Red Wine Box recommendation from Rimping

[amexpat]

"South West wine of France (Languedoc) not worth Bordeaux, Bourgogne or even the Beaujolais but it is a true terroir wine to a higher level that without denomination label."

Tranlsation please?

Next time I'll write like kindergarten children for you to understand, huh.

Thanks, but coherently would suffice.

[happy Joe]

"South West wine of France (Languedoc) not worth Bordeaux, Bourgogne or even the Beaujolais but it is a true terroir wine to a higher level that without denomination label."

Tranlsation please?

Next time I'll write like kindergarten children for you to understand, huh.

Thanks, but coherently would suffice.

Wrotes incoherent or intellectual laziness that prevents you understand a slightly different expression?

That is the question...

[PostmanPat]

best of the bunch is Mar Sol worst is Mont Clare and Bodegas, Berri + Vella are all terrible only slightly ahead of Mont Clare

Oh, Lanna Guy, youre such an expert, to be able to be so definitive about whats best and worst in the field of crap boxed wines, I take it your taste buds dried up some time ago?

Montclair is by no means the worst, they are all pretty poor by the standards of, well, proper bottled wines. You should try them sometime!

enjoy the Mont Clair if you like it - give us your 'expertise' on which is the worst? come on you said it "Mont Clair is by no means the worst" so what is? and what is the best? I was only giving my opinion now YOU give yours

BTW I drink bottled wine constantly but this thread is about BOXED WINE? now enough personal attack (I didn't deserve it) give us your OPINION as a 'Mont Clair' fan

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

Edited December 24, 2015 by PostmanPat

[amexpat]

I am genuinely, sincerely, envious of you folks who enjoy MC, Mir Sol, Peter Vella, et al.

I used to drink some of that when eating out, but then my pal and I would spring for some real bottled wine on special occasions.

Then there were more and more special occasions. Sundown, for example. Now, I can't abide the boxed stuff. I'll have beer instead.

So you get a lot more buzz for your baht than I do. Enjoy your favorites and better not sample too much of the non-fruit stuff.

It's too late for me - save yourselves.

[uhhh ohhh]

Wines really are a matter of personal taste but it really is sad what has happened to the wine market in Thailand. I wonder if they have in fact increased their revenues since raising the taxes and now diminishing the quality of available wine at a reasonable price. I use to enjoy a box wine called Bota Box. A REAL wine (California) available here as Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. They appear to have exited since the government tax increase. I'm really not a wine snob but when I see a bottle of Sutter Home at Rimping for 710 Baht (about 20 USD) that is sold for $4.99 in the states...well....the hair stands up on the back of my neck. I can't drink that stuff. I've tried most of the box imitators and don't think any compare to real wine. I'll keep looking. Thanks for the reviews and for those who thought the Camden Park was the worst.....YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE MARK!!!!

Edited December 24, 2015 by uhhh ohhh

[MESmith]

The Robertson Winery still gets my vote on day 2

[millwall_fan]

best of the bunch is Mar Sol worst is Mont Clare and Bodegas, Berri + Vella are all terrible only slightly ahead of Mont Clare

Oh, Lanna Guy, youre such an expert, to be able to be so definitive about whats best and worst in the field of crap boxed wines, I take it your taste buds dried up some time ago?

Montclair is by no means the worst, they are all pretty poor by the standards of, well, proper bottled wines. You should try them sometime!

Our views on which is the best of the crap boxed wines, is what the OP is seeking, is it not?

I am genuinely, sincerely, envious of you folks who enjoy MC, Mir Sol, Peter Vella, et al.

I used to drink some of that when eating out, but then my pal and I would spring for some real bottled wine on special occasions.

Then there were more and more special occasions. Sundown, for example. Now, I can't abide the boxed stuff. I'll have beer instead.

So you get a lot more buzz for your baht than I do. Enjoy your favorites and better not sample too much of the non-fruit stuff.

It's too late for me - save yourselves.

It's all about training your palate, amexpat. I have always enjoyed a decent glass of wine and on special occasions still enjoy a decent red Rioja or NZ Sauv Blanc, but at up to 1,000 Baht a bottle, its not everyday quaffing wine. SoI resort to the boxes because that sadly is the way the Thais have skewed the market. Of those there are some drinkable ones and some truly awful ones (such as Camden Park mentioned above),

You mention the fruit content of the cheap wines, but, to my knowledge there is no requirement to indicate the amount of non-grape juice in order to claim the tax break (just pay the appropriate 'fee'), so the more committed producers have tried hard to produce something acceptable, adding a splash of some fruit juice (or possibly non at all) whilst others have just poured a load of rosella juice into already poor quality imported cheap wine.

