Wine tasting nights Amari and wines and corkage.

[lonelywombat]

Some months ago I posted to GB asking various questions about good wines by the glass at restaurants in Pattaya. GB got his balls in a knot over comments that La Cage wine was for the price just reasonable and
and moved the thread . I think it was breaking up the front page reliance on poo,pedo and drug threads.
http://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2234

However several of his readers contacted me by PM and I received an invite to go to the Amari for their monthly tasting function , which was excellent value 750 baht included a buffet and last night featured more than generous tasting of French wines. Guest of honor last night [in his own mind] was Monty so things must be doing well for him to get away.

The details are---- last friday of every month 6.30 for 2 hours in the beautiful Amari gardens or as happened last night, shifted inside when it rained. I believe the expat club have a reduced entrance fee.

From PM's and various posts, several restaurants are welcoming BYO wines with corkage about 200/300 per bottle. I would welcome any info as to which restaurants offer corkage and the rate.

BTW Monty told me last night he has built up a large range of wines for his dining clients or for those who prefer to drink wine.

Having an expensive taste in wine, a fondness for well cellared old bottles, and a substantial cellar under the house, I routinely pay corkage when dining out in the UK.

The going rate in central London is around ┬г10/btl and out of town ┬г5/btl, but a glass for the waiter often sees that left off the bill..

There are also a couple of very pleasant venues that my friends and I frequent regularly, where the management appreciates our custom sufficiently to charge no corkage at all.

One of my few regrets when visiting Thailand is that I can only get about three bottles into my suitcase, without risking breakage (I usually travel with very little apparel on the way out, and buy a fresh set of clothes in the nightmarkets on arrival)

Corkage in Thailand? I don't think i've ever been charged - but I open my chosen bottles in restaurants where I'm a well known regular. If I was charged, I would take issue with a bill for 300bt - half that amount would be more reasonable.

The outrageous prices of quality wine in Thailand (which is almost always too immature for immediate consumption), coupled to the climate; persuades me to stick to beer for the most part, but I'll often suffer the odd glass of red plonk towards the end of an evening..

[Beachlover]

I routinely pay corkage when dining out in the UK.
I think it's only fair to pay corkage. Don't restaurants pay a fair bit to be licensed to serve alcohol?

Have you visited Cambodia? You get really nice wines from all over the world at $10 a bottle in restaurants as there is no alcohol tax. Since a nice bottle of wine from France, Argentina or Italy (i.e. anything non-Australian) generally costs $80-$120+ in Australian restaurants, I jump at the chance to drink any wines that aren't Australian.

Australia makes great wine but the stuff from Europe seems to have a different kind of Earthy taste you can't get here... can't explain it as I'm no expert.


GB got his balls in a knot over comments that La Cage wine was for the price just reasonable and moved the thread . I think it was breaking up the front page reliance on poo,pedo and drug threads.
It that dopey dumb arse still at it? :rolling: