Reasonable affordable wine find.

[DaLa]

Hi wine lovers. I don't know if this is a 1 off, but I went into my local Big C a few days ago and found a bottle of Australian white for 200 Baht.   It's basically a Chardonnay and obviously not in any way a 'special' occasion drink, it was palatable enough. What I would call a 'glugging' wine, better than a lot of French table wine I've had in the past and certainly better than some of the home (Thai) production.

[mfd101]

1. Surplus to requirements since China stopped taking Oz wines.

Edited April 28, 2021 by mfd101

[xylophone]

The reason why it is so affordable is because it's what is designated a "fruit wine", where grape juice is mixed with fruit juice to produce the final product. This way excise/duty/tax is reduced, so cheaper to buy, but of course it could also be a "special/clearance price.

 

A great deal of it available in Thailand from the likes of Australia, also from Montclair in Thailand.

[Isaan sailor]

Thanks, but I prefer the reds.  Some interesting Chilean wines at BigC and Topps.

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Thanks, but I prefer the reds.  Some interesting Chilean wines at BigC and Topps.

Any favorites? Any good ones, of basic chugging wines? I have a nearly impossible time finding a good wine here, for under 1,000 baht. Would rather buy a bottle of El Jimador Reposado tequila at the Gourmet Market liquor store for 1,200.

[Jeffr2]

These guys have several stores around Thailand.  Some of their deals are super good.  I highly recommend visiting their site.  They have specials from time to time that are really good.  But I don't "do" fruit wine.

 

https://www.vinestovino.com/red

[xylophone]

15 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Any favorites? Any good ones, of basic chugging wines? I have a nearly impossible time finding a good wine here, for under 1,000 baht. Would rather buy a bottle of El Jimador Reposado tequila at the Gourmet Market liquor store for 1,200.

Yes there are many Chilean wines now available, some good and some average. The Tres Medallas by Santa Rita is a good wine for a low price.

 

But I can find plenty of good Australian wines which suit my palate, and not expensive, such as: – Barwang The Wall, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon; JJ McWilliams range of reds; Hopes End (one of my favourites); 1848 reds; and quite a few more out there around the 400 to 450 baht price range, so I'm spoilt for choice.

 

And occasionally Tesco Lotus (or what's left of them) will have a clear out and reduce their wines quite markedly, and I did post somewhere else that I managed to get a 2016 Chateauneuf du Papes for 870 baht, which was just about half normal price.

 

PS. Just bought 6 bottles of Portuguese Port as an after dinner tipple. Good price too.

Edited April 28, 2021 by xylophone

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

The reason why it is so affordable is because it's what is designated a "fruit wine", where grape juice is mixed with fruit juice to produce the final product. This way excise/duty/tax is reduced, so cheaper to buy

I dont understand, grape juice being mixed with fruit juice, is it then fermented? How is say strawberry wine made?

As long as the ABV and the taste are OK, does it really matter?

[Jai Dee]

11 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I dont understand, grape juice being mixed with fruit juice, is it then fermented? How is say strawberry wine made?

 

Fruit wines in Thailand

[xylophone]

45 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I dont understand, grape juice being mixed with fruit juice, is it then fermented? How is say strawberry wine made?

As long as the ABV and the taste are OK, does it really matter?

The article posted above by Jai Dee pretty well explains it all, although it was written in 2014, but most of it still holds true.

 

What I couldn't fathom, and nor could many other wine lovers, is why Australia so willingly jumped on the "fruit wine" bandwagon, when they had spent millions of dollars and many years building up "brand Australia" so that it was a trusted origin, with reliable to very good wines, only to, IMO, jeopardise it by exporting poor quality wines. 

 

I will add a proviso to that in as much as cask/bag wines had been popular in Australia for quite a few years, and were great for barbecues, but even that wine was very drinkable and a cut above the "fruit wine" available now.

 

As for wine, well it can be made out of any fruit, although I can't say that I've ever tasted strawberry wine.

 

What wine lovers/appreciators/aficionados like about wines made from grapes, is that in the moderate to good wines, the type of grape used, the region (often) and sometimes the methodology used, can be experienced on the nose and palate, although there are some folks out there who go really over the top with their descriptions – – tar, concrete, stone and so on.

 

I've been drinking red wine for over 50 years now, from many countries, and never thought I would see the advent of the type of fruit wines sold here. And here's yet another proviso, sometimes it can be difficult to sort the fruit wines from the very cheap "normal" wines, but I find after a couple of glasses of the fruit wine, I tend to get a headache??

 

I tried to get to the bottom of this through a friend of mine who's son works in an Australian winery, as to whether the fruit juice used could have preservatives or additives added to it prior to the mix (and being responsible for my headache) but no information was forthcoming because I suspect he was not permitted to provide the information I wanted.

 

Having said all of this, I can buy a bottle of reasonably good Australian swigging wine for 399 baht, with all of the information about the wine and its origin on the label, so why would I settle for anything less?

