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 There is a shelf full of wines at sale at 50% genuine discount at the Monsoon Offer. What’s more, if you are coming back and would like to pick up at Arrivals Lounge, you may book these wines-alas, not more than 2 bottles per persons but getting further discount. Before we talk of the wines I must tell the doubting Joes and detractors that the deal is very genuine and not what you find on the Indian eCommerce sites in a majority of cases. Understandable, they been selling these labels and have had excess of stocks. The customs policy makes it mandatory to remove the stocks from the duty-free warehouse by selling or pay the duty. Hence, this is a very lucrative offer as can be seen from the following table where I carried out the seemingly impossible assignment.
Here is a list of the wines that are available at special prices:
Spotted at the specials: |
50% discounted |
Indctv avg Price WineSearcher |
Hardys Stamp Chardonnay Semillon |
$7 |
$16 |
Hardys Riddle Chardonnay (Travel Retail only) |
$7 |
$12 |
Gato Negro Chardonnay |
$7 |
$8 |
Ravenswood Chardonnay |
$13 |
$10 |
Puerto Viejo Maule Valley (Chile) |
$13 |
$10 |
Dr. L Riesling Dr. Loosen 2014 |
$13 |
$12 |
Chameroy Macon Villages AOC |
$14 |
$16 |
Ch. La Hargue Bordeau x blanc 22013 |
$14 (Wrong vintage 2007 on the price tag) |
$13 |
Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2015 |
$18 |
$17 |
Bouchard Pere Puligny Montrachet |
$45 |
$59 |
Villa Maria Merlot-Cab |
$22.5 |
NA |
Matarromera Crianza 2008 |
$36 |
$20 |
Matarromera Reserva |
$60 |
$33 |
 The Wine-Searcher prices are ex-tax, average and are indicative only.
For wine connoisseurs Puligny Montrachet is an excellent buy. If you like American wines Raven Wood is ok. I’d prefer Dr. L. In fact, I booked 2 to be collected at Arrivals, availing of another 5% discount. (Last I checked at Hotel Leela Palace, Delhi, it was priced at an astronomical price of Rs. 5200 a bottle +++taxes).
I’d avoid red wines- imagine Matarromera Reserva was priced at $120 for over a year while even at the current special price of $60, it seems to be too expensive.
 It is not surprising that there are lot more labels in whites. Although the weather and vegetarian/spicy foods in India call for white wines, reds are still more consumed and perhaps that’s why whites are over-stocked.
This scheme was there last week when I returned from Cape Town-but very limited for wines-with only 4 wines. It will be withdrawn as soon as soon as the stocks come down at safe levels for the shop
It is a very progressive step and if propagated properly, there would be several new genuine buyers who would like to buy wines allowed by customs law. The scheme applies to many items including perfumes. For previous related article last week, please visit :
A Riddle from Hardys at Delhi Duty-Free Shop at IGI Airport |