A journalist friend of mine asked me to check out the wine prices at the duty free shops when I travel abroad and recommend for his readers. Chianti Classico Riserva '97 Badia a Coltibuono at €23 at Milan airport duty free shop is my first pick.

Soaking in the prices, descriptions and vibrations from the numerous wine bottles in the duty free shops is my favourite pastime. I tried to be slightly more focussed this time and did some comparisons and analysis at the duty free shops at Florence as well as Milan where the Dufry shops have a very decent selection- of Italian wines.

My recommendations? Don't count on getting any bargains on wines. The prices are definitely higher than the street price in every category I picked.

Earlier, I visited the Wine Festival at Greve in Chianti on Saturday and had a whale of a time visiting Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti, the largest Enoteca in Greve (a prominent Chianti Classico area, between Florence and Siena). Here are a few comparisons in Euros between this Retail shop and the duty-free shops in Florence / Milan:

           LABLE                                        E'CA                             DU'FREE

1. Pomino Bianco '06 Frescobaldi            8.90                              10.40
2. Montesodi Riserva '03 Frescobaldi       37.40                            39.60
3. Nipozzano Riserve'04 Frescobaldi        13.00                            15.75
4. Ducale Reserva '03 Ruffino                 31.00                            35.00

I collected the prices of many wines which were familiar to me. Not even one, was cheaper at the duty free shop.

There was one exception, though.

The Milan shop had a Chianti Classico Riserva'97 Badia a Coltibuono which was selling for € 23.00. This was a GREAT Buy for 3 reasons. Coltibuono is a very respectable producer of Chianti Classico. We had a tasting with the owner, Emanuella Stucchi Prinetti at her estate restaurant in Badia, just a couple of days ago .The Riserva 2001 we had tasted was delicious.

Although we had not tasted 1997, it was generally an excellent year for Italian wines (many insist it was the best of the century) especially the Chianti Classico. Another tasting of a Super Tuscan, Roccato '97 at the residence of Sergio and Daniella Zingarelli, owners of Rocca delle Macie had already sealed it in our minds when compared with a 2001 (another good year, for Chianti Classico), it had been a lot more elegant and complex.

I found it rather satisfying when I convinced an American couple from New Jersey to trash the two bottles of ordinary Chianti Classico they had picked up for € 14 each. 'we are not wine connoisseurs and don't want to spend too much on wine,' the wife had said to me. Right after they left, I told a Chinese- looking passenger seeking the salesman's help to buy a bottle, 'it is full bodied, concentrated wine that you can drink right now or still keep for a few more years.' The later part seems to have convinced him and he picked up a bottle too.

I don't know how much it would be priced at an Enoteca but it was a great value-for-money wine all the same.

If you happen to pass through Milan airport, this should be your pick of the lot. White wine lovers would be happy to pick a Gavi or Roero Arneis for under €10 each, being the special price at the moment.

Wines at Indian Duty Free Shops:

Wine Prices at Duty Free shops of the main airports at Europe have convinced me that there is a huge potential for selling them at the duty free shops at Delhi and Mumbai at the moment.

Knowing the FOB prices of importers and their need and penchant to increase the market share for their wines, a wide new range of premium selections can be stocked at the arrival (or even departure) lounges. The prices can be guaranteed 15- 20% lower than the European airports.

The custom duty has gone up on the premium wines from 100% to 150%, making them more expensive even though the Additional Duties (ACD) have been eliminated in July this year. there should be a rush of wine enthusiasts willing to pick up 2-3 bottles of premium wines at attractive prices. 2 litres of alcohol are allowed duty free. Perhaps a pack of 3 would be accepted by the good Samaritans, our customs people.

A mix-and match or regional promotion (for example, Chianti Classico of 3 different producers, or a combo of Prosecco, Soave Classico and Valpolicella Classico making it a Veneto special) with some promotional products from these regions would make an excellent win-win situation for the producers, importers, duty-free shop managements and the customers.

Are Alpha future and Flamingo listening?

Oh, I did notice different labels of cheaper wines tucked away ina acorner, what we need to do is attract the people to the display and give them good deals on the higher end wines.

Subhash Arora