[scorecard]

best of the bunch is Mar Sol worst is Mont Clare and Bodegas, Berri + Vella are all terrible only slightly ahead of Mont Clare

Oh, Lanna Guy, youre such an expert, to be able to be so definitive about whats best and worst in the field of crap boxed wines, I take it your taste buds dried up some time ago?

Montclair is by no means the worst, they are all pretty poor by the standards of, well, proper bottled wines. You should try them sometime!

enjoy the Mont Clair if you like it - give us your 'expertise' on which is the worst? come on you said it "Mont Clair is by no means the worst" so what is? and what is the best? I was only giving my opinion now YOU give yours

BTW I drink bottled wine constantly but this thread is about BOXED WINE? now enough personal attack (I didn't deserve it) give us your OPINION as a 'Mont Clair' fan

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

My small hotel in Bkk offers red and white Mont Clair at 50Baht a glass (80% full glass - way more than 100ml - average size red wine glass).

Most of their guests are farang, many have one of two glasses per meal.

It's popular.

[Langsuan Man]

I understand that the boxed wine has fruit juice mixed in due to the reduced tax rate, but what I can't understand is why won't they offer me a decent boxed wine without fruit juice added and I will be more than happy to pay the additional tax for the convenience of the box instead of bottles

In my case, the wine will probably turn into vinegar by the time I finish a bottle, yet I can keep boxed wine I bring to Thailand from the US for at least a month and it actually improves a bit with age

[millwall_fan]

If you check out Rimping, there are non-fruit added wines available for around 1,600-1,700 Baht a box.

[Saan]

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

Thanks for the warning on Camden Park. I saw it the other day and almost fell for the old judge a wine by its name trap.

As any true blue Aussie will tell you Camden Park is the home of the man who introduced merino sheep into Australia thereby starting Australia's wool industry, John Macarthur. He also helped establish Australia's wine growing industry and by 1853, Camden Park listed some 33 grape varieties for sale.

So by association I thought 'this sounds like a good wine' and planned to buy some next time. What a narrow escape.

[Saan]

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

Thanks for the warning on Camden Park. I saw it the other day and almost fell for the old judge a wine by its name trap.

As any true blue Aussie will tell you Camden Park is the home of the man who introduced merino sheep into Australia thereby starting Australia's wool industry, John Macarthur. He also helped establish Australia's wine growing industry and by 1853, Camden Park listed some 33 grape varieties for sale.

So by association I thought 'this sounds like a good wine' and planned to buy some next time. What a narrow escape.

[Sparkles]

As an Aussie and used to drinking excellent,good, bad and indifferent wines in a past life I would strongly suggest Camden Park as the worst wine I have ever drunk even surpassing one of the first

Oz cask wines Golden Gate.Note cask, not box, invented by an Aussie and used initially for cheap plonk but now ,except for wine snobs, used as well for premium wines.

Camden Park could probably be useful to clear blocked drains but don't drink it.I made the mistake because at Rimping, at Mae Hia, on the day it was all they had, now I know why.

[uhhh ohhh]

[daoyai]

It is only a "cask" in oz, most people know that cask is another term for barrel, actually box wine is bladder wine as there is a bladder inside the box. How about bladder or bag wine as a marketing term? The wine situation here is sad , I think even aussies would agree.

[LannaGuy]

best of the bunch is Mar Sol worst is Mont Clare and Bodegas, Berri + Vella are all terrible only slightly ahead of Mont Clare

Oh, Lanna Guy, youre such an expert, to be able to be so definitive about whats best and worst in the field of crap boxed wines, I take it your taste buds dried up some time ago?

Montclair is by no means the worst, they are all pretty poor by the standards of, well, proper bottled wines. You should try them sometime!

enjoy the Mont Clair if you like it - give us your 'expertise' on which is the worst? come on you said it "Mont Clair is by no means the worst" so what is? and what is the best? I was only giving my opinion now YOU give yours

BTW I drink bottled wine constantly but this thread is about BOXED WINE? now enough personal attack (I didn't deserve it) give us your OPINION as a 'Mont Clair' fan

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

[amexpat]

If you check out Rimping, there are non-fruit added wines available for around 1,600-1,700 Baht a box.

I checked out a Rimping and found none. Can you give us a name or two? I haven't seen Bota Box in quite a while.

[daoyai]

It is unfortunate that the locally produced Monsoon wines are so expensive, they can not blame import duties for the high price. I have sampled their wines at tastings a few times through the years and seen improvement to the point where they are now comparible to cheap Italian reds, that is to say, they could accompany garlicy pasta acceptably ...but they are priced like imported wines. If you look at local labor costs, local shipping, and no imp.dutie, way over priced.

