Red Wine bargain in Phuket

[stuarty]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

Having said that, I did enjoy the Chateauneuf du Papes given to me by the owner and winemaker of Domaine du Pegau, Mdme Laurence Feraud, on my visit, and much better than the one from Tesco!!!!!

Maybe it was acceptable in the 80's, but you wouldn't get away with that these days.  I mean both the groping and the dress sense.

[faraday]

6 hours ago, stuarty said:

Maybe it was acceptable in the 80's, but you wouldn't get away with that these days.  I mean both the groping and the dress sense.

I think Xylo looks rather suave, spiffing in fact.

 

 

[xylophone]

6 hours ago, faraday said:

I think Xylo looks rather suave, spiffing in fact.

 

 

You are too kind Faraday, and thank you for the compliment, although I have to say that taking enough clothes to visit 38 vineyards and Châteaux throughout France, in 2002, was difficult, and this was normal travelling attire in the car. Not only that, our visits took in the harvest in some vineyards, as well as the crush in others, and it's not an altogether tidy process, so shorts and T-shirt were ideal.

 

Although in these photographs you will see a more conservative garb!

 

I have the poster who gets his information about Rioja Gran Reserva wrong, and then goes on to denigrate others on the thread, on ignore, so don't see his posts, but saw it mentioned in your reply........seems like sour grapes to me, sorry about the pun!!

[xylophone]

Getting back on track with regards to "red wine bargain in Phuket", I used to enjoy the Late Bottled Vintage Port from Tesco's at about 800 baht a bottle, but they have stopped importing it, so they told me, so no more to be found unless there is the odd bottle stashed away somewhere?

 

The only alternative is the Grahams or Taylors Ruby Ports at around 1,350 baht a bottle, and that's too expensive for what it is, probably due to the tax/excise on its high alcohol content.

 

However I have found a saviour..........looking on the Vinum Lector wine list I noticed a Fine Ruby Port from Quinta do Portal at 875+ baht a bottle, so I ordered six of them (minimum purchase) and I've enjoyed the first bottle immensely, so for any port lovers out there, this may be worth a try.

 

This from the producer: – "The vines have been grown in this harsh and beautiful land for many hundreds of years. The sweet Porto and Moscatel wines are luscious yet very elegant and balanced".
 

[huuwi]

not an expert but i like to have a refreshment once in a while, white wine/soda/ice. never pay close attention when i buy a box, but did so last time at makro. montclaire vs holla, as i read on the box they are both fruit wine, one is 900.-baht and the other 600.-baht. my guess it make no different when mix with soda. any advice from you guys?

 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, huuwi said:

not an expert but i like to have a refreshment once in a while, white wine/soda/ice. never pay close attention when i buy a box, but did so last time at makro. montclaire vs holla, as i read on the box they are both fruit wine, one is 900.-baht and the other 600.-baht. my guess it make no different when mix with soda. any advice from you guys?

 

Personally, I'm not a lover of "fruit wine" and I'm not sure about this Holla stuff, as I've never experienced it, but I do know that Montclair is (or used to be) made from grape juice with added fruit juice to get round duty/excise taxes, whereas Holla may be a wine made completely from fruit juice??

 

As for your question, I wouldn't think it would make any difference if you are mixing it with soda and ice, so just go along with whatever suits your taste.

[huuwi]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Personally, I'm not a lover of "fruit wine" and I'm not sure about this Holla stuff, as I've never experienced it, but I do know that Montclair is (or used to be) made from grape juice with added fruit juice to get round duty/excise taxes, whereas Holla may be a wine made completely from fruit juice??

 

As for your question, I wouldn't think it would make any difference if you are mixing it with soda and ice, so just go along with whatever suits your taste.

thx, will have a closer look next time if ola ola also is made from grape juice or complett out of mixed fruits.

[schlog]

Found at big c a nice wine from puglia. Nero di troia from Vigneti di Vulture.

 

Blackberry blueberry chocolate taste. Earthy but not to strong. 

Has a long lasting finish.

Really enjoyed that wine.

[xylophone]

On 5/31/2021 at 7:20 PM, schlog said:

Found at big c a nice wine from puglia. Nero di troia from Vigneti di Vulture.

 

Blackberry blueberry chocolate taste. Earthy but not to strong. 

