How much should you pay for wine? Or let’s put it this way: How much more than the cost of food should wine be?
In Melbourne the cost of a main course in a restaurant is fast catching up with the cost of wine. If I’m feeling poor I may spend $40 to $50 on a bottle in a restaurant. Feeling rich and I may double the figure. To put this into context in the kinds of restaurants where I’m spending these amounts, mains can cost $30 to $40.
So there I was in Vietnam hunched in the street on a small plastic stool the size of a potty. The food cost about $1.40 (15,000 Dong) a dish. The bottles beer – Tiger, Hanoi, Saigon, Larger – cost an equal amount.
When I could, I’d eat where Fresh Beer is sold. That’s a local made keg beer costing more like 20 cents (2,000-3,000 Dong) a glass. The great thing about it (in 25 degree heat and 80 per cent humidity) is that it is not as gassy or strong as bottled beer. But it’s cold and has bite and flavour. I think it’s a real winner.
But sometimes you just want something other than beer. Imported French, South African, South American or Australian wines cost $20 to $30. This was in restaurants where each serve may cost $3 or $4. It’s great fresh tasting flavoursome food but I couldn’t bring myself to paying a multiple of five or six for some pretty ordinary vino.
Nobody says anything good about Vietnamese wine made from grapes. They are experts at making their very strong almost vodka like rice wine. But grapes?
Everybody I spoen to about the wine assumed the wine would be very sweet and sugary. But it isn’t. We started drinking both the dry red and white Dalat ( a local hill station and honeymoon destination) for $6 or $7 a bottle.
It’s no grand cru. But they have made a reasonable stab at making an acceptable table wine, much in the genre of the French vin de table.
It is better served with food and matches well with those fresh lemongrass, mint/basil type flavours.
Remember you don’t have to drink Australian wine wherever you go.
FOOD FASCIST
How I should buy wine:
1. In bulk (obviously not in restaurants)
2. From boutique wineries
3. From local regions
4. The best at the cheapest price
5. From recommendations
6. Especially recommendations from the waiter.
7. From a local boutique bottle shop
How I really buy wine:
1. By the bottle
2. Because I like the label
3. Because it won loads of awards according to the label
4. Because it’s expensive
5. Because it’s from a big reliable winery (like McDonalds is a big reliable hamburger maker)
6. In a panic while we order food
7. From a massive chain.
8. Because it’s from Burgundy
9. To show off