Is It Normal?

[greenwater]

Tonight, after shopping at VillaMarket, I stopped at a restaurant.

I asked for a glass of house's red wine at 120 baht ..... almost before my eyes, the waitress poured the wine directly from a cardboard box ...

The brand I had just seen at VillaMarket: Mont Clair..... price 960 baht per 5 liters.

I do not dispute the quality and goodness of the wine ... just the price.

Then, a 15 cl per glass, with 5 liters are 33 glasses .. grossing 3960 baht!

A markup of 412%.

Even at 100 baht per glass is a 343% markup.......no bottle..no problem...... Crazy.

[Carib]

No, it is not normal, but it is the everyday practice.

Nowadays restaurants seem to rely more and more on the profits they can make on the drinks served, not the food.

But it is rude to show it in that way, serving it straight out the carton.

[petercallen]

Its no different than other country's where if you order wine in a restaurant they bring the glass or carafe to your table,

you just don't see what they pore it out of.

Its only in the more high end establishments they use bottled wine and you pay a lot more than 120 a glass

[Jonathanpattaya]

So the next time you buy a box of wine, go home and think of the saving you are making.

[grumpyoldman]

Biggest mistake was ordering the glass of Mont Clair.

Stuff has added fruit juice in it, horrible product. The people who sell this wine are strictly after the price point.

[greenwater]

Bravo! Well! Apart from one you have not understood anything ...

The fact is that it is absurd mark-ups by over 400 %.... no from where to pour the wine.

I normally pay 250 baht a glass of Chardonnay that costs 650 baht ( to the restaurant) the bottle. Are 5 glasses for a total of 1,250 baht. The markup is 93%! If I take the whole bottle (but alone it is difficult) I pay 1100 baht = markup of 70%.

On the quality of a wine that costs 960 baht per 5 liters (= 192 baht per liter with the mountains of thai taxes on wine) I have very strong doubts!-certainly-if I had known what was the "house wine" ...

I would take apart the robbery markup which has nothing to do with a proper service-quality-price ratio.

ps: Clearly, for many of you is normal to pay over 400% mark-up .....for a wine glass or, easier, you drink only and ever beer....

[Jonathanpattaya]

Bravo! Well! Apart from one you have not understood anything ...

The fact is that it is absurd mark-ups by over 400 %.... no from where to pour the wine.

I normally pay 250 baht a glass of Chardonnay that costs 650 baht ( to the restaurant) the bottle. Are 5 glasses for a total of 1,250 baht. The markup is 93%! If I take the whole bottle (but alone it is difficult) I pay 1100 baht = markup of 70%.

On the quality of a wine that costs 960 baht per 5 liters (= 192 baht per liter with the mountains of thai taxes on wine) I have very strong doubts!-certainly-if I had known what was the "house wine" ...

I would take apart the robbery markup which has nothing to do with a proper service-quality-price ratio.

ps: Clearly, for many of you is normal to pay over 400% mark-up .....for a wine glass or, easier, you drink only and ever beer....

Can you translate into English please?

[greenwater]

Can you translate into English please?

I'm not English ... I just make myself understood.

I am sure that you, really really smart, can do it better than me ..

[KarenBravo]

.....about the same mark up as a bottle of spirits in most bars.

[Puccini]

I thought that cost times four, ie a mark-up of 300%, was standard in the restaurant business in Thailand for alcoholic beverages.

[bubblegum]

Try running a restaurant/bar and do the numbers. 400 % is about standard worldwide.

[Puccini]

Biggest mistake was ordering the glass of Mont Clair.

Stuff has added fruit juice in it, horrible product...

Is this the South African Mont Clair that was the official wine of the 2009 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta?Apparently, there are three varieties available in Thailand: Cabernet Sauvignon, labelled "Bin 5"; Chardonnay, labelled "Bin 6"; Shiraz, labelled "Bin 9". Which one did you drink? The juice of what fruit is added to this wine?

