 |
|
|
#1
06-09-2007, 05:06
|
||||
|
||||
|
wine
was thinking about what I would miss if I ever get that year out in LOS that I have planned (stil working on it) and came up with one very obvious one......wine!!!
I love the stuff and keep a reasonable cellar in both NZ + Aus......not because I am a wanker about it just because I really enjoy it and by chosing well and paying a reasonable price at first release you get to drink a much better wine over time than you would probably want to spend on a bottle of wine when you get to the store if I am eating out or having guests around for a dinner party what to drink with the food is high on my agenda.....I often plan the food around what is ready to drink or what I really feel like.....I just love starting with a good champagne gouing on to a nice agec Aussie riesling then a big OZ shiraz or maybe a subtle NZ Pinot and then finishing off with a great sticky like "The Noble One" I choose restaurants where I can take my own wine....and even ask if I can bring my own to snobbish fully licenced restaurants and won't go to them if they refuse.......have had some interesting conversations with sommeliers and owners over time with them asking what I will bring and me asking about the menu.....have even had a few sitting back with me after service drinking a bottle or two and I always encourage them to have a taste of everything I bring.... so far I have yet to find any wine of value in LOS....in the restaurants the prices ae ridiculous with even very ordinary whites costing over bht1000 but was pretty plaesed to seethat Carrefour had a reasonable range at stil pretty unreasonable price last time I was in town was just wondering if you guys enjoy your wine at home and what varietels you like.....and whether you still drink it in LOS and how you find the price and availability there compared to what you are used to at home..
__________________
 ....but of course I was verey verey draaank at the taaame!!!
|
| Guest Info |
|
+:+:+ Forum Headquarter +:+:+ |
|
#2
06-09-2007, 05:38
|
||||
|
||||
|
I enjoy a few glasses after work. Always red, usually a shiraz or a cab-sav.
I like the challenge of finding good wines for around $10 - $12 Canadian there are some really nice S. African and Australian available here. There are some great Canadian wines too but tend to be at the higher end of the scale.
__________________
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS - CELEBRATING MEDIOCRITY FOR 97 YEARS GO RIDERS!!!!!
|
|
#3
06-09-2007, 05:42
|
||||
|
||||
|
We are spoilt here in oz with wine,cheap and good.
travel to the hunter valley nearly every weekend,enjoy red wine the most,but if i can find a nice rose will drink it on a hot day. bin series of mc williams wines reds are normally good and not too expensive. As a side light bought a cleanskin charrodary bottle for $5 aud the other night because was the only cash i had,It was not worth even $5 was cats piss.(moral of the story dont buy cleanskins) In LOS normally go without wine just feel being ripped off compared to oz prices.
__________________
MAY THE BEER BE COLD AND ALL YOUR BETS WINNERS 
|
|
#4
06-09-2007, 06:19
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Have Dodger and Denver put some Rosso away for you and by next year it would be 6 or 7 months old at least. Also would be good for cleaning paint brushes and getting corrosion off of your regulator. Might be worth it to start leaving some bottles with Nicke or another expat on your flights in, get some duty free and leave them there. Or ask some of us to help out as we come in, bring you a couple of bottles at a time. I never buy any duty free booze.
__________________
variety is the spice of life. I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy. Mav's a hasher, not a basher, Tell me it ain't so! Mav, he sits on ice, says it feels nice, enjoyed it so much, he did it twice.
