I am a collector of fine wine and living in HKG makes my hobby very affordable and dare I say very profitable. To make the most out of the change in duty laws, you need to do your research and know your wine. Many punters don't and blindly buy wines from Watsons or other retailers.winesearcher.com is a great way to make sure you aren't being ripped off. Punch in your wine in the search engine and check international pricing.
On Duty Free. Rip Off!!! Except Champagne. However, airport Champagne is a generally a no-go for collectors as the cellaring provenance comes into question- it is often cooked!Now that said, Duty Free in Auckland with your CX discount will get you some nice premium Kiwis. Ata Rangi, Martinborough etc. Expect to pay 40USDish.
The trick is to cut out the HKG middleman and buy direct and ship direct. I pay about 40% less than the same wine at Watsons! Buy from English retailers ( Berry Brothers, Armit, Fine & rare ) when wines are on sale and they will arrange door to door shipping.
For fine dining, I always BYO and pay corkage. I accept up to 300HKD corkage charge and still come out thousands in front if drinking high end wine.
HKG Fooey.
Sorry mate, you are gauged in Oz by tax. I can buy your $20 Aussie red for $10. The bizarre thing is I buy the wine that has been shipped to England and to HKG and it's still half price. Extreme example below!
Cheers everyone. Drink Well!!
125£= $200AUD for Grange with HKG Delivery in an a/c container. It's 500-600AUD in Oz. Just an example. You are totally gauged in Australia.
BTW, I am not a Grange collector but the 1996 is exceptional.
