Wine/Booze

[SiamSam]

Anyone interested in a wine thread or is that too snooty?

I have eclectic tastes when it comes to wine. I do not discriminate or at least try not to when it comes to countries or regions. Without a doubt I prefer French Bourgogne, be it red or white. Overall, as I age, I seem to lean more and more towards the whites.

However I enjoy whites from Greece a great deal. Ditto for Australia, New Zealand, and South American producers like Chile and Argentina. Italy is always reliable and ditto for Spain and some Portuguese. German wines are so so for me but there are some Swiss products that are excellent.

Last year I discovered whites produced in what they call "New Latitudes". Thailand is one such producer and I enjoyed some excellent whites while in Hua Hin. In fact they were remarkable and very palate interesting.

Today, I discovered a white from New Zealand called: NEW-Z. It is made by DIVIN in New Zealand. It is quite good and costs $15.00CDN

I am not much interested in spirits since they seem to affect the contrary in human behaviour. Beer requires a separate body to drain the hopp's tsunami or else we all balloon, blow up and eventually render ourselves useless. So my poison is wine and I enjoy it great, great deal.

I would love to share wine interests with others across the globe if anyone else is interested.

[Quietguy]

Well I'm no wine expert by any means. In my younger days I usually drank 'real ales' in London pubs. These days I drink more at home and apart from a cold Cobra or Kingfisher (lager) beer or Old Rosie scrumpy cider on a hot summers day (OK I know that's unusual in London), I do usually drink wine.

In the colder months I will drink red wine, usually a full bodied fruity Australian shiraz or merlot,. and in the summer a nice crisp dry white wine. Doesn't really matter where it's from as to be honest they all taste much the same to me when they are chilled. I do like a Portuguese Frascati or a French muscadet because they are the driest whites I've tasted.

This summer though it's been mainly Pinot Grigio from Italy, which has been popular here this year.

I only drank wine once in los, on my last trip when I had a bottle of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon when I took my ladyboy companion for a meal to the seafood restaurant at the end of Jomtien beach. It cost 1,000 Baht - about 3 times the cost that it would be in London, and she thought I was being extravagant!

But tonight I will be opening a bottle of Australian Hardys Shiraz Cabernet.

[SiamSam]

Good for you QG!

Pinot Grigio from Italy is excellent for sure by and large. I am surprised that the CAB S cost you 3 times more than what you would pay in the UK. Perhaps this was the particular restaurant and not the the average cost of same elsewhere. In any case, your date was well worth the inflation.

[Quietguy]

I think that wine prices are quite high in los. You have to pay a high rate of tax on 'luxury' goods.

I saw Australian white wines in the 7/11 for 750 Baht if I remember correctly, so with the restaurant mark up it would be around 1,000 Baht.

[Quietguy]

Sorry that should have been 750 Baht in the 7/11, about twice as much as in a London supermarket.

And yes she was worth it, though she did drag me into a gay gogo bar, called Top Boyz in Boyztown on our way back to the hotel.

The next day she said it was because she had never drank wine before and I made her 'dunk'.

[Kahuna]

Even though it's kinda girly-like to like it, on some occasion I like me some of that wine too...I ain't much of a cork guy though so I look for the kind with the twist off top...Sure makes it easier when you're driving down the road too...

At home I like it in a big tall glass with lots of ice and some 7-Up...Now that makes a tasty drink...Don't suppose you can get it that way in a fancy dancy restaurant, but they fix it up for me that way all the time at my local stop...Roman's Oasis...At Roman's they call it a French Faggot..."Another French Faggot for the Big Kahuna." Now that's music to my ears...

But if you really want my ears to start singing, give me a bottle of dark dark rum...Ah, the music I can make...

"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--

...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

Drink and the devil had done for the rest--

...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"

[Quietguy]

I had heard you were partial to French faggots, Kahuna!

Were you in the Navy? i'm told they like rum, bum,and baccy!

[KenW]

Little ol wine drinker me.

I have only had Pinot Grigio about 3 times, but each time I thought it superb.