Has a long lasting finish.

Really enjoyed that wine.

I did see that wine Schlog, but it wasn't on "special" but I did find 2 others that were and were very nice indeed: I Muri Primitivo and Negroamaro  were on 50% discount and both are lovely with the Negroamaro being my favourite.

 

Deep purple colour, with a nose of black fruits and not dry, but a big wine with a nice finish.

[schlog]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

I did see that wine Schlog, but it wasn't on "special" but I did find 2 others that were and were very nice indeed: I Muri Primitivo and Negroamaro  were on 50% discount and both are lovely with the Negroamaro being my favourite.

 

Deep purple colour, with a nose of black fruits and not dry, but a big wine with a nice finish.

Thanks xylo. Didn't saw that I Muri discount. Had only eyes for that Vigneti lol. So i need to go to big c today again to get some I Muri which i also like.

 

I'm by far no wine pro like you xylo but that well balanced earthy note in that Vigneti made it for me a good wine. Normaly i'm no friend of earthy, smokey and peaty. Catch a bottle on your next big c visit xylo before i will buy all.

[schlog]

7 hours ago, schlog said:

Thanks xylo. Didn't saw that I Muri discount. Had only eyes for that Vigneti lol. So i need to go to big c today again to get some I Muri which i also like.

 

I'm by far no wine pro like you xylo but that well balanced earthy note in that Vigneti made it for me a good wine. Normaly i'm no friend of earthy, smokey and peaty. Catch a bottle on your next big c visit xylo before i will buy all.

I Muri sold out at big c. Had no luck.

[xylophone]

8 hours ago, schlog said:

I'm by far no wine pro like you xylo but that well balanced earthy note in that Vigneti made it for me a good wine. Normaly i'm no friend of earthy, smokey and peaty. Catch a bottle on your next big c visit xylo before i will buy all.

Hi Schlog, there are times when I like wines with the characteristics you mention above and the two I Muri wines were like that!!! Sorry that you couldn't find any left, but at that price it is not surprising.

 

I am flattered as to your description (wine pro) but there is still so much to learn because it is a HUGE subject, and even now I have/am forgetting that which I learned 50 yrs ago!! So still learning..............

[JetsetBkk]

On 6/2/2021 at 1:43 PM, xylophone said:

I am flattered as to your description (wine pro) but there is still so much to learn because it is a HUGE subject, and even now I have/am forgetting that which I learned 50 yrs ago!! So still learning..............

 

You don't have to answer this if you don't want to Xylophone ????, but I was wondering how many bottles you drink in a typical month?

Occasionally I will have a whole bottle in one night, but will not drink any for several days after, or maybe a week, because I can feel the after-effects of it, so I like to get it all out of my system before I have more. 

[xylophone]

11 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

 

You don't have to answer this if you don't want to Xylophone ????, but I was wondering how many bottles you drink in a typical month?

Occasionally I will have a whole bottle in one night, but will not drink any for several days after, or maybe a week, because I can feel the after-effects of it, so I like to get it all out of my system before I have more. 

No problem answering this JetsetBkk.............for decades I would drink one bottle of red wine every night with my evening meal!! Too much my NZ doctor said, but all of the tests didn't show up any problems!

 

However since I have been here (15 years) it has been half a bottle of red per night with a small glass of sweet wine or port to finish off the evening.

 

I don't drink spirits and only the odd glass of beer if I go out, and never drink during the day. 

 

I don't get a hangover with this amount so I am happy with what I do!

[JetsetBkk]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

No problem answering this JetsetBkk.............for decades I would drink one bottle of red wine every night with my evening meal!! Too much my NZ doctor said, but all of the tests didn't show up any problems!

 

However since I have been here (15 years) it has been half a bottle of red per night with a small glass of sweet wine or port to finish off the evening.

 

I don't drink spirits and only the odd glass of beer if I go out, and never drink during the day. 

 

I don't get a hangover with this amount so I am happy with what I do!

 

Wow! Thanks, Xylo. So there's hope for me yet! ???? 

I took this photo on 1st May and am finishing the last bottle now. So that's 6 bottles in 5 weeks. Not too bad!

 

[chalawaan]

Seems the thread won't be that short lived, heads up calls like these are always welcome, I'll check my local branch and report back with location.CM. 

