15th Grand Wine Experience - Vintage

The 15th Grand Wine Experience press brief was recently held at Marriott Hotel Manila. Brought me back to the book acquired years back, The Wine Roads of Italy by Marc and Kim Millon. If here in the Philippines we have basketball courts in almost every Barangay in all our 18 Regions. Kidding aside, in Italy they have wine producers in every region. From the Northern part of Italy Trentino-Alto Adige down to Sicily. Building the country’s reputation as one of the world’s biggest wine producers the past years. As with Italian Wine Central, Italy’s production last year approximately 52.029 Million hectoliters dropped to 44.7Million hectoliters 15%. Giving way to France approximately 46.698M hectoliters as the year’s top producing country. Had the pleasure of savoring one from Burgundy during the event.

​The Grand Wine Experience is the most anticipated wine convergence in the Philippines. For it gives global wine brands and sellers the venue to showcase from the fairly bottle to the finest in their cellar. 

Message from Marriott Hotel Manila’s Director for Food & Beverage, Mr. Brendan Mahoney and Marriott Manila head Chef, Meik Brammer.

Lunch went in awesome combination as Entrees goes exceedingly well with the Host’s paired table wines.
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Appetizer
Lobster Gazpacho in basil oil paired with Janz Premium NV Cuvee

​Soup
Porcini Mushrooms Morels Bouchard Pere & Fils Bourgogne Chardonnay La Vignee

​Main Course
Grilled Rib Eye with potato fondant, wild mushroom jus, organic vegetables paired with Montes Alpha Malbee

​Dessert
Espresso Parfait in mascarpone cream paired with Gran Feudo Moscatel

​November is my ex-girlfriend’s birthday month. After Inner Circles concert in Boracay we’ll fly back to Manila 11th, Celebrate her special day with the kids on the 12th and come November’s Friday the 13th, would gladly take part on our first Grand Wine Experience.

Ticket is priced at Php5,000. For more info you visit Ralph’s Wine Stores nationwide.

​A wine’s vintage speaks of more than just the year of harvest. It is, in essence, the headline of an article, the name of a painting, the title of a novel; one that alludes to a period of romance between the sun, rain, wind, earth and man; and tells the story of how a confluence of such disparate elements can, under just the right conditions, yield poetry in a bottle.
 
Since its inception at the turn of the century, the Grand Wine Experience has seen itself transform from a humble gathering of wine enthusiasts into a monumental Mecca to which bon vivants, celebrities, dignitaries, top executives and members of high society make their annual pilgrimage. Founded by the four Joseph brothers of Philippine Wine Merchants, the Grand Wine Experience is widely regarded as the most spectacular, most lavish and most anticipated wine event of any kind in Southeast Asia.
 
As this year’s theme, the word ‘vintage’ carries more gravitas not just because we are hitting the 15th milestone year of the event, but also because we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the company behind it. This year also marks the move to a significantly more spacious venue, one that can cater to double the capacity of the previous Marriott grand ballroom, no easy feat, but a challenge worth taking on nonetheless.
 
We believe the time is ripe enough to open the show to an exponentially larger audience. We’ve delicately hand-picked a greater number of wines and spirits to choose from compared to the already staggering line-ups from year’s past. We’ve laboriously cultivated the show by pruning the inefficiencies and non-essentials, making improvements in every facet of the guest experience, from the buffet selection, to the quality of the entertainment; ultimately giving more value for money.
 
This year’s edition of The Grand Wine Experience promises not only to up all the antes, but shatter and surpass all expectations. On November 13, 2015 at the new Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel, it simply comes down to this --- you are going to have the best time of your life.
 
Presented by Philippine Wine Merchants and Ralphs Wines and Spirits.  Co-presented by:  Rustans Supermarket, Starbucks Coffee, Store Specialist Inc., Marriott Hotel Manila, Resorts World Manila, Future Trade International, Diageo Philippines, Moet-Hennessy Philippines, Premier Wine and Spirits, Barcino Corporation, Fly Ace Corporation, Bel Mondo Italia, Corp., Emperador Distillers, Aviver International, Best World Beverage Brands, Golden Wines, Grand Cru and Booze On Line.