You may have noticed that in Thailand, there has been a slight reduction in the price of wine in recent months. Over the years, Thailand has acquired the reputation as a place where wine is notoriously expensive due to import duties, tariffs and a whole basket-full of complicated taxes. Today though, wine prices in Thailand are closer to those in Hong Kong and Singapore. Interestingly, they are sometimes actually higher in those cities, due partly to more expensive operational costs.
Glance along the wine shelves in Thai supermarkets or wine outlets and you’ll see most of the products are from the traditional wine-producing regions like France, Italy, Australia and Chile, which also happen to be the world’s major wine producing-countries. The trouble is that these countries are rather a long way off, so one of the most important factors influencing wine prices in Asia is transportation and logistics. Most of the wine you see in our shops has been shipped thousands of miles, often in temperature-controlled conditions. This is one of the reasons that wine and spirit prices in Thailand are invariably three times higher than those in Britain or America.
You may recall that in the early months of last year, the Thai government made a significant reduction (hopefully permanent) in both import duties and excise taxes on wine. This was intended partly to enhance Thailand’s appeal as a global destination for food and wine enthusiasts. For businesses engaged in the import and distribution of wine, the reduction in duty rates translates into really tangible benefits. On balance, the tax reductions have resulted in price drops of between 5% to 25% for end consumers. This is surely good news.
Over the years, I have seen a gradual but growing interest in wine culture in Thailand. One of my acquaintances in the wine trade told me that Thai wine drinkers tend to prefer full-bodied, fruity red wines such as a warm-climate Shiraz. A few months ago, Tristan Rutherford wrote in Britain’s Decanter magazine, “Tropical Thailand may not seem like the obvious destination for wine buffs, but the local wines are starting to win awards and Bangkok’s burgeoning wine scene is also accruing accolades.” On their website, the Chiang Mai wine importer Spirit House states, “Over the past decade, wine consumption has risen steadily (in Thailand), driven by increasing awareness, tourism and the expanding middle-class. The market here is more diverse and affordable than many people realize. Thai wine merchants and delivery services, actively compete to offer wines at the best possible prices, sometimes even absorbing part of the importation costs to stay competitive. Additionally, promotions and direct-to-consumer delivery models are becoming more popular, bringing high-quality wines to customers without exorbitant markups.” And if you are not familiar with Spirit House, check them out online, for the company offers wines at competitive prices with same-day delivery in seven cities across Thailand, including Pattaya.
One of my ongoing activities is to seek out good, reliable wines at reasonable prices. It is not always easy and I can assure you that there are still some poor wines being sold. Anything less than 400 baht is not likely to be much good, and you’ll have to fork out at least six hundred baht for a decent and interesting bottle. If your choice runs to high quality wines from top producers, expect to pay a good deal more. Recently I came across two interesting white wines that offer excellent value.
Vignobles Vellas Chardonnay Cuvée Prestige 2023, IGP Pay d’Oc (white) France. ฿750.00 @ Wine Connection
Here’s a charming Chardonnay which offers amazingly good value. As you might recall, wines described as IGP Pay d’Oc are mid-range good quality wines that come from inside the vast Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. With its Mediterranean climate, the region enjoys hot, dry summers and mild winters and because of the geographical diversity, wine makers can produce an unusually wide range of styles. Chardonnay has become tremendously popular in the Languedoc-Roussillon region where over 34,000 acres of this varietal has been planted.
The company Vignobles Vellas has a family history of four generations which date back to 1929. And incidentally, the French word vignobles, simply means “vineyards”. Vellas is a large, thriving company that has maintained a close relationship between the local agricultural professions with an estate of more than 2,500 acres. The main family property is the wine estate in Hérault, a region on the Mediterranean coast, though the company owns many other estates.
The wine is a luminous light gold with an attractive “oily” appearance. It carries delicate and warm aromas of white flowers, sweet vanilla, with delicate peach and mango. The aroma is really rather classy, making the wine seem a good deal more expensive than it actually ais. It’s remarkably smooth on the palate, with typically restrained fruit and a long seductive finish. The acidity is quite low too, yet the wine struck me as perfectly balanced. The slightly “buttery” sensation on the palate is typical of Chardonnay and also reveals that the wine was probably matured in oak. At 14% ABV, this is a well-crafted, medium-bodied wine and has all the characteristics of a good white Burgundy. You could be forgiven for assuming the wine is from Burgundy. The wine feels so complete, that I’d prefer to enjoy it on its own without the distraction of food, although the makers suggest that it would make an excellent partner for shellfish or goat cheese.
Klein Brand Alsace Pinot Gris 2021, (white) France. ฿870.00 @ Eden Wine.
Klein Brand is a wine company located in Soultzmatt, a small commune in the picturesque Alsatian Haut-Rhin department of north-eastern France. It lies on the so-called wine route at the foothills of the Vosges mountains. The region is renowned for its white wines, particularly Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris. The Rieslings from Alsace are invariably fascinating because they have quite a different taste profile to their German cousins from the Rhein and Mosel wine regions.
It has been a good many years since I last tasted a Pinot Gris from Alsace and even more years since I was in this delightful region myself. Pinot Gris, as you might have guessed (or knew already), is the same grape as Pinot Grigio but there the similarity ends. Italian Pinot Grigio is invariably made in a style that is light and vivacious with plenty of acidity. The French version, especially those from Alsace are more restrained, reserved wines. The grapes are influenced by the local terroir with its mix of granite, limestone and sandstone soils and the unique climate created by the nearby Vosges Mountains. Alsation wine has come under German influence, because since 1681 the region has passed between French and German control five times. Not surprisingly, the people of Alsace have their own dialect, closely related to German and sometimes reflected in the Germanic-sounding names of local villages.
This wine is a pale straw colour with gentle aromas of peach, apricot, pineapple and sweet herbs. Although it is a comparatively straightforward wine, it’s distinctly fuller and more refined than a typical Italian Pinot Grigio, smooth yet quite assertive on the palate and satisfyingly dry. There’s a good balance of fruit and acidity too. There are hints of citrus, a touch of aniseed and a pleasant, longish finish. At 13% ABV, this is a pleasant wine which would make an excellent partner for light fish or chicken dishes.
You may be unfamiliar with Eden Wine, for it’s one of the newcomers on the Pattaya wine scene. You can find their shop on Soi Chaiyapreuk 2, between Sukhumvit Road and the railway line. Coming from Sukhumvit, the shop is on the right-hand side and part of a large recent development known as Edenko Shopping Center. At present, the wine shop itself is little more than an air-conditioned room inside the vast home-and-garden warehouse. Even so, they have some splendid wines, all of which are French and directly imported to Thailand. There’s an excellent range of red Bordeaux starting at around 500 baht and at higher prices, some well-known classified growths: famous names such as Ch. Langoa Barton, Ch. Boyd-Cantenac, Ch. Clerc Milon and Ch. Grand-Puy Ducasse. There are also a few Burgundies and Côtes du Rhône, as well as a small selection of quality Champagne. Eden Wine is also one of the few places in Pattaya where you can find Calvados and Armagnac. And incidentally, if they have run out of the Pinot Gris described here, try an Alsatian Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Sylvaner produced by the same company.
