White wine

[dagling]

Anybody can recommend a "reasonable" white wine sold at Big C or other stores that can be recommended?

Looking for a wine that is comparable with Reisling or equivalent. Nice if you specify price. Thank you.

[krisb]

Anything Australian.

[Stradavarius37]

Ahh Big C - that wonderful resource for the Oenophile in all of us

[h90]

Anything Australian.

South Africa and Chili are also fair priced and OK.

[ATF]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

[JesseFrank]

Anything Australian.

South Africa and Chili are also fair priced and OK.

Wine in Thailand and fair priced can not be mentioned in the same sentence.

[chiang mai]

There is no such thing as a decent wine of any colour in Thailand, if you were packed into a steel container, tied to the deck of a boat and exposed to the tropical sun for several weeks, left to languish key-side for days at a time and then transported by road in pickup truck equivalent, you wouldn't be in the best of shape, so it is with the wine in Thailand.

[ATF]

There is no such thing as a decent wine of any colour in Thailand, if you were packed into a steel container, tied to the deck of a boat and exposed to the tropical sun for several weeks, left to languish key-side for days at a time and then transported by road in pickup truck equivalent, you wouldn't be in the best of shape, so it is with the wine in Thailand.

I suggest you visit the vineyards in Khao Yai. I found some wine very acceptable certainly better than Riesling. I'm not talking about the fruit juice mixed with alcohol that's sold as wine.

[marko kok prong]

I buy a Chilean wine in Tesco 'mar sol',it is okay and only 299B,not that i am a connisuer,so i will now probably get hammered.

[beachproperty]

Try the "Box Wine" Mont Clair.....5 liters for around 1000 baht.

[JesseFrank]

I buy a Chilean wine in Tesco 'mar sol',it is okay and only 299B,not that i am a connisuer,so i will now probably get hammered.

The Mar sol is also available in 4 liter box at 8 or 900 Baht.

[h90]

Anything Australian.

South Africa and Chili are also fair priced and OK.

Wine in Thailand and fair priced can not be mentioned in the same sentence.

Sorry yes.....might be a bit of a stockholm syndrome from me.....

[h90]

Try the "Box Wine" Mont Clair.....5 liters for around 1000 baht.

There are also sometimes Italian wines in 5 liter bottles.....

If it should be a cold white wine it will be hard to fit in the fridge. And refilling it in plastic bottles?

On the other hand there must be compromises....

[ToddWeston]

Marks and Sparks have some nice wines for 400 and up, they even go on sale for 329, Australian & South African are my choice for white & Australian and Italian for red.

[Aussieroaming]

Try wine connection...they have a good selection of wines and usually some good specials. I don't drink white so can only comment based on the reds.

[roamer]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

[ATF]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

Blue Nun destroyed forever the name of Riesling, but as you say I have never tasted a "decent" Riesling and doubt I ever will, maybe with the exception of Alsace, but sweet of course. Germans should stick to beer not wine. I'm certainly not a fan of Chardonnay or Thai wines, but the OP seemed to be more concerned about price and what Big C had to offer.

For myself the best white wine in the World is Sancerre. It's a wine that only the French could produce and I only drink French with rare exception and that exception would be Spanish. They make some rare but wonderful bold whites. New World wines don't interest me in the slightest.

Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape and no other country has come close in my opinion to produce anything resembling a decent Chablis.

[spidermike007]

The issue here is the 460% import duty imposed on wine. And this was all because some Thai senator was paid a lot of money by the Thai wineries to introduce and insure passage of an "anti fareng wine bill" many years ago. It has since deprived the government of billions upon billions of dollars on duty revenue. If this bill was abolished (long, long overdue) Thailand would have a vibrant wine industry. At a reasonable duty of say 100%, the import duties would be incredible. They would be able to sell a lot of $100 bottles. Instead, we are left with swill, that I would never consider touching back in the States, for $25. The wines I see for $4 in LA, are $45 here in the restaurants. That is insanity. That is a broken system. That is pure churlishness, on the part of the government. Get rid of this policy. Grow up. Get real. You are protecting nobody. The Thai wineries are not a significant factor in the equation. Maybe Prayuth can have a look at this ridiculous wine policy.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[spidermike007]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

Blue Nun destroyed forever the name of Riesling, but as you say I have never tasted a "decent" Riesling and doubt I ever will, maybe with the exception of Alsace, but sweet of course. Germans should stick to beer not wine. I'm certainly not a fan of Chardonnay or Thai wines, but the OP seemed to be more concerned about price and what Big C had to offer.