There could be a lot of these about soon as unconsumed  beer stock ages too.

[xylophone]

On 6/3/2021 at 10:35 PM, chalawaan said:

Seems the thread won't be that short lived, heads up calls like these are always welcome, I'll check my local branch and report back with location.CM. 

There could be a lot of these about soon as unconsumed  beer stock ages too.

Hopefully there will still be some bargains to be had, although for the moment the "sales" that were on at Big C and Tesco Lotus have stopped, so perhaps they have cleared the shelves of some of their slow-moving/older wines, however that doesn't stop me from looking!!

 

On the subject of wine, I was invited to a French friends house to sample a couple of his older Bordeaux wines, along with about four other guests, and this wasn't the first time because occasionally he brings out a few oldies and we get to discuss them.

 

The two wines were a St Emilion 1982 Grand Cru and a 1986 of the same ilk. And they have been stored well in a temperature controlled environment, so they were fully intact, if not a little on the light side with a light brick red colour (normal for this age), and they took a little time to come round.

 

One could tell that the wine had been good in its youth but nearly 40 years on it was expected to have lost a lot of its charm and fruit, as was the case.

 

I was privileged to be able to taste it, however if someone had asked me if I had wanted to buy a bottle I would have turned down the offer, because it is just not my style any more, although some younger French wines can be.

 

What annoyed me about the evening was the discussion about Australian wines and the constant running down of the Australian wines and wine producers, with comments like, "well they are just farmers and raise other things and wine is just a sideline for them" and so on. Now this was not the first time my French friend had voiced this opinion, and I thought I had better stick up for the Aussies and their wines, because they do make some really great wines, although he wouldn't be convinced.

 

I then mentioned that France has had its fair share of poor wines (and wine scandals), as do other countries, and the mutterings about my "blasphemy", especially as I was there drinking this guys wine, could be heard.

 

I haven't been invited back since – – no surprise, but I couldn't sit by and listen to, and witness, these totally one-eyed and arrogant ramblings from my French friend (perhaps now former friend!) without saying something in defence of the Aussies (although I'm a Kiwi).

 

I will add that over the years my tastes have changed and having been used to the French wines which found their way to England in my younger years, I then discovered Australian wines and my tastes have changed in that regard, and I do like the fruit driven wines of Australia with the perceptible nose and flavours of blackberries/blackcurrants/plums et cetera although the occasional French and Italian wine (especially Negroamaro, Primitivo and Appassimento) as well as a good Zinfandel from the US have become favourites.

 

I'm just hoping that the supermarkets will continue to have a clear out of slow-moving wines and I can find more wine bargains – – please!
 

[xylophone]

On 6/2/2021 at 1:13 PM, schlog said:

I Muri sold out at big c. Had no luck.

Hi Schlog and anyone else who may be interested in some wine bargains, because I have managed to find a couple of beauties.

 

The first one, which is Torre Rrachina Sicilian Nero d'Avola 2018 is a superb wine and a portion of the grapes are sun-dried as in the "apassimento" method which gives it a lot of body and notes of raisins and leather, to name but a few I could pick out.

 

It usually retails for about 760 baht and it is available for a short period of time at a 35% discount, so naturally I bought 18 bottles of it because it was extremely good.

 

The other wine which totally surprised me, mainly because of its age (2011), was a Brygon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, and after I had decanted it for over an hour, it was drinking beautifully, and the same the next day after I had drawn the air out of it and kept it in the fridge. Just everything that one would hope a well-made Australian wine would be.

 

This one sells for over 900 baht, but is discounted by just under 50%!!!! So of course I had to buy some more of this, six bottles for the moment, but almost certainly will get some more over the next week.

 

The owner of the business sells to the trade, with a "carryout" business for walk in customers. Therefore if anyone wants to buy his discounted wines, there is a minimum purchase of six bottles.

 

The discounted wines were only offered to the trade, so I'm not sure that he would like me to publish his details here, however if anyone wishes to send me a Private Message, then I will pass on the details.

 

I can thoroughly recommend the two wines above as they would be two of the best wines I have tasted in many years.
 

[JetsetBkk]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

naturally I bought 18 bottles of it because it was extremely good.

WHAAAAT? 