|
|
#5
06-09-2007, 07:39
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I feel the same way. For me, the one great thing about living in the Bay Area, which does not cost an arm and a leg, is the wine, and I miss it incredibly much when in LOS. I drink beer there, and the occasional tequila(rotgut), but I don't really enjoy the high I get from it. Do it to be sociable in the company of others, mainly. The only alcohol that really gives me a lovely buzz, and makes me feel really good and that is worth drinking, for me, is wine. Red wine. The red wine in LOS is mostly overpriced and horrible. I looked in Robinson's and saw a few overpriced bottles that I might be able to stomach, but not sure it is worth the effort, as bad red wine is not a good high at all, and gives a terrible hangover. Like you, Nels, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to red wine. Just don't want to bother with it if it is not fairly high quality stuff. Won't drink California appellation wine. Too mediocre. Give me my choice, and it's appellation Napa Valley, which to me is the Mecca for worshipers of red wine, and especially the Queen of Reds, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Although I am certainly not opposed to a good zinfandel, pinot noir, or even a merlot. I will drink appellation Sonoma reds as well. There are some good ones, especially the ones from grapes grown in the Alexander Valley, or the Sonoma Valley. For me, a good quality Napa Valley cab is a bit of God's mercy in a glass!! For a very affordable bottle at less than $20, the Beaulieu Vineyard(BV) Cabernet Sauvignon, marked "Rutherford Estate,"(grapes guaranteed to come from their Rutherford vineyard), is an outstanding wine at an exceptionally reasonable price. I shudder to think what it would cost in LOS. Probably would be $50 in the Midwest or Eastern US. More like a $100 in LOS if you could even find it, which is unlikely. Not being a big spender, I am always looking for a bargain, and recently have found a supply of a Napa Valley Cab for $5 a bottle. I have seen bottles that couldn't hold a candle to it(and which I would NOT drink), selling for $30 and more in the duty-free shops in LOS and Taiwan. For a cab, it's a wee bit on the hearty side, not as silky smooth as the better stuff, but it goes down very, very nicely with a steak, or pasta. Nothing fancy, but quite satisfying. The next step up is $11 or $12 and not a huge difference in quality. If I could, I would be drinking the $30+ bottles quite regularly and what you can get here for that price is just fantastic. BTW, I do have a small cellar. Recently took a bottle with me to dinner at a friend's house, it was a Charles Krug cab, about 10 years old. There were about a dozen people there. As soon as I opened it , one friend, who is a bit of a wine connoisseur, said, "Mind if I give that a try?" I said, "Of course not, what do you think I brought it for?" Turned out the current value of that bottle was $400. He, I, and another buddy drank it, and really enjoyed it. I probably originally paid less than $15 for it. Sometimes, it pays to save.
__________________
LOS is warm, soft, smooth, and brown. 
Last edited by JayBee : 06-09-2007 at 08:09.
|
|
#6
06-09-2007, 07:56
|
||||
|
||||
|
I myself am partial to a glass of wine at home. I wont drink it out in restaurants because its too expensive and its usually crap.
I'm no expert on wine but i know what i like. I'm not a red fan at all but a chilled dry/medium white works for me. My latest find was an Australian white in Tesco. Its called Taras and has been on offer at 436 Baht (usually 872 baht) and its bloody lovely stuff. Have recommended it to a few friends who also were very impressed. Maybe not a good idea recommending it on here as they'll be none left for me  Oh well..... lifes about sharing right
__________________
She's different from the other BG's...... She's a cashier !!!! 
Last edited by Masterwoodsman : 06-09-2007 at 08:01.
|
|
#7
06-09-2007, 09:41
|
||||
|
||||
|
Tax on wines in Thailand is very high. There was hope that a proposed free Trade Agreemant with Australia was going to reduce the tax on their wines, but nothing seemed to happen.
In bangkok, the quality of wines available can be very high and there are many places to go. My favourite bottle is a Penfold 407, retails at 4000THB a bottle, but I wouldn't pay that for it. Have found a supplier in BKK that sells it for 1300THB a bottle and a bit cheaper by the case. No idea where or how they get them but they do. All sorts of wines available, but I love this wine so much I stick to it. Another recommendation if you like wines is a trip to V9. It is on the top floor of a 5 Star hotel, but you can buy a bottle at shop price, as the bar doubles as a Wine connection outlet. We had an excellent Aussie Shiraz there recently and it was the cheapest bottle we bought all evening. They also do 'flights' you buy 3 glasses of different wines for 295B (I think). Bottles however work out as great value. Top bar, open late, we usually head there after a decent dinner with friends.