[LivinLOS]

Bravo! Well! Apart from one you have not understood anything ...

The fact is that it is absurd mark-ups by over 400 %.... no from where to pour the wine.

I normally pay 250 baht a glass of Chardonnay that costs 650 baht ( to the restaurant) the bottle. Are 5 glasses for a total of 1,250 baht. The markup is 93%! If I take the whole bottle (but alone it is difficult) I pay 1100 baht = markup of 70%.

On the quality of a wine that costs 960 baht per 5 liters (= 192 baht per liter with the mountains of thai taxes on wine) I have very strong doubts!-certainly-if I had known what was the "house wine" ...

I would take apart the robbery markup which has nothing to do with a proper service-quality-price ratio.

ps: Clearly, for many of you is normal to pay over 400% mark-up .....for a wine glass or, easier, you drink only and ever beer....

Sangsom coke on Bangla 176 baht.. Jack coke in Hard Rock, close to 400 baht..

Get used to it..

[madmitch]

Biggest mistake was ordering the glass of Mont Clair.

Stuff has added fruit juice in it, horrible product. The people who sell this wine are strictly after the price point.

Fruit juice? Where do you get that info from?

Montclair tastes OK and is about the only wine in Thailand that could be deemed reasonable value.

As for the mark up: OP, would you complain at 50 baht for a 35cl measure of Sangsom in a bar? That equates to a 500% markup. Cheap vodka and gin such as Gilbeys is sold at 100 baht or more in many places. Cost at Phrompan, 285 baht for a 70cl bottle or 320 baht at the 7-Eleven. Do the sums.

Basically, nothing unusual in the markup but a decent restaurant (we don't know what type of restaurant you are talking about, by the way) could be a bit more subtle in its serving practices.

[grumpyoldman]

Fruit juice? Where do you get that info from?

Montclair tastes OK and is about the only wine in Thailand that could be deemed reasonable value.

Just talking about the 5L box, do you think with the import tax on wine here (close to 400%), you could get that South African 5L box at the price it is?

That wine comes in as concentrate, therefore, fruitjuice, not wine, no big duty levied on imported "wine".

They reconstitute the crap and box it here in Thailand, a little pomegranate juice in the red, don't know what they use in the white, probably grape juice and there ya go, bargain "wine".

The red is tolerable, the white I recommend as a stain remover, nothing more. If you're a super cheap swill guzzling yachty, perfect,if you are somebody who actually enjoys wine, pass.

[F1fanatic]

Just talking about the 5L box, do you think with the import tax on wine here (close to 400%), you could get that South African 5L box at the price it is?

That wine comes in as concentrate, therefore, fruitjuice, not wine, no big duty levied on imported "wine".

They reconstitute the crap and box it here in Thailand, a little pomegranate juice in the red, don't know what they use in the white, probably grape juice and there ya go, bargain "wine".

The red is tolerable, the white I recommend as a stain remover, nothing more. If you're a super cheap swill guzzling yachty, perfect,if you are somebody who actually enjoys wine, pass.

Have to agree, the 5L box of Montclair is not only drinkable it is affordable - unlike other wines available here!

Until I discovered Montclair (red - NOT WHITE), I'd given up on being able to drink wine.

[chickencurry]

Quite a lot of eateries mark up the wine price. You either pay it or go somewhere else. Not sure where you're located but if you're in the south of the island try

1. Salaloy, Rawai - wine at 90 baht a glass (decent measure)

2. Thai Lagoon, Nai Harn - wine at 80 baht a glass (very big measure though maybe 'cause I eat there quite a lot)

Both the above are fairly drinkable - and the food is good too

The wine at Coconut Paradise, Rawai also used to be very good value. I've not been there for a while but I think it was something like 120 baht but VERY big glass - I mean almost twice the size of a normal wine glass. cheers!!

Edited March 15, 2010 by chickencurry

[Puccini]

...That wine comes in as concentrate, therefore, fruitjuice, not wine, no big duty levied on imported "wine".