[uhhh ohhh]

It is unfortunate that the locally produced Monsoon wines are so expensive, they can not blame import duties for the high price. I have sampled their wines at tastings a few times through the years and seen improvement to the point where they are now comparible to cheap Italian reds, that is to say, they could accompany garlicy pasta acceptably ...but they are priced like imported wines. If you look at local labor costs, local shipping, and no imp.dutie, way over priced.

--------

I couldn't agree more Daoyai. A nice little vineyard. A nice lunch and sampling there last year and relatively decent wines but no more than a $10 wine back in the states. WAY OVERPRICED!!! I find myself drinking more beer when I'm here (imported dark)/or a good bourbon due to ridicules prices for mostly undrinkable/affordable wine products. My bet is that this government has lost revenue on wine but would they admit it? I DON'T THINK SO!

[dhream]

Sorry LannaGuy, if my attempt at a bit of light hearted christmas banter went down wrong, I was only being light hearted at this "time to be merry" !! As to whats the worst, I just posted a few posts ago that theres a box called "Camden Park" which makes Montclair taste like the best vintage French wines, I m not joking, its absolutely disgusting and literally undrinkable. It tastes how I imagine that popular Thai drink called "Spy" tastes, sweet, sugary and disgustingly awful !! One taste and the rest will be down the toilet or sink or wherever your waste liquid products go!!

By the way, for the record, I m not a "Montclair fan", I just think it gets an unfairly bad rap when there are significantly worse products out there....like Camden Park !!

Thanks for the warning on Camden Park. I saw it the other day and almost fell for the old judge a wine by its name trap.

As any true blue Aussie will tell you Camden Park is the home of the man who introduced merino sheep into Australia thereby starting Australia's wool industry, John Macarthur. He also helped establish Australia's wine growing industry and by 1853, Camden Park listed some 33 grape varieties for sale.

So by association I thought 'this sounds like a good wine' and planned to buy some next time. What a narrow escape.

'The fatal shore' historic account claims that Macarthur was also unhinged, and corrupt to the core, seems Camden Park wine bears his proud legacy.

[PostmanPat]

It is unfortunate that the locally produced Monsoon wines are so expensive, they can not blame import duties for the high price. I have sampled their wines at tastings a few times through the years and seen improvement to the point where they are now comparible to cheap Italian reds, that is to say, they could accompany garlicy pasta acceptably ...but they are priced like imported wines. If you look at local labor costs, local shipping, and no imp.dutie, way over priced.

Sadly, I believe that there IS in fact a taxation problem for wines produced within Thailand. A few years ago a German guy called Dieter I think set up his own winery at Saraphi, producing a very good quality of wine including "Tokay" which is not the lizard thing we all hear at night, but a rather unusual Hungarian in origin grape variety.

When the wines were bottled and ready to go Dieter called in the excise duty people, quite correctly, who then proceeded to smash his business to smithereens by charging a completely ridiculous amount of tax which in reality took the price of a LOCALLY PRODUCED bottle of wine HIGHER than what was on sale at places like Rimping.

It seemed as though the "authorities" didnt want a Foreign owned wine business to succeed so they charged tax at such a rate that poor old Dieter couldnt compete even with imported wines, and of course, Dieter was employing a fair amount of local labour in his vineyards and bottling area!

Sorry if I got his name wrong, there will be some on here who remember him and can correct me if I am wrong with the name, but the story is 100% accurate. I used to share a glass with him in the Writers Club along with the very nice Bob Tilley, sadly now deceased.

[millwall_fan]

If you check out Rimping, there are non-fruit added wines available for around 1,600-1,700 Baht a box.

I checked out a Rimping and found none. Can you give us a name or two? I haven't seen Bota Box in quite a while.

In fairness, I checked at Rimping in Maya mall today and they didnt have any 'premium' boxed wines. If I spot any elsewhere, I'll let you know.

[dhream]

If you get a box you find undrinkable, here's a tip, it won't work for everybody, but in the ballads, they add coke to horrible plonk, another idea is make Sangria, white or red. Or even Gluhwien Recipes abound online.

[Oscar2]

speaking of cheap wine...just curious if anyone has ever heard of "Chateau Lamphun" brand of locally made wine? it's quite cheap and a group of Thais i met this evening said it is much better than MC, etc. they had a few bottles that they were consuming. haven't seen it before.

[Oscar2]

If you get a box you find undrinkable, here's a tip, it won't work for everybody, but in the ballads, they add coke to horrible plonk, another idea is make Sangria, white or red. Or even Gluhwien Recipes abound online.

"in the ballads"??