Regarding producing an alcoholic drink from apples, I used to do the same in Australia, brewing up 40 litres of apple juice each Autumn. However, we called this APPLE CIDER.

I decanted it and added sugar and it had a kick like a mule! SCRUMPY CIDER.

However, can anyone tell me what Thai wines cost? I've never seen them on sale in the larger wine shops here.

There must be some reasoning to justify a 300% price difference between wines sold in Australia, and what we're being charged here.

Don't tell me that's it's to control alcohol consumption, as it's obvious that the "Whisky" they sell here is not imported and had Duty and Tax added.

You made a simple, but big mistake you add sugar this produce headache and is ingeneral unhealthy.

Applewine (Apfelwein(ebbelwoi) is naturally sour and is very healthy, I mix it usually with about 50% or more clear sober water in my glass the best drink, when it is hot weather.

I use it also as Vinegar in all my salads together with olive oil extra vergine.

If your drink every day minium 1/4 ltr. of apple wine you will never getting a thrombosis, caused this make the blood thinner and keep it running.

Keeping this rule a lot off ppl can just throwing their medicines away, about blood sugar, high blood pressure etc. check the links.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apfelwein

99% of the apple wine sold under the name Cider or Cidre is just rubbish, caused they add sugar.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-116454/A-cider-day-keeps-doctor-away-say-scientists.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/apple-cider-vinegar-and-health

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/apple-cider-vinegar-benefits/

I wonder if adding honey as a sweetening agent would improve the sweetness without having a detrimental effect.

My aunt used to make a great Mead wine from the remnants of the honey combs, might make a very pleasant blend.

Mead beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks produced.

The mistake I made was that adding the sugar caused further fermentation and thus a higher alcohol content. Honey would do the same.

I was pleased to find that at least two eating houses in Chiang Mai have cider on their menu, one English, one Irish.

The problem is all the english cider, or french cidre I drank already was more or less sweet, caused they add sugar after fermentation to sweeten it, this leads to headaches.

I can drink 2 or 3 ltr. sober german Applewine 5%(real sour) no suger added before or after fermentation maybe I will drunk, but not more as with the same amount of beer, but no headache or a hangover at all on the next morning.

About taxes and duty on imported and locally produced wine.

In Thailand, taxation on imported wines consists of customs duty, excise tax, local tax or municipality tax, health tax and value added tax (VAT). Tax on sales of wine is calculated based on either the ad valorem rate or the specific rate. The decision on which method is to be used is made by the Excise Tax Department, whichever is higher. Ad valorem taxes on locally manufactured products, mainly sales taxes, are calculated based on cost prices. Ad valorem taxes applied on alcoholic imported products are calculated based on the sum of import tax, cost insurance freight (CIF) value and other appropriate charges. Apart from the excise tax, sales of wine face municipal and health taxes, including VAT.

These same taxes are applied to locally made wines excluding the import tariff. For CIF value, the Thai Customs Department will compare the declared price of imported wine with a reference price. If the declared price is lower, a reference price will be applied.

As I said, the cost is close to 400%. This is the structure:

A CIF Invoice Value of Imported Wine $100.00 B Tariff (Import Duty): A x 54% $ 54.00

C Excise Tax Paid: Excise Tax Rate x (CIF value+import duty+excise tax paid+municipal tax) or 1.7647059(A+B ) $271.76

D Municipal tax: C x 10% $ 27.17

E Health tax: C x 2% $ 5.44

F VAT: (A+B+C+D+E) x 7% $ 32.09

G Total Cost: (A+B+C+D+E+F) $490.46 Effective Duty and Tax Burden 390.46%

Locally produced wine is calculated in a similar way excluding import tariff.

Australian and New Zealand imports pay less due to FTA agreements.

This information is a few years old when I dealt with the problem. I think I copied it from a USDA Foreign Service Report. They assist US exporters.

About taxes and duty on imported and locally produced wine.

In Thailand, taxation on imported wines consists of customs duty, excise tax, local tax or municipality tax, health tax and value added tax (VAT). Tax on sales of wine is calculated based on either the ad valorem rate or the specific rate. The decision on which method is to be used is made by the Excise Tax Department, whichever is higher. Ad valorem taxes on locally manufactured products, mainly sales taxes, are calculated based on cost prices. Ad valorem taxes applied on alcoholic imported products are calculated based on the sum of import tax, cost insurance freight (CIF) value and other appropriate charges. Apart from the excise tax, sales of wine face municipal and health taxes, including VAT.

These same taxes are applied to locally made wines excluding the import tariff. For CIF value, the Thai Customs Department will compare the declared price of imported wine with a reference price. If the declared price is lower, a reference price will be applied.

As I said, the cost is close to 400%. This is the structure:

A CIF Invoice Value of Imported Wine $100.00 B Tariff (Import Duty): A x 54% $ 54.00

C Excise Tax Paid: Excise Tax Rate x (CIF value+import duty+excise tax paid+municipal tax) or 1.7647059(A+B ) $271.76

D Municipal tax: C x 10% $ 27.17

E Health tax: C x 2% $ 5.44

F VAT: (A+B+C+D+E) x 7% $ 32.09

G Total Cost: (A+B+C+D+E+F) $490.46 Effective Duty and Tax Burden 390.46%

Locally produced wine is calculated in a similar way excluding import tariff.

Australian and New Zealand imports pay less due to FTA agreements.

This information is a few years old when I dealt with the problem. I think I copied it from a USDA Foreign Service Report. They assist US exporters.

This Tax system is just insane, I think, I will produce wine only for myself, invite some friends to the harvest and having a nice party.

I just wondering why are locally destilled spirits are so cheap?

Amazing Thailand

In a way, if I see all these and more, then I'm happy to living in germany, reasonable prices for everything, not only for wine and beer, also in good quality, only the winters are a pain in my ar$e, anyway a 3 month non immigrant visa

+ 1 month extension is still easy to catch, to escape this bloody wintertime.

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just outside Pattay ,very large vineyard ,iv tried growing grapes ,no luck ,maybe the soil ,

Silver Lake is the vineyard outside Pattaya, my wife bought me some red from there, it was awful.

I have red grapes growing in my garden, obviously not for wine production but they are now 3 year old and growing strong, the white ones planted at the same time are yet to bear fruit.

Do the red grapes having small kernels inside, getting dark colour and sweet when you let hang them long enough?

Then let them getting very sweet, put the grapes in a sober bottle about half full, then add a good sober Schnaps with not so much own taste(no lao khao or bullshit like this) made of fruits, or you can also use a clear rum(like Barcadi) made in thailand and don't add sugar or somethings else, then close the bottle let it stay 1 month in a relative dark room no direct sun on the bottle.

After 1 month you will having the finest Liqeur you can imagine.

To your white wine after 3 years no grapes is just hopeless wrong climate dump it and plant more of your red wine.

I will have to try that, new crop just starting to ripen.

That recipe sound like the Sloe gin my mother used to make by adding sloe fruit to gin and leave, tasted delightful.

The white vine is still looking sad so will probably remove after the wet season.

The grapes are a bit on the sour side and my wife being Thai picks them too soon.