How do you choose your bottle of wine in duty free?

[Awesom Andy]

Duty free shops are certainly good places to get some wine, but with so many varieties in so many different airports, how would you choose your wine? Obviously, it is not possible to taste test them in most locations, so there's only the price tag and the label to go by - and for most mere mortals, we wouldn't know or have tasted the majority of what's available in any one shop. Do you just stick by what you know, simply pick up a random bottle and hope for the best, or have some sort of system to find something that you know you would like?

 

[benmay]

Usually stick to what I know. Or do a quick google on the price and see if it is a good bargain.

I usually like the specials. In jan I got 2 x 1L bottles of tanq 10 for like $45!

 

[Shelf]

Prior knowledge for me

 

[drewbles]

Usually stick to what I know. Or do a quick google on the price and see if it is a good bargain.

I usually like the specials. In jan I got 2 x 1L bottles of tanq 10 for like $45!

Not quite wine though is it (Even though it's my favourite gin).

I don't ever buy wine duty free. There's such a vast range of high quality imported wine available here that i'm happy to pay retail (which is often not bad).

Otherwise, purchasing direct from the cellar door and packing in suitable wine carriers in my luggage is my preferred method of purchase of wine overseas.

 

[serfty]

Don't even bother - there's far less cost benefit in wine than there can be in spirits etc when it come to duty free.

 

[vitagen]

I only buy the higher end stuff if it's wine... Eg Krug as its a hell of a lot cheaper duty free. Or else I just buy spirits to add to my collection

 

[tuapekastar]

Not that I look that hard (usually stick to spirits/liqueurs when it comes to DF) but wine prices usually seem to be more than 'High Street' prices at DF stores (at least the ones I've looked in).

 

[Major]

I never buy DF wine. Better value at Dan Murphy or 1st Choice

 

[tehuringa]

I don't buy wine at DF....range is small and there is much better gear at independents. Spirits is mainly what I grab.

 

[drron]

Another that doesn't bother with DF wine-not good value.
One piece of advice I got as a wine novice from a well respected Hunter Valley vigneron-The wine you like is the best wine to buy.This has always worked for me.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Yep, agree. Never bought wine. But champagne and islay whiskey is a different story!

 

[harvyk]

I wouldn't buy wine, given that it's only a couple of bottles you can take, and the prices are not really that much better than in Dan Murphies, instead I tend to by spirits which you can't just get at the local grog shop and bring them home with me.

 

[wandering_fred]

Styrofoam wine carrier(s) = a very good investment. DF only in desperation.

Plus buying locally by the case at auction. Though I will return with samples from overseas stores.
I remember Spain and Argentina fondly in that regard.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Sprucegoose]

I only buy the higher end stuff if it's wine... Eg Krug as its a hell of a lot cheaper duty free. Or else I just buy spirits to add to my collection

Duty free isnot profit free.

Go to the states.....

 

[Febs]

Usually don't waste my allowance on wine, unless it's a decent champagne in the UK where the savings are actually significant. Anywhere else and I stock up on spirits - usually single malts to add to the collection. Flying out of SIN tomorrow, but can only buy 1L (KUL-bound) so still deciding what to get! Thinking either an Ardbeg (one of the limited release ones) or the new Bourbon-cask Glenfiddich 19yo...hmm decisions. </first world problems>

 

[Sprucegoose]

Usually don't waste my allowance on wine, unless it's a decent champagne in the UK where the savings are actually significant. Anywhere else and I stock up on spirits - usually single malts to add to the collection. Flying out of SIN tomorrow, but can only buy 1L (KUL-bound) so still deciding what to get! Thinking either an Ardbeg (one of the limited release ones) or the new Bourbon-cask Glenfiddich 19yo...hmm decisions. </first world problems>

Both good...toss a coin!

 

[Boris spatsky]

Ardbeg. The top ones are beautiful!

 

[Febs]

Both good...toss a coin!

Ended up with the Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Cask strength and enough peat to blow your head off! Jim Murray gave it 97 points and there are only 5000 bottles. Hard to pass up!

Bottle of Zacapa 23yo on the way home tonight and I'll be set!

 

[Isochronous]

High quality champagne.

 

[Cynicor]

Ended up with the Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Cask strength and enough peat to blow your head off! Jim Murray gave it 97 points and there are only 5000 bottles. Hard to pass up!

Bottle of Zacapa 23yo on the way home tonight and I'll be set!

Where in SIN can you get the Zacapa 23 YO? I can never find any real rum in SIN.