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Jai Dee said:

 

Fruit wines in Thailand

Nowhere in this article does it mention ALCOHOL. Does that come from the grape juice, or the mixture of grape & fruit juice?

Mulberry wine is very nice by the way.

[Jai Dee]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Nowhere in this article does it mention ALCOHOL. Does that come from the grape juice, or the mixture of grape & fruit juice?

 

Most of the fruit wines I have seen in Thailand are usually alcoholic with an ABV of 8-10%, but there are some non-alcoholic versions on the market too. Alcohol levels tend to be less than traditional grape wine, which has 10-15% ABV.

 

To make fruit wine, winemakers must first extract juice from the fruit. This is done by crushing or stewing the fruits. A large quantity of fresh fruit is needed to create a gallon of wine. Many recipes suggest a minimum of 2 kg of fruit.

 

Next, the fruit juice is placed in a fermentation bag. Here, the winemakers add a large amount of sugar. While high-quality grape wines rarely have any added sugar, fruit wines — especially dandelion or elderflower wines — need plenty of sweetener.

 

These sugars not only counteract acidity but also give the fruit wine an alcohol content. Along with the sugar, winemakers add yeast nutrient, which ingests the sugar and produces ethanol, aka alcohol.

 

There are a number of instructional videos on YouTube... have a look here.

[KannikaP]

8 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

 

Most of the fruit wines I have seen in Thailand are usually alcoholic with an ABV of 8-10%, but there are some non-alcoholic versions on the market too. Alcohol levels tend to be less than traditional grape wine, which has 10-15% ABV.

 

To make fruit wine, winemakers must first extract juice from the fruit. This is done by crushing or stewing the fruits. A large quantity of fresh fruit is needed to create a gallon of wine. Many recipes suggest a minimum of 2 kg of fruit.

 

Next, the fruit juice is placed in a fermentation bag. Here, the winemakers add a large amount of sugar. While high-quality grape wines rarely have any added sugar, fruit wines — especially dandelion or elderflower wines — need plenty of sweetener.

 

These sugars not only counteract acidity but also give the fruit wine an alcohol content. Along with the sugar, winemakers add yeast nutrient, which ingests the sugar and produces ethanol, aka alcohol.

 

There are a number of instructional videos on YouTube... have a look here.

Thanks. I know how the fermentation process works, and have made several good tasting tipples using Tipco, sugar & yeast, many of them in the 15% ABV area.

[ChrisKC]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

I dont understand, grape juice being mixed with fruit juice, is it then fermented? How is say strawberry wine made?

As long as the ABV and the taste are OK, does it really matter?

I have made in England plenty of strawberry and other wines, that didn't include grapes or grape concentrate and they fermented absolutely fine and all was very well with the taste and it was around the 12% alcohol as  conventional grape wine. One might think that wine made from broad beans wouldn't make good wine, but I made it and it was as nice as the recipe said it would be.

[xylophone]

21 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

Most of the fruit wines I have seen in Thailand are usually alcoholic with an ABV of 8-10%

An interesting point there Jai Dee, because a few years ago the "fruit wines" from Australia and from Montclair were all around the 12 to 13% ABV, but I suggest the laws may have changed because suddenly the boxes and bags of fruit wine now all seem to have a 10% ABV!!

 

Having said that, some of the bottled fruit wines from Oz still have 13% ABV or thereabouts.

 

Whilst on that note, I notice that Montclair have omitted the designation, "fruit wine" on their plastic bags of wine and they did that on some of their boxes a short while back. I sincerely believe that because they are a Thai company, and they have "contacts", that they are able to do this.

 

Any other country would have banned the sale of it.

[Cutty Shark]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

The article posted above by Jai Dee pretty well explains it all, although it was written in 2014, but most of it still holds true.

 

What I couldn't fathom, and nor could many other wine lovers, is why Australia so willingly jumped on the "fruit wine" bandwagon, when they had spent millions of dollars and many years building up "brand Australia" so that it was a trusted origin, with reliable to very good wines, only to, IMO, jeopardise it by exporting poor quality wines. 

 

I will add a proviso to that in as much as cask/bag wines had been popular in Australia for quite a few years, and were great for barbecues, but even that wine was very drinkable and a cut above the "fruit wine" available now.

 

As for wine, well it can be made out of any fruit, although I can't say that I've ever tasted strawberry wine.

 

What wine lovers/appreciators/aficionados like about wines made from grapes, is that in the moderate to good wines, the type of grape used, the region (often) and sometimes the methodology used, can be experienced on the nose and palate, although there are some folks out there who go really over the top with their descriptions – – tar, concrete, stone and so on.

 

I've been drinking red wine for over 50 years now, from many countries, and never thought I would see the advent of the type of fruit wines sold here. And here's yet another proviso, sometimes it can be difficult to sort the fruit wines from the very cheap "normal" wines, but I find after a couple of glasses of the fruit wine, I tend to get a headache??

 

I tried to get to the bottom of this through a friend of mine who's son works in an Australian winery, as to whether the fruit juice used could have preservatives or additives added to it prior to the mix (and being responsible for my headache) but no information was forthcoming because I suspect he was not permitted to provide the information I wanted.