Here in Vietnam wine is import dutied off the budget sheet, except for Chilean stuff that is bottled here under joint venture. So I drink Chile (a brand called Passion from my local supermarket) and the local VNese Da Lat wine. The latter is horrid, so I'm told by my guests, but it does the job. I acquire it in 3 litre casks and spend many a cuddly night on my roof deck snuggled up to one.

Example of the tax: a pedestrian Australian red brand Jacob's Creek, which sells Down Under for single figure dollar prices will cost you 30 or 40 bucks in VN just because of the government's greed combined with determination to punish foreign pockets.

Once a year or so when guests are in town I take in a flash French or Italian restaurant in the city where the wine prices are as you'd expect: expensive. But everything is relatives, and that expensive turns out usually to be 2 or 3 hundred thousand VN dong, which is after all only 20 to 30 bucks.

The best wine I have had in the past decade was a Hardy's Shiraz I picked up on sale in a Melbourne suburban bottle shop last March for 5 AUD. Magnificent. I rushed back to buy the rest of their stock only to find others had made the same judgment as me and it was sold out.

My visit back to the Great South Land in Feb March was spent largely gorging myself on cheap superb quality vin. I never paid more than 14 AUD, and that only once to splash out on a famous Penfold's Rawson's Retreat.

All the rest were single figure dollar prices, including a Shiraz from a new yard called Bowler's Run which was going for a hardly believeable 2.99 AUD. I drank about 10 of those over the course.

In the whites I also struck a new maker who I had not heard of before: Dean De Bertollo. His Savignon Blancs were excellent.

Some very impressive varieties on offer at dirt cheap prices in Oz now.

New Year's resolution: do a wine run every year from now on.

[farangbah]

Today, I discovered a white from New Zealand called: NEW-Z. It is quite good and costs $15.00CDN

If you discovered it "today" and know it's "quite good" -- meaning you've tried it -- wouldn't that make you "PWD"...?

[Snick]

I like Italian Pinot Grigio and Californian Sauvignon Blanc, but wine prices in Thailand are nuts so I 'smuggle' in 6-8 bottles when I come back from the states, never been caught.

A good weekend for me in Pattaya starts off with friends, dinner at Leng Kee and a bottle or two of white.

[Quietguy]

I did consider smuggling in a box (3 litres) of white wine on my last trip, but I know they do random xrays of suitcases now at bkk so decided it wasn't worth the potential fine and hassle. I'll just stick to Singhas while I'm in los.

[mardhi]

Wine prices are not as bad as they used to be especially from Australia and New Zealand, which have free trade agreements with Thailand. You can get a decent bottle of wine for 500b in almost any western supermarket or wine shop.

[katana57]

If you Exit the Emporium onto Sukhumvit,walk up past Benjisiri Park,and about 100metres on the left is Pacific liquors,which sells some decent wines at decent prices(some on sale).And also sells cigars.Worth a look.

[Kahuna]

I was joking earlier guys...I was born in Napa, California...My Mom was born in St Helena...And I graduated from Napa College...I got wine in my blood...I used to get wine at dinner time as a child..Red wine in a small fruit glass with some water and sugar...Damn it was good...

Back in my days at Napa College (just a two year college) we frequently skipped classes in the afternoon to go on a tasting tour of the local wineries...In those days there were only a few wineries in the Valley...Christian Brothers, Berringer Brotherss, Charles Krug and Louis Martini in St Helena...There was one other that we knew of outside of Napa Valley...Wooden Valley Winery...it was owned by a gent by the name of Mario Lanza...it kid you not...and when you went to their shack of a tasting room and asked to sample a wine they place a gallon of the selection in front of you with a glass...As young cheepos we liked Wooden Valley Winery...

I don't know much about wine,,,Certainly not good wine...I don't know a good wine from a bad by it's label...All I know is what tastes good to me...

