In Reply to: Calling All Red Wine Drinkers posted by balibilly on Saturday, 6. August 2005 at 02:09 Bali Time:
I have been known to like a nice red in winter here in oz. Red wine good or bad just doesn't go down in Bali for me. I mean when room temp is 32 degrees you may as well drink brem.
The only way even to get it down in Bali is over several ice blocks!!! I hear a collective gasp and maybe Filo and Noel are now suffering chest pains, if so sorry!!
So since the expensive bottle of imported wine is going to taste totally disgusting due either to storage or just the climate then you may as well save your money and drink beer. Don't like beer? Ah well the faint hearted had better stop reading here. What you need to do, and I realise this is controversial to say the least, is buy 2 bottles of Hattens one Rose and one Alexandria. First drink the Rose, over ice, no sniffing, no swilling no tasting for anyting on any part of your palet (sp.?), no waiting for a "finish" of anything linked to any fruit. (yes fruit does include grape) O.K now this is the hard bit. Forget this is wine. Think of it as just a nice cool tropical drink. It may help to put a flower on the edge of your glass! If, under those stringent guidelines, er no, forget guidelines, rules, you sort of enjoy the drink;fine; problem fixed for the duration and of course you will have a bottle of your favourite tipple at the right temperature at home for when you get back.
Alright couldn't handle the Rose ah? O.K. (my unending thanks to Filo as always) Now, and now only, drink the Alexandria, no need for ice or flowers at all really unless you've become accustomed to them in which case be my guest. You see it may be white, and Balinese but it is drinkable perhaps slightly better than the Chateau Cardboardaise.
Disclosure. I must admit having partaken in the age old Indonesian cutom, rarely seen in Bali these days, of pouring my Bintang over ice when I feel the need.