Call it a wine wave that shows no sign of ebbing – the Indonesian restaurant-goer is now more likely than ever to order wine while drinking and dining out. Industry insiders have noticed a spike in the interest in the beverage for quite some time now, and they say the only way the market is going is up.

“The wine business is doing extremely well right now,” observes Yohan Handoyo, who wears three hats in the industry – he is general manager of Decanter wine house in Central Jakarta, as well as a respected wine educator and writer.

“Just 10 years ago, most wines available here were from France or Australia. Prices were insane, and they were only available at five-star hotels, or French and Italian inside five-star hotels. There was a set group of people drinking this wine too – mostly expatriate and mature,” he says.

What a difference a decade makes. Locals’ thirst for wine, he says, has deepened most noticeably in the last three years. “There is always going to be a market for alcohol, but more are switching to wine – some realise its health properties, others have discovered the dimension that wine adds to food.

Many an urban dweller will dream of a tropical island getaway from time to time. The lucky few who can make the time will actually go on one. The most discerning among these will trawl the world for the ultimate travel destination.

Andrew Dixon, together with his wife and a group of partners, went one step further and created his own holiday haven.

“We have always been interested in travel, and good food and wine,” he says. A sojourn some years ago out of Singapore, where the Australian has been based with his wife for the last 12 years, introduced him to the Indonesian island oases scattered just beyond the shores of his adopted home.

One came up for sale in 2001, and Andrew was not about to let the chance slip away. Together with five partners, Nikoi island, a boutique private island resort 85 kilometres from Singapore, was born.

Dixon himself is the first to concede that the Nikoi experience may not appeal to everyone, but judging by the popularity of the island and the glowing reviews from returned holidayers – the island boasts occupation of over 90 per cent year round, and is always at full capacity on weekends – Dixon and his team are doing something right.

“You know the difference between here and Scotland? 20 degrees,” jokes Graham, a Scottish-born engineer, while taking cover from an early afternoon Jakartan downpour 20 minutes after arriving at the 31st Jakarta Highland Gathering.

Unpredictable and saturating wet weather could be as far as comparisons between Scotland and Indonesia go, but really, that’s no reason not to celebrate Scottish and Celtic heritage here in Jakarta.

Despite the resultant mud that floods the grounds at the Imperial Klub Golf of Lippo Village in Karawaci, Tangerang, the Jakarta Highland Gathering goes on as planned, keeping a crowd of 4,000 expats and locals entertained with a combination of music, food, beer and the singular most symbolic ingredient of a Highland gathering, the Scottish Heavy Athletics competition.