These days I find that I can't get a bad wine from Italy...As my good Italian boyhood friend who traveled there often said, "There are good Italian wines and great Italian wines, but no bad Italian wines.." I truly don't know how true that is, but I have had good success buying Italian wines...I mostly buy here in the States at TJs...That's Trader Joe's for you out of country folks...They have a pretty decent selection that is reasonably priced...If you're poor you can always buy a bottle of their Two Buck Chuck...although its three bucks outside of California for some reason...The Merlot is not bad...And I have a friend who swears by their girly pink stuff...I seldom drink white wine or girly pink stuff...

The other day at a party in California a friend had a bottle of some Australian Shiraz...with a twist off top mind you...that she bought at a Target store for $15 and it was absolutely incredible...I was fighting for the last drop...I've looked here at my local Target without success...The sad part is I can't tell you the label...Maybe I'll have to call her...

[pacman]

$15 will get you a decent Australian Shiraz. We boast 100's & 100's of labels producing value wines. And nearly all of them have screw caps these days, such a reversal from less than 10 years ago.

I would happily sit down to a $15 bottle of red but I wouldn't arrive at a dinner party with it. Not at my age with the company I keep. Or sometimes keep. I am surrounded by wine snobs. Perfectly nice people of course but the natural progression that comes from them being upwardly mobile & seeking out better & better wine.

I do benefit from their pursuit of fancy labels, I get them served up every time I dine with them. And I have to reciprocate with commensurate wines which does get expensive. But I have been winning lately, some of my closest friends have discovered a taste for French Champagne which gets served in addition to the nice red or white. And they don't count that as part of the wine offering, they serve it up as an aperitif.

A few flutes of Dom or Krug before the serious stuff gets served. It's all very nice but they are becoming quite disdainful of any lesser drops that I have had the temerity to arrive with. And 2 Buck Chuck! OMG! They would faint.

I do understand that paying too little won't get you anything that nice but paying too much is more of an indulgence because of the law of diminishing returns.

Wine is an interesting subject & something I have enjoyed most my life but I am worried that this thread could get very boring very quickly. I don't think anyone wants to hear my opinion on some wine unavailable to where others on the forum are living.

[mardhi]

$15 will get you a decent Australian Shiraz. We boast 100's & 100's of labels producing value wines. And nearly all of them have screw caps these days, such a reversal from less than 10 years ago.

I would happily sit down to a $15 bottle of red but I wouldn't arrive at a dinner party with it. Not at my age with the company I keep. Or sometimes keep. I am surrounded by wine snobs. Perfectly nice people of course but the natural progression that comes from them being upwardly mobile & seeking out better & better wine.

I do benefit from their pursuit of fancy labels, I get them served up every time I dine with them. And I have to reciprocate with commensurate wines which does get expensive. But I have been winning lately, some of my closest friends have discovered a taste for French Champagne which gets served in addition to the nice red or white. And they don't count that as part of the wine offering, they serve it up as an aperitif.

A few flutes of Dom or Krug before the serious stuff gets served. It's all very nice but they are becoming quite disdainful of any lesser drops that I have had the temerity to arrive with. And 2 Buck Chuck! OMG! They would faint.

I do understand that paying too little won't get you anything that nice but paying too much is more of an indulgence because of the law of diminishing returns.

Wine is an interesting subject & something I have enjoyed most my life but I am worried that this thread could get very boring very quickly. I don't think anyone wants to hear my opinion on some wine unavailable to where others on the forum are living.

I had a load of wine from your neck of the woods from Swan Valley as I recall - very good stuff. I actually really rate the EV Olive Oil from there as well. Shame they don't get their act together and export it.

[Kahuna]

In olden days I preferred a nice Gamay Beaujolais...I think it is strictly a California concoction...Very difficult to find these days...Now all that I am able to find is the French Beaujolais and it's not quite the same as the California version...But I think the California grape was different from the true French grape...Who knows...I am partial to a nice Pinot Noir...another light bodied red...Nothing better than to start off the day with a nice Pinot Noir with your scrambled eggs...

But let it be known to all, I'm still partial to a nice sized taste of very dark rum...

[Jimslim]

Gentlemen , if you like the finer things in life I have no doubt this cheeky little number will not offend your palette's .