 

 

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, JetsetBkk said:

WHAAAAT? 

 

 

I love my red wine and what else can I spend my money on these days!! ????

[JetsetBkk]

36 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I love my red wine and what else can I spend my money on these days!! ????

I was just a little worried about your liver!  That's one of the reasons I try to limit my consumption. ????

 

I'd love to try the "Brygon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River" at about 450 a bottle, but I don't think there's any way to get one to me, unless you're heading down Phuket way any time soon.  ????

 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I was just a little worried about your liver!  That's one of the reasons I try to limit my consumption. ????

 

I'd love to try the "Brygon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River" at about 450 a bottle, but I don't think there's any way to get one to me, unless you're heading down Phuket way any time soon.  ????

 

I live in Patong!! And the minimum order is 6 bottles from the shop in Kathu.

 

[schlog]

Time to wake up that topic.

Was some days ago at wine connection to try that escargots and some new noodle dish. Food quality and taste has improved.

 

Anyway on way out checked the wine section and found a Cote du Rhone 2019 Gabriel Meffre. Thought about your Cote du Rhone advise Xylo last year.

 

Bought a bottle and really enjoyed it. Not sure it was a bargain at 750 baht but for me it was worth every sadang.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, schlog said:

Time to wake up that topic.

Was some days ago at wine connection to try that escargots and some new noodle dish. Food quality and taste has improved.

 

Anyway on way out checked the wine section and found a Cote du Rhone 2019 Gabriel Meffre. Thought about your Cote du Rhone advise Xylo last year.

 

Bought a bottle and really enjoyed it. Not sure it was a bargain at 750 baht but for me it was worth every sadang.

Good idea to wake up the topic again schlog, and your post reminded me that I had seen a Cote du Rhone (Gentilhomme by Ogier) and I meant to buy it when I was perusing some other wines in the shop called Promphan , but I was distracted and forgot!!!!

 

I had tried it last year and I thought it was very good and have always liked the wines from Ogier (especially the Cote Rotie) having visited the vineyard many years ago, and as I recall this one was about 590 baht a bottle, so not over-the-top, and I will get down there and buy a few bottles now that you have mentioned it!!!

[xylophone]

Something I forgot to mention, is that in the very same shop I came across a 2 L cardboard cask, labelled, "Cooking Wine" and it was a South African red wine from "The Old Town" producers, so being intrigued, I looked at the cask.

 

Nowhere on it could I see any details about the wine, grape varieties, alcohol content and suchlike, because I was intrigued at something being labelled "Cooking Wine", this especially as what little description was on the side of the cask, did state that consumers would enjoy its "drinkability" – – this from a cooking wine??

 

At about 350 baht for 2 L, it wasn't expensive, but something like this shows that there is a huge "nonsense" regarding wines produced here and also imported to Thailand. It is either a cooking wine or a drinking wine, and if it wasn't a good quality enough wine to drink, then you certainly shouldn't cook with it, and that leads onto the Montclair type plastic containers where the producer seems to have "inadvertently" left off the fact that it is a fruit wine!

 

Later, I checked online about the "Cooking Wine" and it is indeed a fruit wine.

 

It seems that despite Thailand trying to lift its game with regards to many things, it still falls short on the "correct" labelling and "policing" of something simple like wine, but then again perhaps it helps the "rich and powerful" get away with implementing their own rules.

[eezergood]

On 4/3/2022 at 11:54 AM, xylophone said:

Something I forgot to mention, is that in the very same shop I came across a 2 L cardboard cask, labelled, "Cooking Wine" and it was a South African red wine from "The Old Town" producers, so being intrigued, I looked at the cask.

 

Nowhere on it could I see any details about the wine, grape varieties, alcohol content and suchlike, because I was intrigued at something being labelled "Cooking Wine", this especially as what little description was on the side of the cask, did state that consumers would enjoy its "drinkability" – – this from a cooking wine??

 

At about 350 baht for 2 L, it wasn't expensive, but something like this shows that there is a huge "nonsense" regarding wines produced here and also imported to Thailand. It is either a cooking wine or a drinking wine, and if it wasn't a good quality enough wine to drink, then you certainly shouldn't cook with it, and that leads onto the Montclair type plastic containers where the producer seems to have "inadvertently" left off the fact that it is a fruit wine!

