Makro now sells a box of red and white "cooking wine", apparently from South Africa, under the "The Old Town" brand. If you ignore the "cooking" label, it's pretty much of a bargain. 

2 liter paper box for 379THB

22 minutes ago, MadMac said:

2 liter paper box for 379THB

Genuinely drinkable or 'cheap so I don't really care what it tastes like'?

 

Good price if it is quite quaffable. 

2 hours ago, MadMac said:

2 liter paper box for 379THB

Far out, I get 5 litres for the same price in OZ 

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

Far out, I get 5 litres for the same price in OZ 

 

You're not in Kansas any more, Dorothy

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

Far out, I get 5 litres for the same price in OZ 

So what? Has nothing to do with Thai price

Does it have fruit juice in it? This might sound odd but it happens in order to reduce tax.

3 minutes ago, roo860 said:

So what? Has nothing to do with Thai price

It's got everything to do with Thai prices as it shows how expesive wine is here due to import tax, which let me remind everyone, was going to be cut. For the around the same price of an ordinary red here very good reds can be purchased in Australia. Indeed very good reds even cheaper than here with a vast selection to choose from. So yes, IMHO the comparison is valid.

1 minute ago, dinsdale said:

It's got everything to do with Thai prices as it shows how expesive wine is here due to import tax, which let me remind everyone, was going to be cut. For the around the same price of an ordinary red here very good reds can be purchased in Australia. Indeed very good reds even cheaper than here with a vast selection to choose from. So yes, IMHO the comparison is valid.

Yeah import taxes were cut.

Interior taxes increased !

8 hours ago, MadMac said:

2 liter paper box for 379THB

 

Not that cheap. I pay 1090 for La Vida 5 lt, about the same. La Vida is drinkable with a meal.

Just now, henryford1958 said:

 

Not that cheap. I pay 1090 for La Vida 5 lt, about the same. La Vida is drinkable with a meal.

La Vida - Bt. 211/lt.

Paper box - Bt.189/lt.

 

Paper box  is the winner !

6 hours ago, still kicking said:

Far out, I get 5 litres for the same price in OZ 

I get 5L Merlot 13% B250. Italy. Who's next.

12 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

I get 5L Merlot 13% B250. Italy. Who's next.

Exactly, the old 'wines cheaper in my country', I reckon most members understand that now.

On 8/13/2025 at 7:43 AM, Ralf001 said:

La Vida - Bt. 211/lt.

Paper box - Bt.189/lt.

 

Paper box  is the winner !

 

On 8/13/2025 at 7:43 AM, Ralf001 said:

La Vida - Bt. 211/lt.

Paper box - Bt.189/lt.

 

Paper box  is the winner !

That is a different price than what henryford1958 mentioned who talks about 1090 Thb/5 ltr, you have jet about 189 Thb/ltr is converted 945 Thb.

I believe the "Cooking Wine Label" moves the product into a lower Customs Tax bracket, and you will find it in many bars and restaurants being sold by the glass !

On 8/13/2025 at 7:24 AM, dinsdale said:

Does it have fruit juice in it? This might sound odd but it happens in order to reduce tax.

Is have nothing to do with reducing tax, it has everything to do with being cheap to buy and sell. Most lower end wines are bottled inside Thailand, you can know this by the different color tax label. The tax is cheaper but the actual purchase price is much more profit than the reduced taxes are.

 

 

• Blue Stamp: Indicates 100% grape wine, imported in its full form. This stamp guarantees authenticity—you’re getting genuine wine made purely from grapes. 

• Orange Stamp: Signals that the bottle contains a blend—roughly half real grape wine and half fruit wine + often locally bottled. They import this by large containers. AKA not real wine.

On 8/12/2025 at 6:01 PM, MadMac said:

Makro now sells a box of red and white "cooking wine", apparently from South Africa, under the "The Old Town" brand. If you ignore the "cooking" label, it's pretty much of a bargain. 

If you read further on the box-text it's actually suitable for for drinking. Excellent taste in my opinion, if you like that of Algerian/Tunesian wine, which some says taste like the (very) old French vines that was lost in France during a fost, because it's the same old vine exported from France. I prefer "The Old Town" dry red in taste more than the double as expensive box-wines – which I unfortunately have to settle with, when The Old Town is sold out – I shall find dedicated bottles to match The Old Town's excellent taste.

 

The Old Town dry white at same price is however – in my opinion – almost undrinkable. I gladly pay double as much to enjoy a glass of white table wine. Holla, also available in Makro, has a good cheap white table wine; while the Holla red is drinkable, but not even close to the taste of The Old Town.

 

However, it's a matter of taste – which can be way more important than price – and you might not have same taste as I do...

On 8/13/2025 at 7:45 AM, norfolkandchance said:

I get 5L Merlot 13% B250. Italy. Who's next.

Cat piss is free if you have some spare time to collect it.  

