Wine Redux

[thailiketoo]

There is a Fuji, a Sizzler, a small Wine restaurant and a noodle restaurant on each corner of one end of the Thai mall. I had tea with dinner today and after dinner walked across the square to the small wine restaurant for dessert. Wine by the glass in Thailand not bad and not expensive. I have no wish to promote a place. It was in Thailand, not Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Phuket, just another small town in Thailand.

Edited November 17, 2013 by thailiketoo

[zydeco]

About 15 years ago I met a guy, Andrew Barr, who wrote a food and drink column for the London Sunday Times. He showed me his private collection cellar, which was wine he never drank, just kept as an investment and, I think, sort of a collection. His everyday wine was usually a 3-4 pound bottle of Chilean wine. See the same sort of stuff available here. Cassillero del Dialblo and Concha y Toro can be found in my local Lotus out in Salaya for about 680 baht. And, btw, I actually do enjoy some of the local Thai wines. Hua Hin Hills is actually okay. I do know that people who judge their wine by the price tag are usually making a big mistake.

[seajae]

I have had some $50 bottles of wine that tasted like crap and some $5 bottles that were mothers milk. I buy my wine on the grape varietal, the region, the year and the local growing conditions if I can find them out. Tasting is a much better way but I am yet to see a "free" wine tasting in Thailand like they do in Australia. A lot of times you have to use a bit of calculated guess work but if you know your wines and regions you should do ok. Everyone has different tastes so it is a matter of exactly what each person likes, personally I dont like shiraz and have gone of chardonnay as well, tastes change as we age.

[prepress]

Where is this mall. What's the name of the mall?

[thailiketoo]

Where is this mall. What's the name of the mall?

It's in a small town in Thailand if you want the name message me.

[nisakiman]

100 Baht is not outrageous for a glass of wine, but the size of the glass is significant. Also, unless it is a popular place with a fairly rapid turnover of wine, chances are you'll end up with a glass of vinegar. That was even a problem sometimes in the wine bars of UK in their 80s heyday.

About 15 years ago I met a guy, Andrew Barr, who wrote a food and drink column for the London Sunday Times. He showed me his private collection cellar, which was wine he never drank, just kept as an investment and, I think, sort of a collection. His everyday wine was usually a 3-4 pound bottle of Chilean wine. See the same sort of stuff available here. Cassillero del Dialblo and Concha y Toro can be found in my local Lotus out in Salaya for about 680 baht. And, btw, I actually do enjoy some of the local Thai wines. Hua Hin Hills is actually okay. I do know that people who judge their wine by the price tag are usually making a big mistake.

I wonder if the Thai authorities will ever give us wine drinkers a break. 680 Baht for a Concha y Toro is daylight robbery. That's about €17. Here in Greece, I'd pay €5 - 6 for the same wine. The only Thai wine I've tried was garbage, but that was about eight years ago, so it may well have improved in the interim. However, I seem to remember it was no cheaper than imported wine, which puts it at an immediate disadvantage in the market. At Thai prices, not many are going to take a punt on a Thai wine when they can get an Aussie or Chilean wine at the same price.

On the subject of wines as an investment, I had lunch with a Greek friend a few days ago at his house, and he was telling me that he collects rare / old Greek brandies as an investment. He showed me a bottle of 100 year old Metaxa, and told me it was worth €600 a bottle! He also said he had 300 bottles of the stuff in his cellar! Ha! Better than gold, he said, as the value never drops. Dunno about that - all prices fluctuate, even vintage brandy, I would have thought.

[zydeco]

100 Baht is not outrageous for a glass of wine, but the size of the glass is significant. Also, unless it is a popular place with a fairly rapid turnover of wine, chances are you'll end up with a glass of vinegar. That was even a problem sometimes in the wine bars of UK in their 80s heyday.

About 15 years ago I met a guy, Andrew Barr, who wrote a food and drink column for the London Sunday Times. He showed me his private collection cellar, which was wine he never drank, just kept as an investment and, I think, sort of a collection. His everyday wine was usually a 3-4 pound bottle of Chilean wine. See the same sort of stuff available here. Cassillero del Dialblo and Concha y Toro can be found in my local Lotus out in Salaya for about 680 baht. And, btw, I actually do enjoy some of the local Thai wines. Hua Hin Hills is actually okay. I do know that people who judge their wine by the price tag are usually making a big mistake.

I wonder if the Thai authorities will ever give us wine drinkers a break. 680 Baht for a Concha y Toro is daylight robbery. That's about €17. Here in Greece, I'd pay €5 - 6 for the same wine. The only Thai wine I've tried was garbage, but that was about eight years ago, so it may well have improved in the interim. However, I seem to remember it was no cheaper than imported wine, which puts it at an immediate disadvantage in the market. At Thai prices, not many are going to take a punt on a Thai wine when they can get an Aussie or Chilean wine at the same price.

On the subject of wines as an investment, I had lunch with a Greek friend a few days ago at his house, and he was telling me that he collects rare / old Greek brandies as an investment. He showed me a bottle of 100 year old Metaxa, and told me it was worth €600 a bottle! He also said he had 300 bottles of the stuff in his cellar! Ha! Better than gold, he said, as the value never drops. Dunno about that - all prices fluctuate, even vintage brandy, I would have thought.

Yea, $8 to $9 is what I used to see the Concha y Toro going for back in the US. That was four years ago, though.

[Travel2003]

I might have looked at the wrong picture, sorry, but doesn't it say 160 for a glass (not 100 as stated by one member)?

Sorry if I see the wrong one.

Anyhow, if 160 for a glass, it should be big glasses, since the price for the bottle indicates only 3-5 glasses per bottle.

[thailiketoo]

I might have looked at the wrong picture, sorry, but doesn't it say 160 for a glass (not 100 as stated by one member)?

Sorry if I see the wrong one.

Anyhow, if 160 for a glass, it should be big glasses, since the price for the bottle indicates only 3-5 glasses per bottle.

The wine is 100 to 160 baht per glass depending on which wine you order. I posted three photos so this would be clear. But you have to look at them. Why would you say for 160 baht it should be a big glass? Maybe yes or maybe no depending on the wine eh?

[laban]

Looking at the photos closely, it points to Wine Connection (you can see the Deli & Bistro in the background)

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[sustento]

If it said 'Margaux' on the bottle you'd get a very small glass for 160bt

Edited November 18, 2013 by sustento

[sustento]

Concha (depending on the type) is about 350bt a bottle in the UK at the moment.

[thailiketoo]

Looking at the photos closely, it points to Wine Connection (you can see the Deli & Bistro in the background)

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Yes there are many of those in Thailand. Prices are good not great. The food sure looks appetizing but I have had little experience with it.

[Travel2003]

I might have looked at the wrong picture, sorry, but doesn't it say 160 for a glass (not 100 as stated by one member)?

Sorry if I see the wrong one.

Anyhow, if 160 for a glass, it should be big glasses, since the price for the bottle indicates only 3-5 glasses per bottle.

The wine is 100 to 160 baht per glass depending on which wine you order. I posted three photos so this would be clear. But you have to look at them. Why would you say for 160 baht it should be a big glass? Maybe yes or maybe no depending on the wine eh?

Ahh thnx, I only looked at picture 1 and 3.

I had a feeling I looked somewhere wrong.

Regarding big glass.

If bottle cost only 6-700 Baht, and a glass is 160.