time. In fact, the stench continues to get worse with exposure to air.

My point is that why would I want to introduce foul-smelling chemicals into my cooking?
 

Edited November 13, 2020 by xylophone

[xylophone]

14 minutes ago, schlog said:

For most cooking sure but in a goulash you don't taste the difference between corked wine or 2000 baht wine. Done it many times also for guests and never ever one complaint about it.

Yes I suppose you could get away with it in strong dishes or if the wine wasn't badly affected by TCA, however all of my wines like this go down the sink........as I don't want the hassle of arguing with Thai store folk about a wine when they don't have a clue!

[madmitch]

It is very possible that the bottle isn't corked but more likely the wine is oxidised. Apologies. Not often I buy a wine with a normal cork these days, one which broke as I removed it.

 

It has the taste that you get from that bottle of sherry that your grandmother opened the Christmas before last, took one glass and left on the shelf thereafter.

 

I think I might just have to write it off from what I have read here.

[xylophone]

Just now, madmitch said:

It is very possible that the bottle isn't corked but more likely the wine is oxidised. Apologies. Not often I buy a wine with a normal cork these days, one which broke as I removed it.

 

It has the taste that you get from that bottle of sherry that your grandmother opened the Christmas before last, took one glass and left on the shelf thereafter.

 

I think I might just have to write it off from what I have read here.

As you say, oxidised wine is a different story altogether and can be caused by the wine being very old, having a faulty cork or being subjected to high temperatures, or a combination of all three!

 

As I said, I tip stuff like this down the sink, but there might be some old wino out in the streets who would appreciate a bottle of "sherry-like" alcoholic drink!! Especially in times like this!
 

[xylophone]

Not a red wine bargain, but certainly a bargain if you are looking for one.....

 

Went to the Tesco Lotus store in Phuket town yesterday and in the small section labelled, "Tesco's finest" there were a few bottles of champagne (real, French stuff) on sale at 770 baht!

 

Now that has to be the cheapest champagne I've seen anywhere.

[schlog]

Right now at Lotus.

[xylophone]

8 hours ago, schlog said:

Right now at Lotus.

Thanks for the tip Schlog, so I went out and bought a couple of bottles to try and whilst I was there I noticed that the Beaujolais Villages was on special, so decided to try a bottle, and it was very average to say the least and I had expected something a little more.

 

Having said that, I haven't tried any Beaujolais for decades, and the last time I did was in New Zealand at a special function I organised as sales and marketing director for American Express, whereby we hired a restaurant for the evening, had the Beaujolais Nouveau picked up at the airport and taken by helicopter to the restaurant, which had a lovely big lawn on which to land.

 

Not a great fan of the Nouveau, but it was part of our marketing for high-value customers, who were invited free of charge to participate.

 

Well I made an absolute pig of myself with the wine, not to mention the food, and the next morning I really couldn't lift my head off the pillow as I had the most vicious hangover I think I've ever had (I did go to work though).

 

Since that time I haven't really tried any, although years ago I did have some quite wonderful Beaujolais Grand cru wines, but the escapade with the Nouveau soured my opinion.

 

Anyway, for what it's worth, I won't be buying any more of it although it was well priced at 359 baht, but had not retained any of the fruit or the characteristics of the Gamay grape as grown in Beaujolais.

 

Will be trying the Valpolicella tomorrow night and see how I feel about that.