“The perfect sundowners in Bali.” For most of us, this phrase conjures up ideas of a silken sunset, balmy weather, tropical palms and, of course, an indulgent glass of wine in hand. Sounds like paradise, right?
Unfortunately, this delicious daydream is forever relegated to the realm of fantasy by one thing: the exorbitant price of wine in Bali. Many international tourists have been astonished to find that their favourite wines may cost two to three times more than what they do back home. A mid-range bottle of imported wine, for example, will usually set you back $26 USD or more in Bali! It’s enough to make you turn down your tipple in favour of something cheaper. But what if you didn’t have to? I’m here to spill the cask on why you might just end up paying a pretty penny for your favourite wine in Bali, and why, thankfully, you don’t actually need to.
Taxes mean more money for your Merlot
Indonesia has one of the highest import tax rates in the world. In 2015, the Indonesian Finance Ministry raised their import and excise tariffs for hard liquor to a wallet-melting markup of 150%. All spirits with high alcohol content are subject to this taxation, so you can expect to pay effectively twice the price for any wine, gin, rum, whiskey or vodka on the island of Bali. And that’s just at the local supermarket. If you choose to tour any of the cocktail bars or restaurants (and why wouldn’t you, the Balinese nightlife is world-renowned), you may end up paying a whopping 200 – 300% product markup. In real terms, that looks like an average of around $10 USD per single glass of wine. Talk about a buzzkill!
For most businesses, these terrible tariffs mean that importing goods into Bali can be both challenging and costly. And for all of us consumers, it means that we end up shelling out more money for less quality.

All for wine and wine for all
Now, let’s get you back to that picture-perfect sunset in Bali. The swaying palms, the setting sun…and of course, firmly in hand, that delicious glass of vino. Perhaps there’s even a feeling that you’re part of something new – a fresh tropical lifestyle, the beginning of an adventure…and a global family that knows good wine. Cheers to the good life, with GoDrinks.