Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Second-year college student Jessica Piesesha has learned to love wine.
""Coffee, even tequila is passe. Wine is much more to my liking,"" said the 19-year-old, for whom bars are decidedly more ""grown up"" than the cafes she used to hang out in.
She has no particular preference for white or red, but has worked her way through the wine lists of many of the lounges across the capital, including a wine joint in Plaza Indonesia, Central Jakarta.
In response to young people's growing enthusiasm for what was previously considered an ""elite"" beverage, more and more cafes and restaurants here have begun serving wine in the last few years.
Connoisseur, a small wine lounge nestled between the cafes in Cilandak Town Square, South Jakarta, is as popular with teenagers as it is with older, more financially established patrons.
The idea that young adult's palates are not sophisticated enough to appreciate a good bottle of Burgundy has gone out the window.
The fact that house wine is sold for Rp 40,000 (US$4.40)) a glass on average -- not that much more than a cup of coffee at a chain cafe -- and is available at many restaurants in Jakarta's teeming malls, has helped changed people's attitudes. Wine is suddenly hip in Jakarta.
""We are just trying it. The cafes get so boring these days that we decided to try out something new,"" said 22-year-old Stanley Sumampouw, who was sharing a bottle of rose with three friends at the lounge, which enjoys word-of-mouth popularity.
Be it first-timers or true aficionados, all contribute to the steadily growing wine market in the city.
""The wine sales volume went up by 50 percent in 2006,"" said Evander Njolito of wine retailer Sarana Tirta Anggur.
The wine business is one that requires a significant investment.
Those interested in becoming a distributor must deal with the Indonesian Trading Company to acquire a license to import some 24,000 boxes of wine, the tax for which they must pay up front.
Indonesia has seven distributors, which supply smaller retailers.
As of today, there are nine retailers in Jakarta. They supply wine lounges, as well as restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
And the market keeps on growing.
""We previously only served wine to expatriates, but locals now order it too,"" said Annette Anhar who runs Indonesian restaurant Dapur Babah.
She likes the idea of combining Indonesian dishes with European beverages.
""The wine culture has changed in the last five years. Nightclubs that previously only sold hard liquor now also serve wine,"" said Yohan Handoyo, author of Rahasia Wine (The Secret of Wine), who led a wine course last month.
The hype might not be as significant as in China, where wine appreciation extends to mixing it with soft drink and ice, but Indonesia is certainly on the radar of wine producers.
Thanks to the tight competition, the price of a bottle of wine has come down to as low as Rp 150,000 for a 2005 vintage.
""People also have a wide range of options from new market wine producers like Chile and Australia,"" Yohan said.
Australia currently shares half of the Indonesian wine market. In 2005, it exported 624,831 liters of wine to Indonesia valued at $2,678,830.
The availability of a cheaper wines is helpful to those who are still not familiar with alcoholic beverages.
""Personally, I prefer sparkling wines. They are sweet and refreshing,"" Jessica said after attending last month's wine course.
Along with the growing market, and also as part of their marketing strategies, wine retailers often provide or sponsor wine appreciation classes.
""People who don't know any better are still fooled by wine myths, like the older, the better,"" Yohan said.
This could apply in countries where wine has long been an important part of the culture, but not in Indonesia, where 85 percent of products were not designed for long-time cellaring and are best consumed between two to five years.
In a class participated in by 17 people, Yohan shared his wine knowledge, from how to open the cork to how to combine food with wine.
Sponsored by retailer Sarana Tirta Anggur, those in the class tasted around a dozen types of wine and learned how to take the corks out with at least three types of opener.
Some had already developed a love of le vin, others were merely trying to learn the basics.
""I need to feel confident attending professional gatherings where wine is served. I might not be a pro at it, but at least now I can hold the glass right,"" said Razaini Taher, the head of a private television station's creative team.
Other more serious wine lovers have long joined clubs like the Jakarta Wine Society, the Wine and Spirit Circle or the International Wine and Food Society Indonesia.
Some of the groups have more than 1,000 members.
""It is interesting to see people getting to know wines,"" Yohan said.
Well, maybe wine is replacing coffee here as the beverage of choice.
