10 May 2008 by Arin, Balidiscovery
Contact For Bali Excursions and Tours.
In restaurants you'll pay for a large bottle of local beer between 12,000 and 80,000 Rupiah (plus 21% tax and service charge in hotels). A small glass of mediocre Australian table wine costs 30,000 to 60,000 Rupiah ++. Prices for a bottle of any better wine start between 190,000 Rupiah and 500,000 Rupiah, depending on where you are. Prices for wine and champagne in many hotels are outrageous compared with Western countries.
The good news is that the choice of available wines from Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal and South Africa has recently increased. If you think the prices of these imports are too high, you should at least try the HATTEN wines, one rosé wine and two types of white wine made from grapes grown in North Bali and sold in restaurants for 120,000 to 180,000 Rupiah and in hotels for sometimes 450,000 Rupiah ++ per bottle. The same company is producing also a rosé sparkling wine named "JEPUN" with a refreshing fruity taste. "JEPUN" is about 50% to 100% more expensive than HATTEN Rosé. HATTEN's newer white sparkling wine named "TANJUNG" is also getting quite popular.
"Wine of the Gods" is a company which produces wines in Bali from grape juice imported from the Margaret River region in Western Australia. Their "Premium Chardonnay" and "Shiraz" are quite drinkable. The winery is open six days a week from 9 am to 5 pm for tours and tastings and is located at No. 885, Jalan By-Pass, Sanur, near the Benoa harbour turn-off.
Most foreigners like the local BINTANG beer. Many restaurants and pubs also serve BINTANG "draft". Other locally produced beers are ANKER, CARLSBERG, SAN MIGUEL and the less popular BALI HAI beer. In hotels and supermarkets you can also find well-known brands imported from Australia, Germany, Japan, and even China (Tsing Tao).
Beer is available in all supermarkets and many smaller shops. Wine is very expensive in supermarkets but nowadays there is a number of specialized wine shops where you can find a good choice of imported wines at more reasonable prices. Have a look at the WINE HOUSE at Jalan Kerobokan opposite KAFE WARISAN, the BALI WINE SHOP, Jalan By-Pass 546 in Sanur, BALI DELI in Jalan Kunti and the BALI LIQUOR STORE, Jalan Kunti No. 18 in Seminyak, and at BEST WINES & SPIRITS, Jalan Tangkuban Peradu No. 15D, Kerobokan. The LAMAK Restaurant in Ubud offers an excellent choice of imported wines at reasonable prices. The best source to buy Cuban cigars is CIGARS & CIGARS at Kuta Poleng Mall B-5, Jalan Setiabudhi near the DFS circle at Jalan By-Pass in Kuta.
Some religious (Moslem) groups are trying to make the consumption of alcoholic beverages illegal in Indonesia, and there is a possibility that in future alcoholic drinks will either not be available at all or can only be served in international hotels and only to foreigners.
This is really bad news for all Balinese who have enjoyed Arak, Tuak, and Brem as long as anybody can remember. It is a tradition that in all villages the men meet in the evening in "drinking clubs" where they discuss the news of the day and get slowly stoned on their rather potent home brews.