For myself the best white wine in the World is Sancerre. It's a wine that only the French could produce and I only drink French with rare exception and that exception would be Spanish. They make some rare but wonderful bold whites. New World wines don't interest me in the slightest.

Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape and no other country has come close in my opinion to produce anything resembling a decent Chablis.

There are some outstanding Rieslings out there. World class. But, they are expensive, and you have more than likely never had one. The Rhinehessen ones are the best. But, the Mosel Rieslings can also be great. You will never find one here. Due to the silly wine policies in place. The junk you see here is not indicative of the great Rieslings at all. Most Australian Chardonnay is over oaked and unimpressive. But, as is always the case with Australian wines, there are some exceptionally good ones out there. Although my favorite Aussie wines are still a great McLaren Shiraz, or a Clare Valley Grenache.

The poster is right about Chablis. Nobody is capable of producing a great Chablis, other than the French. In my opinion they still produce the best white wines on the planet. Nothing compares to a great Mersault, Chassagne, Corton, or Le Montrachet. But, the issue is affordability. Most of us do not have $150 to $500 to spend on a bottle of wine. And that is pricing in NY, or LA. Four times that price here. So, for the money, I think Santa Barbara County, Monterey County, the Central Coast, or Sonoma County have the best Chardonnays. But having said that, the French and Spanish wines have a lot more personality.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Albertosez]

It's a price v quantity scenario. There are some good wines available inThailand ( all imported ) but also very expensive. If you are looking for a bottle for a special occasion or if you are a 1 x bottle per week type of guy, then the recommendations will be different. When I drink white wine, I tend to buy the bulk ( semi reasonable stuff ) because I can quoff a few glasses - especially on a hot day ( enough said ) !

The Mount Clair white wine will not win any awards and will not impress your friends if they see what you are drinking. However, for 5 L @ 1000bht I am yet to find better value for a quaffable wine that doesn't leave you with a hole in your pocket !

Pop the big box in the freezer 30 minutes before you drink it and don't forget to take it out before you go to bed........it's a case of making do in Thailand if you like to sink a few wines without having to take out another mortgage !

[ATF]

The issue here is the 460% import duty imposed on wine. And this was all because some Thai senator was paid a lot of money by the Thai wineries to introduce and insure passage of an "anti fareng wine bill" many years ago. It has since deprived the government of billions upon billions of dollars on duty revenue. If this bill was abolished (long, long overdue) Thailand would have a vibrant wine industry. At a reasonable duty of say 100%, the import duties would be incredible. They would be able to sell a lot of $100 bottles. Instead, we are left with swill, that I would never consider touching back in the States, for $25. The wines I see for $4 in LA, are $45 here in the restaurants. That is insanity. That is a broken system. That is pure churlishness, on the part of the government. Get rid of this policy. Grow up. Get real. You are protecting nobody. The Thai wineries are not a significant factor in the equation. Maybe Prayuth can have a look at this ridiculous wine policy.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The excessive wine duty goes back to just prior to the Asian Financial Crisis when rich Thais really discovered wine. They were spending ridiculous sums of money, $10,000 a bottle in some cases and red wine was a metaphor for bleeding the Country dry.

However Australian wines do have preferential tax rates compared to other countries.

[h90]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

Blue Nun destroyed forever the name of Riesling, but as you say I have never tasted a "decent" Riesling and doubt I ever will, maybe with the exception of Alsace, but sweet of course. Germans should stick to beer not wine. I'm certainly not a fan of Chardonnay or Thai wines, but the OP seemed to be more concerned about price and what Big C had to offer.

For myself the best white wine in the World is Sancerre. It's a wine that only the French could produce and I only drink French with rare exception and that exception would be Spanish. They make some rare but wonderful bold whites. New World wines don't interest me in the slightest.

Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape and no other country has come close in my opinion to produce anything resembling a decent Chablis.

You can find good Rieslings at every corner in Austria, also some not so good ones.

[h90]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

ATF is right on one point: I drank several wines from Big C, which were terrible. Worst the french wines. Not drinkable at all. But the cheap Chardonnay from Australia was drinkable....not an amazing experience but drinkable as every day wine.

My guess is, that it is either the transportation (Container, heat??) or the stock?

Either the cheap Chardonnays from Australia can handle it better or they are shorter on stock?