 

Later, I checked online about the "Cooking Wine" and it is indeed a fruit wine.

 

It seems that despite Thailand trying to lift its game with regards to many things, it still falls short on the "correct" labelling and "policing" of something simple like wine, but then again perhaps it helps the "rich and powerful" get away with implementing their own rules.

Due to taxation - drinking wine is taxed higher, also the fruit wine loophole is disappearing 

[KarenBravo]

I know nothing about wine, rarely drink the stuff and after two glasses, regardless of the quality, it'll taste like vinegar to me.

 

Nonetheless, I'm willing to share my fool-proof method of buying wine where you always end up with a good tasting, value for money wine, regardless of the grape variety.

 

First, I look for a middle priced wine. Not the cheap stuff and not the most expensive.

Then, I look in the Chilean and Argentinian wine section and buy the bottle with the prettiest label.

 

This method has always stood me well, in the past.

[eezergood]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

I know nothing about wine, rarely drink the stuff and after two glasses, regardless of the quality, it'll taste like vinegar to me.

 

Nonetheless, I'm willing to share my fool-proof method of buying wine where you always end up with a good tasting, value for money wine, regardless of the grape variety.

 

First, I look for a middle priced wine. Not the cheap stuff and not the most expensive.

Then, I look in the Chilean and Argentinian wine section and buy the bottle with the prettiest label.

 

This method has always stood me well, in the past.

Given your admission of ignorance & lack of palate sensitivity, your fool proof method would most likely yield the same results regardless......... 

 

That said I like your spirited approach, pot luck be thy companion 

[xylophone]

It's been a long time since I posted on here, so here goes with a couple of snippets of information: –

 

There is a new WINE PRO opening in the south of Phuket, and it is on the 4024 Road, and if heading south it would be on the right-hand side, just past where the old Honda showroom was, which was alongside the road which leads off into Songkhla University and then into Kathu. 

 

Their initial opening day is this Sunday and I will be popping along because it's possible they may have some promotional wines?? It may be of interest to a few on here @schlog, @Lik @eezergood @JetsetBkk@KarenBravo and others.

 

Also I've tried a few of the "19 Crimes" varietals, and found them to be very reasonable wines, especially if I can buy them a hell of a lot cheaper at Promphan, which has become my regular wine shop.

 

Now here is something which made me chuckle, because although I like my wine and have been buying, drinking and studying it for 50 years, as well as visiting vineyards and Châteaux, my description of wines is fairly basic and I don't find the rare and wonderful nuances in wines which the top wine critics seem to find, and this one in particular made me smile, and it's from Robert Parker.

 

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the wine soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.

 

Hmmmm, not sure about the tilled soil though (amongst others!!).
 

[madmitch]

22 hours ago, xylophone said:

It's been a long time since I posted on here, so here goes with a couple of snippets of information: –

 

There is a new WINE PRO opening in the south of Phuket, and it is on the 4024 Road, and if heading south it would be on the right-hand side, just past where the old Honda showroom was, which was alongside the road which leads off into Songkhla University and then into Kathu. 

 

Their initial opening day is this Sunday and I will be popping along because it's possible they may have some promotional wines?? It may be of interest to a few on here @schlog, @Lik @eezergood @JetsetBkk@KarenBravo and others.

 

Also I've tried a few of the "19 Crimes" varietals, and found them to be very reasonable wines, especially if I can buy them a hell of a lot cheaper at Promphan, which has become my regular wine shop.

 

Now here is something which made me chuckle, because although I like my wine and have been buying, drinking and studying it for 50 years, as well as visiting vineyards and Châteaux, my description of wines is fairly basic and I don't find the rare and wonderful nuances in wines which the top wine critics seem to find, and this one in particular made me smile, and it's from Robert Parker.

 

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the wine soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note.

 

Hmmmm, not sure about the tilled soil though (amongst others!!).
 

Thanks for the info. Let me know if you have any reasonably priced Wine Pro red recommendations. I took a bottle of "The Guv'nor" (Spanish red blend) back from the UK and the Mrs and her friends realised that Montclair is absolute dross after tasting this, and it only costs £7 (THB280) in Majestic.

 

Of course I'm spoilt for choice in both wine and beer being in England right now...and I'm making the most of it!