They reconstitute the crap and box it here in Thailand, a little pomegranate juice in the red, don't know what they use in the white, probably grape juice and there ya go, bargain "wine"...

If this is true, then there should be a law calling this "wine", much less "imported wine". Now I know why I could not find anything about a South African wine named Mont Clair anywhere on the Internet except on the website of this Thai company that markets it as "imported wine"

[MrE]

This is a normal markup for wine and mixed drinks as well. Look at the price of Tequila in Makro and compare it and the other ingredients to the cost of a Margarita at a bar. It is also the same food cost allowable in the fast food industry. The total cost for everything you get in a cheeseburger is 25% of the selling price.

[angiud]

Just talking about the 5L box, do you think with the import tax on wine here (close to 400%), you could get that South African 5L box at the price it is?

That wine comes in as concentrate, therefore, fruitjuice, not wine, no big duty levied on imported "wine".

They reconstitute the crap and box it here in Thailand, a little pomegranate juice in the red, don't know what they use in the white, probably grape juice and there ya go, bargain "wine".

Do you have a source for your informations, or is just your guessing?

[angiud]

About the 400% markup, it is normal for a restaurant, due to all the voices that kind of business have to pay behind a simple plate of food or a glass of something.

To make a business profitable charge a mere 100% is far not enough to survive.

Cheap charlies can go supermarket or 7 eleven

[grumpyoldman]

Do you have a source for your informations, or is just your guessing?

Sure, Siam Winery rep.

[madmitch]

Just talking about the 5L box, do you think with the import tax on wine here (close to 400%), you could get that South African 5L box at the price it is?

That wine comes in as concentrate, therefore, fruitjuice, not wine, no big duty levied on imported "wine".

They reconstitute the crap and box it here in Thailand, a little pomegranate juice in the red, don't know what they use in the white, probably grape juice and there ya go, bargain "wine".

Do you have a source for your informations, or is just your guessing?

Sure, Siam Winery rep.

I meant to refer only to the bottled stuff (Bin 6 and Bin 9 I think) as not tasting too bad. I tried the boxed Montclair at a local bar and it was not nice. Maybe this explains it.

Are you saying that the 3 litre bottles of 'Celebration red' are not the same as the boxed stuff with the same name?

[grumpyoldman]

I meant to refer only to the bottled stuff (Bin 6 and Bin 9 I think) as not tasting too bad. I tried the boxed Montclair at a local bar and it was not nice. Maybe this explains it.

Are you saying that the 3 litre bottles of 'Celebration red' are not the same as the boxed stuff with the same name?

sorry Mitch, the only thing I can directly say I have knowledge of is the converstaion regarding the boxes and how they could keep 5L at a price so low.

[mikebike]

60 baht for Mont Clair at Hen Chef in Rawai/Nai Harn...

[tb86]

i think it actualy says something about it on the bottle,,,im sorry guys but there are quite a few inexpensive wines here in thailand that are far better for the price.. i wont even cook with the stuff,

[chickencurry]

60 baht for Mont Clair at Hen Chef in Rawai/Nai Harn...

Blimey that's cheap. Is that the Hen Chef on Visit Road looking out over Chalong Bay? Do you know what their beer prices are like too?

[KarenBravo]

I think they mean the Hen Chef near the 711 on Saiyuan road close to the Y-junction (turn to go to viewpoint).

Edited March 20, 2010 by KarenBravo

[mikebike]

Yeah,the one on Sai Yuan. Sorry my wife (the wine drinker) has informed me its 65 baht for a glass of wine. A Tiger beer is 60 baht. Limited menu (all farang food) but what they do they do very well.

[chickencurry]

Yeah,the one on Sai Yuan. Sorry my wife (the wine drinker) has informed me its 65 baht for a glass of wine. A Tiger beer is 60 baht. Limited menu (all farang food) but what they do they do very well.

But no parking I think - tho' I guess mikebike has a bike That's a pity as the other one on Visit Road - parking no problem.