One thing we know for sure: wine is not getting any cheaper. Even if the price of oil keeps going down, do not hope to see the same with your favourite Chateau Neuf du Pape. And when it comes to the price of wine in restaurants, it is even more complicated. As Juliet Chung wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal: ''Never mind trying to understand oil prices, for complexity, inscrutability and sheer customer frustration, it's hard to match restaurant wine pricing.'' In Thailand, with punishing taxes and sometimes erratic supply, it is certainly as complicated as in the US, where Ms Chung directed her inquiry. In the States you have federal and state regulations, so besides the restaurant accountant, the price of wine depends very much on where and when you buy your wine.
The good people of Pennsylvania often travel to neighbouring Delaware to buy their wine. In Pennsylvania wine is a state monopoly. It is more expensive and the choice is a lot more restricted than in the state next door, where one can find some of the most incredible wine shops in the world.
Ms Chung noticed that a bottle of Dom Perignon costs $155 at a Washington restaurant; it moves up to $250 a few miles away and reaches $450 at a fancy restaurant in Las Vegas. Want to spend more? Just go to Per Se in New York and the same bottle of excellent bubbly will go for $595. I guess it has to do with location. If you go to Las Vegas to lose your money _ the fate of most people _ why not gamble a little on a superb champagne and the class of the restaurant. It also depends if the restaurant bought its wine at auctions (for older vintages) or at the winery.
And then there is fashion. I remember when Pouilly Fuisse was the rage of the day, both in Europe and in the US. Suddenly it looked like prices were going up by the minute. Ms Chung notes that cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay will usually fetch higher prices than less famous grapes. Yes, here too, be a bit adventurous. In an Italian restaurant, go for Sicilian rather than Tuscan.
In Bangkok, Hua Hin or Chiang Mai prices of wine at restaurants vary mostly with the status of the establishment. In the most affordable eateries you are probably better off bringing your own bottle and nobody will be offended. They will rarely charge you a corkage fee. And whenever possible they will bring wine glasses and ice buckets. It may not be a bad idea to bring your own corkscrew, just in case.
At my favourite seafood restaurant in Bangkok, Niyom Pochana, in Thong Lo, I always bring the wine and the corkscrew. If you don't care too much about decor, your are in for a true feast that fancier places hardly match.
An increasing number of middle of the road restaurants are offering modest wine lists. And usually they won't mind if you bring your own, sometimes charging a modest fee for the privilege.
Unless you are a well-known patron, or famous (in which case, some restaurants will let you do almost anything short of breaking the furniture to thank you for gracing their establishment with your publicity-rich presence) it would be considered bad taste to bring your own bottle. If you go to a five-star restaurant or hotel in Thailand, expect to pay the price for whatever you drink. You can also expect superb service and great food.
Juliet Chung suggests that you familiarise yourself with the price of wine in shops in order to get an idea of how much mark up there is in restaurants. Not a bad idea indeed, if you have the time and inclination to do so. And I totally agree with her that wine by the glass is usually _ but not always _ a bad deal. Wine keeps only so long in a bottle, and included in the price you pay for your glass is the possible loss of most of the bottle.
And now for a modest but pleasant chardonnay from California. The Woodhaven Cellars 2005 is dry, with hints of lemon and pineapple, and just enough oak to give it a certain roundness. And despite the fact that the winery is located in Manteca, it is not ''buttery'' as some chardonnay were 20 years ago. It costs about 550 baht (I received this bottle from a friend). The label represents a bird, so I guess it must be popular. Any kind of animal on a label is a smart move, at least according to people in the advertising business.
My only problem was with the synthetic closure, a fake cork. It was so tight I had to struggle to get it out _ not very elegant if you have guests. In the end, though, what matters is the content.
Email: chateaudo377
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