A couple years ago a guest left a partial box of it at our house and I was impressed enough with it to spend considerable effort to find it and never did.Good to hear

6 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

Cat piss is free if you have some spare time to collect it.  

Classy.

On 8/12/2025 at 11:01 PM, MadMac said:

Makro now sells a box of red and white "cooking wine", apparently from South Africa, under the "The Old Town" brand. If you ignore the "cooking" label, it's pretty much of a bargain. 

even if it's free,   if it tastes like cat piss why drink it ? 

 

17 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

Classy.

I thought so 

13 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

I thought so 

Have a good day. Dear Boy.

On 8/13/2025 at 7:41 AM, henryford1958 said:

 

Not that cheap. I pay 1090 for La Vida 5 lt, about the same. La Vida is drinkable with a meal.

Where are you buying it at that price? A 3 litre box is around 950 

On 8/16/2025 at 2:35 PM, khunPer said:

However, it's a matter of taste – which can be way more important than price

True and "Old Town Wine" is a fruit wine, as is "Holla" and everyone to their own taste, but as another has said....."Cat piss is free if you have some spare time to collect it".

 

Whatever else is said, it matters not to me because I will stick with my usual wine, made from grapes.

20 hours ago, xylophone said:

On 8/16/2025 at 9:35 AM, khunPer said:

However, it's a matter of taste – which can be way more important than price

True and "Old Town Wine" is a fruit wine, as is "Holla" and everyone to their own taste, but as another has said....."Cat piss is free if you have some spare time to collect it".

 

Whatever else is said, it matters not to me because I will stick with my usual wine, made from grapes.

However, this seems not to be fully correct, if I correctly understand the difference between blue tax-labelled locally blended "fruit" wine and orange tax-labelled imported wine.

Yes, Holla is a fruit wine with blue tax-label, and it also says clearly "fruit wine" on the packing. In my opinion the white "crispy" is a fine refreshing affordable table wine, when cold; not necessarily to be compared with some expensive imported yellow-labelled wines.

 

But, The Old Town, is indeed an orange tax-labelled imported wine from South Africa, which the packing also clearly says – you and others can apparently for sure drink it, even when addicted to wine from grapes, if you like the taste...

 

Below is a photo of the said wines that I bought in Makro yesterday...

 

 

And close-ups of the text...

 

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

However, this seems not to be fully correct, if I correctly understand the difference between blue tax-labelled locally blended "fruit" wine and orange tax-labelled imported wine.

Yes, Holla is a fruit wine with blue tax-label, and it also says clearly "fruit wine" on the packing. In my opinion the white "crispy" is a fine refreshing affordable table wine, when cold; not necessarily to be compared with some expensive imported yellow-labelled wines.

 

But, The Old Town, is indeed an orange tax-labelled imported wine from South Africa, which the packing also clearly says – you and others can apparently for sure drink it, even when addicted to wine from grapes, if you like the taste...

 

Below is a photo of the said wines that I bought in Makro yesterday...

 

 

And close-ups of the text...

 

Thanks but I will stick with wine made from grapes, which I have been doing for around 55 yrs now, and mostly red, I may add!!

On 8/16/2025 at 2:35 PM, khunPer said:

If you read further on the box-text it's actually suitable for for drinking. Excellent taste in my opinion, if you like that of Algerian/Tunesian wine, which some says taste like the (very) old French vines that was lost in France during a fost, because it's the same old vine exported from France. I prefer "The Old Town" dry red in taste more than the double as expensive box-wines – which I unfortunately have to settle with, when The Old Town is sold out – I shall find dedicated bottles to match The Old Town's excellent taste.

 

The Old Town dry white at same price is however – in my opinion – almost undrinkable. I gladly pay double as much to enjoy a glass of white table wine. Holla, also available in Makro, has a good cheap white table wine; while the Holla red is drinkable, but not even close to the taste of The Old Town.

 

However, it's a matter of taste – which can be way more important than price – and you might not have same taste as I do...

All cooking wine should be suitable for drinking. It's a fallacy that poor quality wine is ideal for cooking. Plus, people who buy wine in boxes are not known for their sophisticated palates so any old crap will do.

26 minutes ago, OutofLondon said:

All cooking wine should be suitable for drinking. It's a fallacy that poor quality wine is ideal for cooking. Plus, people who buy wine in boxes are not known for their sophisticated palates so any old crap will do.

If the wine isn't drinkable, why would one cook with it ? 

 

I read some box wines are actually decent.   Same snobs that won't drink box wine probably think good wine has to have a cork.  Go figure.  Having more money than sense and on a blind taste test, probably wouldn't be able to taste the difference.

On 8/13/2025 at 7:43 AM, Ralf001 said:

La Vida - Bt. 211/lt.

 

The five litre boxes are 10% alcohol (as opposed to 12-13% plus for "NORMAL" wine) - hence the price