 

Having said all of this, I can buy a bottle of reasonably good Australian swigging wine for 399 baht, with all of the information about the wine and its origin on the label, so why would I settle for anything less?

 

[Cutty Shark]

I'd like to try the Australian wines you're referring to.  Could you please tell me their brand names and where you buy them.   Thanks.

[Cutty Shark]

I mean the reasonably good Australian swigging wine for 399 baht.

[clivebaxter]

Hola is about the cheapest 215 baht, not very nice. Best I have had recently is Wolf Blass Shiraz at 399 even Big C stared to sell it

[clivebaxter]

Just now, clivebaxter said:

Hola is about the cheapest 215 baht, not very nice. Best I have had recently is Wolf Blass Shiraz at 399 even Big C stared to sell it. Rumours is not bad 299, another Australian one, only 12% though

 

[DaLa]

29 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

I have made in England plenty of strawberry and other wines, that didn't include grapes or grape concentrate and they fermented absolutely fine and all was very well with the taste and it was around the 12% alcohol as  conventional grape wine. One might think that wine made from broad beans wouldn't make good wine, but I made it and it was as nice as the recipe said it would be.

Thought I'd chip in again here as the subject has deviated slightly. Many years ago (40+) in the UK you could buy wine (fruit) concentrate kits and ferment your own wine. I remember there was a reasonable variety such as Burgundy (type), Chablis, Claret etc.  I use to smoke Hamlets in those days so the result could have tasted awful and I wouldn't have known. There became a point in time though when the Calais booze runs became cheaper than home brew.

[xylophone]

13 minutes ago, Cutty Shark said:

I'd like to try the Australian wines you're referring to.  Could you please tell me their brand names and where you buy them.   Thanks.

As posted...........

 

Barwang. The Wall, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon;

 

JJ McWilliams range of reds;

 

Hopes End (one of my favourites);

 

1848 reds; 

 

The prices seem to vary between 399 and 450 baht a bottle, depending on where I find them. For instance the Barwang was recently on sale for 399 baht in Big C, then the price went up by about 50 baht, the same with JJ McWilliams, which I was buying for 395 baht.

 

I don't know where you're situated but we have a place here in Phuket called Supercheap, and it has a wine section, with two or three of these wines in it, outside of that couple of small supermarkets which have a great selection of wines keep coming to my rescue with some good prices.

 

I hunt around, and it keeps me occupied in these days of covid.
 

[DaLa]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Nowhere in this article does it mention ALCOHOL. Does that come from the grape juice, or the mixture of grape & fruit juice?

Mulberry wine is very nice by the way.

You just add hand gel. Only an extra 96 baht.

[xylophone]

1 minute ago, DaLa said:

There became a point in time though when the Calais booze runs became cheaper than home brew.

I did try some homebrew once and it was very reasonable, coming from one of those kits, but as you say once the Dover to Calais and Newhaven to Dieppe trips became commonplace, then a day out buying cheese and wine and other whatnots in France, became the norm for me........and many others I suspect!!
 

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

I dont understand, grape juice being mixed with fruit juice, is it then fermented? How is say strawberry wine made?

As long as the ABV and the taste are OK, does it really matter?

It does to wine snobs. 

[2009]

Vineyards is pretty good. 349. Doesn't say "fruit wine"on it.

[madmitch]

2 hours ago, xylophone said:

Yes there are many Chilean wines now available, some good and some average. The Tres Medallas by Santa Rita is a good wine for a low price.

 

But I can find plenty of good Australian wines which suit my palate, and not expensive, such as: – Barwang The Wall, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon; JJ McWilliams range of reds; Hopes End (one of my favourites); 1848 reds; and quite a few more out there around the 400 to 450 baht price range, so I'm spoilt for choice.

 

And occasionally Tesco Lotus (or what's left of them) will have a clear out and reduce their wines quite markedly, and I did post somewhere else that I managed to get a 2016 Chateauneuf du Papes for 870 baht, which was just about half normal price.

 

PS. Just bought 6 bottles of Portuguese Port as an after dinner tipple. Good price too.

Where did you get the port, Xylo?

 

PM if you don't want to put it online.

[xylophone]

5 minutes ago, 2009 said:

Vineyards is pretty good. 349. Doesn't say "fruit wine"on it.

From my research, it is not a fruit wine.

[2009]

3 minutes ago, xylophone said:

From my research, it is not a fruit wine.

 

 

I am drinking it now. It is really ok.

[xylophone]

17 minutes ago, jesimps said:

It does to wine snobs. 

That is an uneducated remark, but then again............

 

What wine lovers/appreciators/aficionados like about wines made from grapes, is that in the moderate to good wines, the type of grape used, the region (often) and sometimes the methodology used, can be experienced on the nose and palate.

 

It is a remarkable experience to watch experts at a wine tasting because they can very often pick the grape used, the fermentation method and whether oak was used in it, and sometimes the region and the very vineyard from which it comes.
 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by xylophone