Castle Creek was mentioned a couple of times, It is not bad at all. I put mine in the fridge and have a glass or 2 every night. You get the 3 Liter box at big C for just under 1000 Baht. I even found a cheaper source. the girls in my preferred English restaurant in soi Lengkee buy it even cheaper for me: 1000 Baht for a 5 Liter box. Sorry, don't know where they buy it.

Cheers

 

thaisabai

34 minutes ago, DBath said:

Can anyone here summarize what are the key differences of these wines versus what you might find at the upper middle of the range produced in the US?

All depends on what style of wine from the US you are trying to compare.....

This is interesting (or not.....) on where you are going for the style of wine there.

https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/the-seven-valleys-of-rioja/

4 hours ago, topt said:

However everyone's taste is different and I find I need to spend at least 469 baht a bottle at the moment for something I consider drinkable - without having consumed several beers first...........

"having consumed several beers first..........." go and stand in the corner and think seriously of what you are suggesting.

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Cheap reds are for cheap Charlie's who don't appreciate a good red.

 

I see a good drop to the palate as a good looking babe I am about to enjoy.

 

Just under 1,000 baht for 3 litres, can also be bought in a 1 litre bottle for 339 baht I have read.

 

Castle Creek Bin 569 dry red, Aussie wine, half a wine glass with dinner is perfect, but never enough.

 

 

 

Sophomania seems your problem dogs are immune thankfully

3 minutes ago, topt said:

Sorry but really not sure what you think I am suggesting although @Salerno finds it amusing as well............

I did actually say "without" in front of the words you quoted. ????

He was just cracking a joke ... which wouldn't work if he had left "without" in.

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

He was just cracking a joke ... which wouldn't work if he had left "without" in.

Ah thanks, Comprende now - initially I didn't even notice he had left it out........

23 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Rumours is a cheap Ozzie one 299 baht last time in Big C, then there is Hola, 219 you can just about call it wine. Wolf Blass at 399 is quite good 14% Shiraz

Wolf Blass is the better wine in this lot as the others are "fruit wine".

3 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Laughing Bird Dry Red 1.5l

 

Berri Estates Bin999 750ml. Better than Bin777 IMO. 

 

2 off the top of my head which meet the OP criteria. 

Also fruit wines.

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Cheap reds are for cheap Charlie's who don't appreciate a good red.

 

I see a good drop to the palate as a good looking babe I am about to enjoy.

 

Just under 1,000 baht for 3 litres, can also be bought in a 1 litre bottle for 339 baht I have read.

 

Castle Creek Bin 569 dry red, Aussie wine, half a wine glass with dinner is perfect, but never enough.

 

 

 

As is Castle Creek Dry Red I believe (fruit wine).

 

Why buy the fruit wines (ones which have fruit juice added to them) when there are wines without fruit added, which can be bought for 399 baht and up!! Example "Barwang The Wall" range from Oz; JJ McWilliams range from Oz; and as already been mentioned, Wolf Blass range at 399 baht............plenty out there without fruit juice added if you just look.

 

Personally I would never buy a fruit wine, even if I was desperate, but everyone to their own. 

3 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Wolf Blass is the better wine in this lot as the others are "fruit wine".

Also fruit wines.

As is Castle Creek Dry Red I believe (fruit wine).

 

Why buy the fruit wines (ones which have fruit juice added to them) when there are wines without fruit added, which can be bought for 399 baht and up!! Example "Barwang The Wall" range from Oz; JJ McWilliams range from Oz; and as already been mentioned, Wolf Blass range at 399 baht............plenty out there without fruit juice added if you just look.

 

Personally I would never buy a fruit wine, even if I was desperate, but everyone to their own. 

Don't the fruit wines have a different colour tax label on them compared to real wine?

To sum up , I don't think with alc. tax, import duty there is such a thing as cheap-decent-red-wine. This is LoS not Spain.

Just now, clivebaxter said:

Don't the fruit wines have a different colour tax label on them compared to real wine?

Used to be when Mont Clair was the main supplier of the fruit wines because the grape juice was imported, then fruit juice added and it was produced here in Thailand so local tax sticker. Imports had the blue sticker, but now Australia has taken to producing its own fruit wines in Oz so the blue tax sticker still applies for imports to Thailand, even the fruit wines, I believe.

 

Not a good indicator any more IMO. BUT wines from OZ and other countries are required by law to include the words, "Fruit Wine" somewhere on the label, even if it is "hidden away".

4 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Laughing Bird Dry Red 1.5l

this would be my recommendation

 

around 580 baht for the equivalent of 2 bottles

 

same price as the fruit wine, but it's real grape wine

38 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Wolf Blass is the better

Thanks for the tip. Looking forward to giving it a go. Have tried 2 JJ McWilliams reds, but was underwhelmed. Preferred the Laughingly Bird! ????

7 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

this would be my recommendation

 

around 580 baht for the equivalent of 2 bottles

 

same price as the fruit wine, but it's real grape wine

Sorry to disappoint you but it is a Fruit wine. Made from grapes and fruit juice.

Also forgot to mention that the Thai tax laws changed as regards the sale of alcohol, and as I recall the tax increased on the alc content, which is why a great many boxed wines and wines in plastic containers can be found at 10% abv or thereabouts..........crazy tax laws in Thailand do not help the wine drinker, which is why the fruit wines gained a foothold.

Thanks for all the advice guys. He's a Thai mate who recently got diagnosed with a heart issue. Normally drinks beer but the doctor (and wife) put the kybosh on that. A couple of wines only .....so as long as it is sweetish, palatable and cheap I am sure he'll be happy lol. I recommended the Mont Clair

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

Personally I would never buy a fruit wine, even if I was desperate, but everyone to their own. 

