After a three-year hiatus, Southeast Asia’s biggest wine and spirits festival ends the dry spell
The night began with a toast; a declaration, dedicated and determined—a dictate derived from decades of delving deeply into the wonderful world of wine: “We’ll eat and drink with hearts, sublime; be grateful for this glorious time; we’ll raise our glass to The Divine; to friends, to life, to some damn good wine!”
What ensued was the mantra, made manifest. A beautiful unfolding of intentions, set from the very start. After all, the founding family behind the evening’s affair is nothing if not deeply passionate about their business.
But first, a brief walk through the vineyards of time.
Eat, drink, and be merry
Food and wine festivals are no novel idea. In fact, wine feasts date to as early as the 1st Century BC, with the Greco-Roman tradition honoring Bacchus, the Roman deity of agriculture, wine, and fertility. Historians theorize that the festival had its roots in ancient Greek fertility rites commemorated by women only, in worship of Dionysus, the Greek equivalent of Bacchus. The ritual made its way to Rome, where it morphed into a next-level party of all-things pleasurable; this time, with men included.
For three days on end, men and women—typically members of the elite class of society—gathered to celebrate in the name of the god of the vine. Wine flowed freely; perhaps, a little too freely and excessively. The celebrations known as Bacchanalia were over-the-top parties that often grew out of control, all the while gaining popularity across all sectors of society.
Deeper connections
Whatever the excesses may have been, given the decidedly more hedonistic times and temperaments of the ancients, the Bacchanalian feasts brought forth a truth that has aged well: wine has the ability to connect those who share in its sublimities. As intertwined vines that thrive in temperate terroir, wine brings people together. The fruit of the vine connects us with each other; moreover, it allows us to connect with ourselves. It makes us aware of the earthier, more primal nature within us, yet is also enables us to move into a more mystical, magical side of our existence. This is wine’s sublime side, and lucky are those who have savored it.
It is along this profound path that Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM), with the Joseph brothers—Robert (who has since passed on to heavenly realms), Ralph, Raymond, and Ronald—at the helm, founded the Grand Wine Experience in the year 2001, with decidedly more low-key beginnings. Having recently concluded its milestone 20th year, on November 17, 2023, at the Marriot Manila’s Grand Ballroom, the Grand Wine Experience would have given Rome’s Bacchanalia a run for its best vintage.
“This is a big one for us, being the 20th edition. It would have been our 23rd, but the pandemic took three years from us,” shared Ralph Lim Joseph, President of PWM, of the event’s pandemic-propelled three-year hiatus. “We purposed to make a big comeback, and we have achieved that. This is really more than just a normal event; this is a one-of-a-kind experience. Tonight, we have purposed to serve the very best; to showcase our top wines. The Marriot Manila has prepared the best food. It’s a lot of work, all around, even if we just talk of the logistics. And we don’t really do this for profit, but for the love of wines and the connections we share with all who attend,” he added.
Bud break, beautifully
With over 1,000 wines, beers, sakes, spirits, as well as meticulously prepared buffet spreads, the 20th Grand Wine Experience was every bit the epic festival and feast it promised it would be. Marriot Manila’s Executive Chef Meik Brammer certainly pulled out all the sumptuous stops—which, as he revealed, “took months and months of preparation and planning”—to come up with the best food pairings for the amazing array of alcoholic beverages. Undoubtedly, Epicurus himself would have approved. From an impressive selection of artisanal cheeses, decadent chocolates, premium charcuterie boards and roasted meats, succulent sushi and fresh seafood platters to humongous pasta pans and paelleras brimming with heartiness, there was something to please even the most discriminating of culinary palates. And then, there were the libations, overflowing in quantity and over-the-top in quality. With vintages and spirits from 18 countries across the globe, the event proved a culturally immersive journey into the wonderful world of wines (and beyond), with a taste of terroir, time, and tales of tradition in each and every bottle.
Aptly themed “Bud Break”—a nod to the yearly growth cycle of the vines, in which the buds begin to awaken after winter dormancy—the latest installation of the annual event ended the dry spell of the last three years. However, more than ending the hiatus of the Grand Wine Experience, given the pandemic, it also ended a drought of the soul. As the masters of ceremonies uncorked the proceedings, so to speak, the evening quickly flowed forth in unabashed celebration. It was a grand, extravagant toast to life and to love, as one can expect after three years of sorely missed connections and camaraderie. It was a gregarious gathering of generations; a fond fete of family and friends, those you had already met and those you were yet to meet. Ultimately, it was a rousing reminder that renewal and rebirth do come after the darkest of days. And, the fact that all of this took place with the brilliant beats of the AMP Big Band in the background was just added sparkle in everyone’s figurative flute of bubbly.
Education, to enrich enjoyment
Of course, wine education and appreciation comprise a chunk of PWM’s commitment, in the realm of oenophilia. Dedicated to showcasing the craftsmanship of the world’s finest libations, The Grand Wine Experience shines the spotlight on the wine creation process, year after year. As with previous editions, guests were afforded the opportunity of meeting the creators behind the vintages. Esteemed winemakers from around the globe were on hand to impart their knowledge, as well as personal anecdotes and insights, throughout the evening. Wine education was precisely poured in small, easy to savor sips, by way of mini-interviews with the experts, on pocket stages across the venue.
All these efforts served to enliven, elevate, and enrich the experience of wine, even more. After all, a sparkling facet of PWM’s vision is to make wine enjoyment an integral part of people’s lives.
Exciting and ever-evolving
On the heels of the recently concluded event, which was a smashing success in every way, the organizing group is already looking to the 2024 installment—along with some other intoxicating plans brewing in the offing, including a first-of-its-kind sake festival.
“Twenty years into the Grand Wine Experience, and seems just like yesterday. That’s how exciting it is for us. Every year is like a new vintage year, and we’re always so pumped for it. So many things evolve, year to year, everything’s changing. Everything improves and there’s always something new,” Raymond Lim Joseph, Director of Sales and Marketing at PWM, mused.
Perhaps centuries from now, this, too, shall go down in the annals of history as one of grandest wine festivals, ever. Minus the mad mayhem and decadent debauchery of bygone Bacchanalia, that is.