[buddy]

The issue here is the 460% import duty imposed on wine. And this was all because some Thai senator was paid a lot of money by the Thai wineries to introduce and insure passage of an "anti fareng wine bill" many years ago. It has since deprived the government of billions upon billions of dollars on duty revenue. If this bill was abolished (long, long overdue) Thailand would have a vibrant wine industry. At a reasonable duty of say 100%, the import duties would be incredible. They would be able to sell a lot of $100 bottles. Instead, we are left with swill, that I would never consider touching back in the States, for $25. The wines I see for $4 in LA, are $45 here in the restaurants. That is insanity. That is a broken system. That is pure churlishness, on the part of the government. Get rid of this policy. Grow up. Get real. You are protecting nobody. The Thai wineries are not a significant factor in the equation. Maybe Prayuth can have a look at this ridiculous wine policy.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Great post and absolutely correct!

[spidermike007]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

ATF is right on one point: I drank several wines from Big C, which were terrible. Worst the french wines. Not drinkable at all. But the cheap Chardonnay from Australia was drinkable....not an amazing experience but drinkable as every day wine.

My guess is, that it is either the transportation (Container, heat??) or the stock?

Either the cheap Chardonnays from Australia can handle it better or they are shorter on stock?

I just think the Aussies are better at making cheaper wine. French wines tend to be overpriced, relative to their quality. The excellent French wines start at $50US, in the US. That is $200 or more here. The $5 bottles in the US are 600-900 baht here. Those are really poor wines. No reflection on the French wines, just that you are drinking the bottom of the rung. Swill that they would not bother drinking in France!

Not sure what the Thais can compete with. It is very, very low quality wine. it makes no sense that they govt. would even consider taxing wines at the current level, to keep them from competing with Thai wines. A truly asinine policy designed by corrupt children without common sense or reason.

[pitrevie]

Try the "Box Wine" Mont Clair.....5 liters for around 1000 baht.

Oh dear!

[HeijoshinCool]

Sol Y Sur. Well chilled.

Tesco Express. 295 baht.

[chiang mai]

Try the "Box Wine" Mont Clair.....5 liters for around 1000 baht.

I tried that stuff a couple of years ago and noticed that the mossies stopped biting and the cat wouldn't cuddle any longer. On the otherhand, it worked just fine when I was reseating the valves on Mrs CM car and I needed to degrease some parts.

[seajae]

Is Riesling wine? The Thais make better stuff. Carrefour had some decent wine before they were bought by Big C but regular Big C's are diabolical.

Most people find an Australian Chardonnay acceptable at the price, around 500 baht.

Obviously spoken by someone who has never tasted a decent Riesling.

" Riesling is a light-skinned, aromatic grape of German origin which is - if the majority of topwine critics are to be believed - the world's finest white-wine grape variety."

http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-407-riesling

One of the worlds most collectable wines. Even at the cheaper end of the market Australia does some pretty decent Rieslings, New Zealand some very good ones. Not the sweet s**t that people associate with the name but a superb dry white.

Now the cheap Chardonnay that you mention, well the Thai's can compete with that. Both foul.

Blue Nun destroyed forever the name of Riesling, but as you say I have never tasted a "decent" Riesling and doubt I ever will, maybe with the exception of Alsace, but sweet of course. Germans should stick to beer not wine. I'm certainly not a fan of Chardonnay or Thai wines, but the OP seemed to be more concerned about price and what Big C had to offer.

For myself the best white wine in the World is Sancerre. It's a wine that only the French could produce and I only drink French with rare exception and that exception would be Spanish. They make some rare but wonderful bold whites. New World wines don't interest me in the slightest.

Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape and no other country has come close in my opinion to produce anything resembling a decent Chablis.

spoken by someone that doesnt know the truth of it, Germany produce some of the best white wines in the world. They have strict govt controls, no additives alllowed, the vineyards where the grapes are grown listed(usually all from the same one in the top ones), lower alcohol content, natural as possible and brilliant taste plus no hangovers/headaches( caused by tannins and additives). Until you have tried a proper icewine, auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeerenauslese or even their "quality mit predicate" wines you have no idea. Some of these wines can be cellared for an unlimited time and not cork/spoil, the soil and conditions in Germany are excellent for whites. The cheap wines we see from there are just that, cheap crap they cant sell there. Australia produces some of the best red and whites in the world, France , Hungary, Italy, Chile, NZ, even the US all produce great wines but it boils down to ones individuals tastes. A wooded chardonnay or unwooded are totally different, there are that many varietals/blends available these days there is one to suit just about everyones taste be it dry, sweet, spicy or in between. Here there isnt a great deal of choice, all the wines from my cellar I brought over with me are gone and I havent found any that I would replace them with but have found a few that I will buy if I really want to drink wine but in Australia I would never buy them because there was always something better, when faced with little or no choice we all tend to lower our standards.

Edited June 29, 2014 by seajae

[zydeco]

Whatever happened to Boone's Farm?