I learn something everyday, i.e. didn't know it was a fruit wine, might have to change wines because I am sure the sugar content would be out of this world.

 

7 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I learn something everyday, i.e. didn't know it was a fruit wine, might have to change wines because I am sure the sugar content would be out of this world.

 

Not so as the fruit/juice is fermented with the grape/juice so it is fermented into alcohol, but the fruit wines are not usually that high in alcohol, so there must be a way by which the alcohol is controlled. Also I remember reading that for a wine to qualify as "fruit wine" for lower tax purposes, there only needs to be 15% of fruit/juice added to the mix, so the sugar content of that amount wouldn't be noticeable in the final product.

 

The lowest "real" wine I have seen here is the Tesco Vineyard range which was selling at 349 baht a bottle and it is a lightish wine that would suit Thai food, pizzas and some pasta dishes. Next up are a couple of wines selling for around 380 baht from Chile, so apart from the Tesco's wine, just about anything else priced below that will be fruit wines, perhaps with the odd exception!

5 hours ago, topt said:

All depends on what style of wine from the US you are trying to compare.....

This is interesting (or not.....) on where you are going for the style of wine there.

https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/the-seven-valleys-of-rioja/

Interesting article, thanks. I'm intrigued and looking forward to exploring what the region has to offer. I like Silver Oak, a cabernet produced in Napa - they have a decent reputation. Alhama and Iregua Valleys seem interesting as far as wines I might be interested in trying out first when I get there. Some of the pics that accompany that article are amazing. I'm looking forward to seeing the countryside close-up even more than I'm looking forward to trying some of the wine.

Had a bottle of Hardy's Cabernet last week and just polished off a bottle of the Shiraz. Australian and both 13%. B399 and not shabby at all. Nothing special either.

 

I've had some decent aforementioned "fruit wines" which rival Hardy's and McWilliams while costing less.

 

Looking forward to trying Wolf Blass soon. 

19 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Had a bottle of Hardy's Cabernet last week and just polished off a bottle of the Shiraz. Australian and both 13%. B399 and not shabby at all. Nothing special either.

 

I've had some decent aforementioned "fruit wines" which rival Hardy's and McWilliams while costing less.

 

Looking forward to trying Wolf Blass soon. 

For me the Wolf Blass range at 399 baht is an ok "swigger" with the Shiraz (IMO) being the better one.

 

Try the "Barwang" (399 or therabouts) range and see how that suits.

10 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Laughing Bird Dry Red 1.5l

 

Berri Estates Bin999 750ml. Better than Bin777 IMO. 

 

2 off the top of my head which meet the OP criteria. 

+ on the Laughing Bird 1.5l , very drinkable wine at reasonable cost .

11 hours ago, seajae said:

...merlot & gsm are my preferred reds...

gsm? That's a grape variety I don't know yet.

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

Used to be when Mont Clair was the main supplier of the fruit wines because the grape juice was imported, then fruit juice added and it was produced here in Thailand so local tax sticker. Imports had the blue sticker, but now Australia has taken to producing its own fruit wines in Oz so the blue tax sticker still applies for imports to Thailand, even the fruit wines, I believe.

 

Not a good indicator any more IMO. BUT wines from OZ and other countries are required by law to include the words, "Fruit Wine" somewhere on the label, even if it is "hidden away".

Mont Clair is from S Africa

I live in Paris but even here, I never buy cheap wine. I dont drink wine everyday so though i’m not a rich man i never buy a bottle less than 10€, because expérience taught me it’s not worth it.

I bought once a bottle at Moonsoon Valley near Hua Hin, and though it was tasty, you can’t call it wine (30€ or so if I remember well !).

cheers

4 hours ago, federico said:

I live in Paris but even here, I never buy cheap wine. I dont drink wine everyday so though i’m not a rich man i never buy a bottle less than 10€, because expérience taught me it’s not worth it.

I bought once a bottle at Moonsoon Valley near Hua Hin, and though it was tasty, you can’t call it wine (30€ or so if I remember well !).

cheers

I do understand what you mean , to a degree , but you do understand that wine in Thailand is very expensive .Off course a 15 euro bottle of wine in France is not the same as anything you can buy at any reasonable cost in Thailand . We are talking about them , since that was the question of the topic . Most "cheaper" bottles of wine in Thailand are horrible , but there are very drinkable examples around . They aren't "haute quisine" , but you certainly can enjoy to drink them .

You may want to consider Hardy's Varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon)... 399B a bottle.  Min 3 bottle purchase via wine-now.com  Villa/other supermarkets carry them too.

Thepprasit Road, Pattaya   branches most places   The two dedicated wine shops there are good, the one at the rear of soi 9 is especially so

13 hours ago, xylophone said:

is an ok "swigger"

I love a good "swigger"! ????

12 hours ago, Puccini said:

gsm? That's a grape variety I don't know yet.

It stands for Grenache/Shiraz (Syrah)/Mourvedre, and that blend is very often labelled GSM in Australia, but it is in fact a blend that is very common and well liked in the Rhône (France) from whence it originated.

12 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Mont Clair is from S Africa

Yes, it is.

 

Siam Winery, the makers of Montclair, bring in the grape juice from South Africa, add fruit juice/Rosella to it and sell it here in Thailand.

 

At one time it used to have the words "red/white fruit wine" carefully hidden away on the packaging, however I notice that this has been omitted in the last couple of years and replaced with something like "red/white celebration wine" on the packaging.

 

This being Thailand, they seem to be able to get away with that, but international regulations for the labelling of wine specifically state that anything labelled "wine" must be made solely from grapes, and if it isn't, it has to be noted on the label, for example "red fruit wine".