__________________
|
|
#8
06-09-2007, 09:47
|
||||
|
||||
|
TRY BIN 8 ALSO
Bin 8 Cabernet Sauvignon : Bin Range : PENFOLDS Wine Collection BIN 407 2004 COSTS 810 BAHT HERE IN OZ
__________________
MAY THE BEER BE COLD AND ALL YOUR BETS WINNERS
|
|
#9
06-09-2007, 10:05
|
||||
|
||||
|
Both me and my housemate are partial to wine.. When I first arrived here the selection was truly awful and prices sky high, its improved a little but still not reached levels to be happy about. We still buy a bit, but its usually of a quality I would class as basic plonk back home.
I personally can appreciate all kinds of verity and think you get interesting wines worth trying from many countries (the fun is in trying so often) Tho I have to say I am very partial to a good bordeaux and although its often a marketing spin I like a fresh light fruity nouveaux beaujolais especially in the first few bottles (or on a warm afternoon) that you open, my buddy and constant wine drinking partner in slime (his uncle ran a wine importer, we could raid his place for entire cases sometimes) in Holland was a fan of some really heavy wines like Grand Cru etc to me I prefer them once the tastebuds had dulled a little or with rich / strong foods. Another drawback here is wine is stored badly and seems to have a very high % of souring.. I was in Deli one day and saw a bordeaux at 1200 baht which puts it in the 'treat' price.. I bought it home and opened it up and it was superb, best bottle of wine I had drank in Thailand, reminded me how much I loved wine and left me with a terrible thrist in my mouth when the bottle was finished. Next day I went back and bought 2 more to share, after building it up to my mate we opened it and the disappointment to discover both bottles were like vinegar. Of course back home you would return it, here not a hope !! I also agree with JB above that I find the actual high / drunk from good wine is extremely pleasant, its talkative without being boorish, its energised without being hyper. Different drink has subtly different highs and wine is a very social pleasant tipple. Yes Nels I suspect you may miss it but you adjust and forget (until someone posts a thread like this and makes you thirsty)..
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
|
|
#10
06-09-2007, 10:27
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
LOL LIL....sorry about that mate....but yeah I know I will Penfold's to me is the best single commercial winemaker overall in Australia.....even their lowest priced reds are worth drinking and I've had some good years of the 407 that Scmeen and AD mention above and it is a very good value wine indeed I am a big fan of Penfold's St Henri, Bin 707 and RWT and if you buy these early enough you can get them at around 1200-1500bht and they drink magnificently if you get the right vintage and cellar it properly...Grange Hermitage the flagship red of Penfolds sells on new relaese now at around the 10000bht range and priced itself out of my cellar about 15 years ago....but it is a superb cellaring wine....but not that superb to pay 10Kbht for...no wine is to me...it's a drink FFS some of the other Aus red wines I like to cellar are from Henscke's, Tahbilk (a greatly underpriced winemaker) Tyrells, Peter Lehman, Petaluma and some of the smaller boutiques of WA's Margaret river area....whilst whites I generally go for rieslings from The claire Valley, Margaret River, Mornington Peninsular and Tasmanian wine areas....Auis winemakers have a great method of making big dry bold Rieslings which cellar for years In NZ I am still gaining knowledge....very enthusiastically I might add 55555...but I prefer the pinot gris + some Sauvignon Blancs + the pinot noirs....they do make excellent pinots here
__________________
....but of course I was verey verey draaank at the taaame!!!
Last edited by nelsonone : 06-09-2007 at 10:31.
|
|
#11
06-09-2007, 12:15
|
||||
|
||||
|
Wine good.....Fire Bad
Yes JB. The red wine in the bay area is a great value. When in LOS I really miss it. Charles Krug is always a good drink. As I'm typing this I am drinking a 2005 Francis Coppola Cab, Diamond Collection, Ivory Label from United Markets. It's delicious and less than 20$.
