Re: Love Wine?
 

Thank you for the recommendation. We will be arriving in Penang early October. I shall seek out a bottle or three to celebrate.:drinkwine:

Re: Love Wine?
 

What does everyone pay for wine? I used to be a 30 ringgit cheapskate but I'm going more for the 45+ ringgits these days and finding some better quality. You get what you pay for eh.

Cold Storage doing Fat Bird NZ marlborough sauvignon blanc for special price of RM 47 currently, which is rather nice.

Re: Love Wine?
 

Left in 2013 but yeah 30rm was what i wanted to pay but there wasnt much quality to be had for that. I found Chile and South Africa held best bargains for red wine.

Re: Love Wine?
 

I tried the Pinotage from Cols Storage and found it rather high in tanin for my palate compared to the Stellenbosch Pinotage I am used to. But whilst buying some in Cold Storage I spotted bottles of Paul Jaboulet Parallel 45 for a shade over RM74 a bottle. It is a robust French Cote de Rhone (think Shiraz) that is strong enough for any curry or chilli con carne as well as a good steak. Even at RM74 I think it is good value but doubt IVV will agree to these prices for French wine :blink:

Re: Love Wine?
 

It depends what year it is but it seems pretty good value at about 50% over the French price.

Despite my avatar, I prefer white wine and my latest love affair is a Californian Chardonnay called Morning Fog, made by Wenge. Talk about a fat wine, this one you could virtually spread on toast! No idea if it will ever find its way to Penang but you can sometimes find it in France so it's just possible.

Re: Love Wine?
 

I also like the Pinotage from them. But 50 RM, that is still double price compared to Europe, but this is the best you can get in Malaysia, the double price, not the triple.

And this one is at least a much better choice than the cheapies like Two Oceans or Long Neck. Paying the price of a great Bordeaux for this wine is something i cannot do.

At the moment I still have enough from Duty Free and travelling, but I think I will do the big Langkawi (I hate this island) shopping trip soon.

Re: Love Wine?
 

Just how much cheaper is the wine in Langkawi? I know there are rules as to how much can be brought back to Penang, but is there any way to 'bend' the rules?

Re: Love Wine?
 

I think there can be a lot of bending in various ways here. But it all depends if you want to risk the "bending". Personally speaking, I don't. Cold Storage prices will do me. 40 ringgits a bottle. It's OK.

Re Langkawi. I can remember one friend getting the ferry from Langkawi to Penang and he had a theory that if you dress like a tourist.... y'know dangling camera, sunglasses etc.... and carry through bags of booze, nobody will bat an eyelid and the Officials aren't too bothered. I really don't know. I haven't done it.

Re Penang. If you ask around, you'll find there are many places that deal with Beer and Wine and Spirits that's fallen off a back of a boat. I've heard about a certain hairdressers in Bt Ferringhi. A certain banana leaf restaurant. A certain temple hehe. I'm sure there are many. But, again, up to you if you want to risk flouting the rules here.

Re: Love Wine?
 

You're right BB, there are plenty of people in Penang taking the risks for you so no need to go to Langkawi yourself.

Re: Love Wine?
 

Another idea we do in Bali is to know providers of wine to the established hi-end hotels, resorts, etc. They give massive discounts if you can include yourself in their business. It usually means to buy in boxes but, having a few friends to share, works!

My wife currently has many, many friends we don't even know....:p

Maybe can be copied in Penang?

Re: Love Wine?
 

Hi,

So I’ve bought a decent bottle of wine or two.

Now I want a BYOB friendly restaurant in Penang with No Corkage Fee…

Where do you recommend? Please help compile a list….

One or two restaurants where I’m a regular kindly don’t charge me corkage, but usually would. For this BYOB list, what I’m looking for is restaurants where No Corkage Fee is standard. Thanks!

Here’s a few to kick off:

THE BYOB NO CORKAGE FEE LIST

• The Wine Shop Restaurant, Pulau Tikus (if you buy a bottle from the store)
• Blue Reef, Straits Quay (Good for Fish & Chips, Pasta)
• Homestyle, Tanjung Bungah – plastic tables and chairs neighborhood chinese (bring your own wine glasses too)
• Maple Palace Restaurant, Jalan Sultan Ahmed Shah, Geore Town (upmarket chinese)

JC3

Re: Love Wine?
 

I haven't eaten in No Eyed Deer (Prima Tanjung, Tg Tokong) for over a year but we did use to see folks walking in with bottles of wine. I don't know if corkage is charged.

Not exactly a corkage fee, but I do remember one inventive MM2Her at a Makan way back when, bringing a bottle of wine to Viva Foodcourt and negotiating with the Beer guy for a bucket of ice. I think it was 2 or 3 ringgits that changed hands.

Re: Love Wine?
 

Where is that, JC3 ?

Re: Love Wine?
 

Home Style restaurant is in the Permai area, off Jalan Erskine.
It’s on the bottom corner of the road facing the padang, where the IWA office, Annabel’s, the Soap Cellar and Cilantro are (near the Alila Horizon Condo).
Here’s the address:
Permai 32, 2, Lebuh Lembah Permai 4, 11200 Tanjung Bungah
Tel: 04-898 2797

Oddly we were there last night with a group of friends. Several people BYOB, but a few beers were bought there too. For 18 of us the total bill was RM630, RM35 a head. A bargain. So much food we couldn’t finish it. All very tasty. It’s a good place for a group and always easy to park nearby too. But be prepared to wait, it's packed at weekends.

Don't forget they don't have wine glasses - so take your own. Otherwise it's a thick tumbler or a half pint glass with handle. On the other hand....

JC3

Re: Love Wine?
 

Mercato @ Pavillon also offers that for this price. And the popular Diablo from Chile goes for almost acceptable 60 something.

I don´t know the up to date prices in Langkawi right now.