the reason i want to talk about this - red wine - is not only because i'm a bit partial to the stuff
but also it - red wine - in (herr humm) moderation is supposed to do the old ticker and various
other parts of the body very well. so i'm sticking with it - today i bought from the supermarket
a most enjoyable bottle of south african red. who remember's when enrico had his place opposite
the lake - he sold me my first glass of red wine in udon - it tasted like battery acid, anyway, has
anyone got any suggestions where the finest bottle of red wine in udon can be purchased, no, let's
change that - the best tasting for money bottle of red wine can be bought in udon?

The only place I buy wine is Tesco/Lotus but I think Nobi has decent wine at a good price, at least he did. (Nobi yoo sai?) Failing that I usually do a shopping trip cross the border and get some in Lao duty-free shop.

Agree with the trip to Lao,nearly 50% cheaper ???

Remember any expensive red wine worth drinking and needs temp control wont be at its best.

They close the air cons down overnight in Lao and also in Tesco ??

old-timer wrote:the reason i want to talk about this - red wine - is not only because i'm a bit partial to the stuff
but also it - red wine - in (herr humm) moderation is supposed to do the old ticker and various
other parts of the body very well. so i'm sticking with it - today i bought from the supermarket
a most enjoyable bottle of south african red. who remember's when enrico had his place opposite
the lake - he sold me my first glass of red wine in udon - it tasted like battery acid, anyway, has
anyone got any suggestions where the finest bottle of red wine in udon can be purchased, no, let's
change that - the best tasting for money bottle of red wine can be bought in udon?

Well, which Southafrican was this? And how much?

For myself I am also a whinedrinker. My first impression here was that it is terrible expensive and that the cheaper ones from Lao duty free was like battery acid. Also just by reading about the content in the Bag in the box wines makes you feel sick.

Anyway I have tested all the "cheaper" wines at Tesco and my favourite is a Chilean brand called Lazo, both red and white, they are less than 400 B (but still probably 40% more expensive than what they would cost in Sweden).

I never found anything worth trying in Big C but I once tried a big bottle of white from Macro that was not to bad.

Went on a little trip to Lao duty-free last year. Monster-in-law asked if we would we bring her back some wine. I didn't know it but she meant one of those big Chinese 7% proof sweet Chinese wines. I brought her back a 13% proof French wine. She poured some for her husband and brother and as it was so strong she put soda water and ice in it...

For an all around red wine,the Vella burgundy(California)5 liter box has served me well,450-550 baht depending what store and when you go to the dutyfree store.I buy a couple of boxes each time I send the wife,no problems!

A friend and myself have had some bad luck with some bottled French wines that soured,but in 5 years and maybe close to 100 boxes,we have only had 1 box that was bad

We got turned on the the Vella by a store operator that we complained to about a bottle of his french wine!They also have a Rose and a Chardonay,all are sufficient to good!:D

"They close the air cons down overnight in Lao and also in Tesco ??"

The second Phonsavan mini mart - not the one in opposite Kob Jai der, has a refrigerated cool room for wine. So do the wine shops near That Dam, (best range and price), and the big French shop - sorry forgot the name, but in the same street as the Lao Plaza hotel on the other side.

I am a wine buff and had over 2000 bottles in Australia, mainly high quality Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as good Oz. Lost them after the divorce

To keep wine in good condition, here I bought a wine refrigerator from the wine shop at That Dam. unfortunately it only holds 64 bottles.

Well, which Southafrican was this? And how much?

Arniston Bay - 420b

ban chiang hotel has got a fine wine shop that i believe is temp controlled 24/7 - to be quite
honest i'm not that much of a wine buff, i just try out different wines and if it tastes crap i don't
buy it again. i'll always give a new wine that i havn't heard of before a go. funny enough i'm not
that keen on the french stuff - always seems very harsh to me. now, i understand why the cork corks
became pvc corks, but why o why do they resort to putting screw caps on a bottle of wine,
a cork - whether it be cork or pvc is is the essence of a bottle of wine - unless it comes out of
a box of course.

Screw tops, or Stelvin enclosures as was the original registered name, are regarded by many as the best enclosure for wine. They do not allow the inflow of oxygen, which oxidises and eventually ruins the wine. They are far better than PVC. personal;ly I prefer cork. It has a certain mystique and I also argue that wines need a very small level of oxygen inflow to fully mature. I have drunk wines which have had original corks, dating back to 1860. Some of these have still been in fine condition.

By the way, many, (most) disagree with my comments re corks. I have had some vehement arguments with winemakers and famous sommeliers.

French wine is not rough, as you put it. Most cheap wine is rough. What you are tasting is probably tannin, which leaves an astringent aftertaste in young wines. The wines I dislike intensely are the formulaic Australian wines - made to a formula an lacking any hint of terroir. Jacobs Creek is a prime example of this style. Obviously this comment does not hold true for boutique Australian wines.

BTW there are some excellent Cru Bourgeois available in Lao for about 15-16US. An excellent quaffer at the places i mentioned above is La Terrasses, red, white and rose from the Cotes du Luberon. This is my staple drink and is about $6.00 a bottle. I don't drink cask wine. With VERY few exceptions, it is crap and contains far too many chemicals to preserve it.

Rufus,

What is your opinion on Thai Wines?

I am a bit ignorant on Thai wines. I don't like the only wines i have tried, but to be honest I have only tried about 3 or 4. I found them somewhat sweet and generally oxidised.
Having said this, i have been reliably told that there are one or two decent ones about.

In Phuket you can (or used to) be able to get" Jacobs Creek" and also "Queen Adelaide" witch are two of the cheaper Oz Reds but good quality. I dont know how many of you who new him, but" Don the American" had a good selection at really good prices. It's been many years now and I imagine Don has passed on , but he had the importation rights for these wines and maybe his family still carry on the work that Don did and these Wines are avalable in Thailand.

"In Phuket you can (or used to) be able to get" Jacobs Creek" and also "Queen Adelaide" witch are two of the cheaper Oz Reds but good quality."
Hate them with a passion. They taste exactly like ribena to me.

I like Jacob's Creek.

I am a wine ignoramus.