__________________
i'm lost my mobile, lady boy take my mobile. i can't connect u
|
|
#12
06-09-2007, 12:46
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
That's a nice bottle. I buy my produce at United, but not my wine. Good selection, but a wee bit pricey. Ever check out the wine section at Costco? They usually have the BV Rutherford Cab. Trader Joe's selection/pricing is not bad, either.
__________________
LOS is warm, soft, smooth, and brown.
|
|
#13
06-09-2007, 13:05
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
There's a store next to the old Tower Records. I thinks it's a Cost Plus World Market. They have a very eclectic inventory of wine.
__________________
i'm lost my mobile, lady boy take my mobile. i can't connect u
|
|
#14
06-09-2007, 13:52
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
LOS is warm, soft, smooth, and brown.
|
|
#15
06-09-2007, 14:36
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
The same thing is / was the case with cheeses.. And the two go hand in hand so well.. Same as wine its improved, theres now even goats cheeses in carrefore, but the ability for lots of selection, to make a whole after dinner or snack cheese platter gets kinda costly. I went a bit ben gunn the first year or two living here, processed edam or cheddar not quite the same as a selection with creme brule etc !!
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
|
|
#16
06-09-2007, 14:48
|
||||
|
||||
|
I am a wine lover...but mostly stay with French wines, especially for red wines.
White wines, you can find some good non French like Cloudy Bay or some Argentinian Mendoza Reserva. Also some good South African ones. For the reds, I go for the French and then mostly Bordeaux. Prices are quite high in Thailand, especially since taxes went up about 4 years ago. Before you could buy a Bordeaux Grand Cru in the "Boathouse" for the same price you bought it in a Belgian restaurant. Got a friend who just some stock bought from Vanich Wattana, one of the big importers in Thailand, good French wines, matured already.
|
|
#17
06-09-2007, 15:06
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Don't remind me again....55555 How they get to 4000B a bottle I'll never know, certainly won't pay that for it, but at 1300 I'm happy....
__________________
|
|
#18
07-09-2007, 03:44
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
yep.....I'd pay 1300B for it in LOS no problem...compared to what I have had for that price in LOS its a real bargain Funny you know I can get the lower end Penfold range in NZ cheaper than what I can buy it in Aus......407 I can get at my local supermarket here for 700-750B most of the time.....strange because it has to be shipped over and loads of transport + overheads to get it to market here.....but this is also true of many wines here....
__________________
....but of course I was verey verey draaank at the taaame!!!
|
|
#19
07-09-2007, 03:49
|
||||
|
||||
|
If I was Cap I'd be drinking Bordeaux reds as well......they are fabulous but price wise they have only recently come into their own in Aus + NZ......I have no great knowledge of them but I trust a couple of sommeliers and have had some superb lighter end ones (well compared to our big brutal shiraz + cab savs here) that they have recommended for me.....
same goes for californian wines.....have little knowledge but always prepared to give something new a go.....it's only wine aftere all
__________________
....but of course I was verey verey draaank at the taaame!!!
|
|
#20
07-09-2007, 11:44
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Thats what I enjoy about a bordeaux, is that its often light and the fruit taste is forward rather than the heavy palette filling wines (that IMO can suit food matches better due to thier ability to carry thier own).. Also I make no bones about the fact I like to drink with some gusto, so starting with a lighter wine, allows you to move to heavier ones while your palette (and brain) dulls. This thread had me buying 3 bottles yesterday.. theres goes yesterdays budget shot to hell again.
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
|
|
#21
07-09-2007, 11:57
|
||||
|
||||
|
I dreamed I was in a Hollywood movie and I was the star of the movie.
Spill the wine. dig that girl.
__________________
i'm lost my mobile, lady boy take my mobile. i can't connect u
|