B

ali is a potential market for world-class wines, given the island’s popularity as a tourist destination visited by millions of people from around the world, an Italian vintner says.

“Indonesia is a big market for wine, especially Bali, as a tourist area. Tourism is well-developed in Bali. Wine has become an important element,” Francesco Marone Cinzano said in a recent interview.

Besides tourists, local consumption might also have a significant impact, he said, as Bali has a growing market for wine, just as did other parts of Asia, although most people drank wine only on special occasions.

However, Bali’s climate meant opening a local vineyard was unlikely, Cinzano, who owns vineyards in Italy and Chile, said.

Cinzano inherited the Col d’Orcia Brunello estate in Montalcino, Italy, in 1992, from his father, Enrico Marone Cinzano, who bought the estate in 1973.

The estate produced about 800,000 bottles of red and white wine a year that were sold in about 70 countries, he said. Its most famous wine is Brunello Di Montalcino.

In 1995, Cinzano started the Maule Valley in Chile with a vision of producing a world-class wine that incorporated Chile’s climate and the family’s wine-making tradition in Caliboro. Its first wine was Erasmo.

Harald Wiesmann, the sommelier at Kayuputi Restaurant at the St. Regis Resort in Nusa Dua, agreed that wine consumption would help tourism in Bali.

“It will be looked on as positive if the tourist can feel at home if they are already used to drinking wine in their own countries, taking into consideration that wine drinking is very much a part of one’s lifestyle today. Also, wine provides for an additional leisure activity as part of a vacation,” he said.

Kurniawan Eko Putro, who has been a sommelier for two years at Metis Restaurant in Seminyak, said wine consumption and the development of tourism in Bali supported each other in a never-ending cycle.

“There are always people coming to Bali, who, when they’re having a meal, want a nice glass of wine. This will bring more revenue for tourism, which will in turn encourage more locals to learn about wine,” Eko said.

If tourists were well-pampered, they would be willing to spend more, which would also benefit tourism, he added.

Both Harald and Eko said that guests returned to their restaurants because they liked wine.

“Many guests return because the resort carries over 400 different wines, and also has a chief sommelier having over 15 years of experience in wine and in-depth knowledge to share with wine enthusiasts, thus enhancing their wining and dining experience,” Harald said.

He said some of the quality wines that the resort carries included the Bordeaux red wine Chateau Haut-Brion, the champagne Louis Roedrer Vintage, the Italian red wine Gaia Darmagi and white wine Montrachet Grand Cru.

“Once people try, they’re converted and want to have it again. Since they can’t have it in other places, they come back here,” Eko added.

The restaurant offers a selection of wines at an affordable price, including a 1983 Chateau Petrus Pomero and a few Grand Cru selections such as a Mouton-Rotschild, Haut-Brion and Cheval Blanc.

“Soon, our restaurant will be the only outlet in Indonesia serving Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 1997, the best vintage for Brunello in the past 25 years,” Eko said.