The perfect accompaniment to red meat and fish (with chips) or potato crisps .

Wonderful fruit flavours just burst on the tongue this treasure sure packs a punch .

It has the bouquet of an Aborigine's armpit .

Available at all good wine emporiums just ask for a "Bottle of Buckie "or if in Scotland a bottle of "Wreck the hoose juice "

[Kahuna]

Now that sounds like some tasty wine...Reminds me of my youth when we would drink some tasty fortified stuff called Thunderbird and on occasion some other tasty fortified stuff called Ripple...

In those days tasty = cheap...

It would set us back about 50 or 60 cents for the Thunderbird...But it was like 15 to 20 percent alcohol...For a few pennies we could get ripped...Maybe that's why they called the second version Ripple...And it came highly recommend by a long line of wine connoisseurs

[SiamSam]

hahahaha!!! funny. Old Fred and his Ripple. How the hell did you spot that Kahuna?

[Kahuna]

Google is my friend Sam...

As I recall Fred mixed his Ripple with cheap champagne on occasion and called it champipple...

[pacman]

I had a load of wine from your neck of the woods from Swan Valley as I recall - very good stuff. I actually really rate the EV Olive Oil from there as well. Shame they don't get their act together and export it.

I am sure I read that some of the EVOO is now being exported, I have no idea where they are sending it but I could find out, I have friends who own an olive tree farm. And their product is very nice, I have been invited to help with harvest & one year I'll make it.

The Swan Valley produces some excellent wines though I prefer the wineries down south. Summer time in the Valley can be brutal on the vines, high temperatures don't help the wine making process. Though the big wineries have vineyards in the cooler regions & blend a lot of wine to maintain the quality. Houghtons & Sandalford are two that come to mind. Do either of those names ring a bell?

[KenW]

It has the bouquet of an Aborigine's armpit .

And which particular armpit of which particular Aborigine might that be Jim?

And how often have you sampled said bouquet?

Can we leave the racist jokes (feeble primary schoolyard standard anyway) at home please.

[pacman]

Feeble jokes!! Most of us are guilty of them from time to time. Jim is one of the better joke tellers but I can put your mind at rest Ken & assure you he's no racist.

I have used the phrase "smells like an Afghan's armpit" but I grew out of that a long time ago. It somehow doesn't seem so serious if the line refers to someone we aren't going to run into. Now there are so many citizens here from that vexed country, I wouldn't dream of offending them, even if it is only a feeble joke.

I have friends who describe their working day as "I was busier than a Baghdad brickie". That term never attracts negative comments probably because a bricklayer from Iraq might take some pride in the fact his work ethic was held up as the yardstick for hard work.

However, should those same friends ever say they smell like a Baghdad brickie, I will correct them.

It is a serious topic & under the stewardship of our webmaster, this is one place I feel free to comment on it without fearing the ire of the Thought Police. And I am glad that Ken specified that he objects to the schoolyard style racist comments because there are occasionally times where racial stereotypes need to be employed to make a point. And sometimes, they are the essential ingredient in some very funny jokes.

And the world would be a whole lot poorer without them. Did I tell you the one about the Kiwi & the sheep?

[KenW]

You're entitled to your opinion pacman, as are we all.

I did not call Jim a racist by the way, so no need to assure me he isn't one. I commented on his pathetic racist joke and asked him to leave them at home.

I expect shit like that on (LB forum unnamed so moderator doesn't have to delete it) but not on LBR. I thought we were better than that.

I know and laugh at Kiwi jokes too; as I do when on the receiving end of Aussie or Queenslander jokes. That's not the point. We're all culturally big enough and tough enough to take it easy. Racism's evil hand looms in such situations when those on the butt of bullyboy behaviour are historically or culturally unable to vent or respond equally. The world I try to move in has gone past that crap. I am extremely proud for instance of cutting edge policy in many Australian organisations such as the Australian Football League which puts players or club officials out for racial vilification in the same way they would if they commit a rule breaking on-field offence. So it should be.

On LBR we shouldn't accept it either (in my nobody's opinion).