When the month of October comes in, the inevitable thing is to start thinking of the holidays: the presents, holiday meals, reunion parties, and of course, the wines and spirits to give away or serve.
Marketplace by Rustan’s gives wine lovers the head start to shop and stock up on great value and great quality wines at the ongoing The World of Wine festival at Shangri-la Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City.
The event started Friday, September 29, and will run till Sunday, October 1. The wine fair is open during mall hours, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It’s the first wine festival of its kind: the first big gathering of international wine makers in a mall in the Philippines. And free admission at that.
Only for the World of Wine affair, each bottle on sale is 10% off while purchases for boxes of wines are 15% off (with about 6 wine bottles per box). And if a shopper has an accumulated receipt worth Php5,000, they get the chance to win the grand raffle prize of a trip to France and an overnight stay at Chateau Lamothe de Haux.
The Marketplace by Rustan’s is featuring 123 wines sourced from 12 distinguished winemakers Australia, France, Spain, and Argentina. These winemakers are presenting their best bottles to the fair and sharing their expertise in making and appreciating wine.
Among the choice wine bottles exclusively available at the fair are the 2010 Château Leoville-Las Cases Saint Julien 2 Cru Classe; the 1994 Château Leoville-Las Cases Saint Julien 2 Cru Classe; the 2003 Château Nenin Pomerol; the 2004 Clos du Marquis Saint Julien; and the 2008 Clos d Marquis Saint Julien.
But snobs not welcome here as the festival keeps it light, easy, and enlightening. Here, stalls offer free wine tasting and have the wine makers themselves readily giving information about their wines and tips to best enjoy them.
Besides wines, there are other spirits like Dalmore luxury single malt whiskey and Moët et Chandon champagne, both available for special prices this weekend.
Various cheeses and deli items from Rustan’s Marketplace are also on sale especially for shoppers looking for perfect pairings for their vino.
Wine talks
Learn more about the art of wine by attending talks by the wine masters.
On September 30 at 1 p.m., Anthony Murphy from the Trentham winery in Australia talks about Varietals of Eastern Australian Wines with; at 3 p.m., Laurent Mery from Château Lamothe-Bergero in France discuses The Rise of Wine Tourism; and at 5 p.m., Pablo Aranda Hynes from Grupo Penaflor in Argentina will talk about the Terroirs of Mendoza, Argentina.
On Sunday, October 1 at 2 p.m., listen to Elena Hernandez from the Tempore winery in Spain to discuss Spanish Diversity in Culture and Traditions from North to South; and at 4 p.m., Mark Davidson from the Tamburlaine winery in Australia talk about Organic Wines and How to Make Them.
Also gracing the three-day affair are top sommeliers like Graham Cranswick Smith from the Cranswick winery, Sam Mete from the Robert Oatley Vineyards, and Michael Rogers from Wines Overland.
Ready for the holidays
The Marketplace at Rustan’s has been holding seasonal wine promotions within the supermarket; this is the first time that it has brought its event outside the store and in a mall’s atrium.
David Brissonnaud, Rustan’s Wine Importer Manager, “We decided to hold this wine fair because a lot of people have been looking for Rustan’s wine selections and we have a lot of stocks ready for Christmas.
“We consider The World of Wine the first real wine fair in the Philippines because it’s the first time that wine importer are actually present and making their wines directly available to the market. Some of these wineries, we have a direct relationship with them, while some are through local distributors. So shoppers really get an idea of what’s really available in the market.”
For the coming holiday season, Brissonnaud shares that the trend is going towards sweet and sparkling or semi-sparkling wines with lower alcohol content. Australian wines are among the popular ones of this kind.
Personal taste
Price is one of the drawing points why shoppers are also flocking to the World of Wine event and to the Marketplace at Rustan’s. Brissonnaud explains that the store is able to keep its prices competitive because of their extensive suppliers.
He told InterAksyon, “A couple of years ago, Rustan’s went into aggressive sourcing. We have local importers but we have also gone directly to wineries. The result is that we’ve cut the middle party and have been able to offer more attractive prices for our wines and other spirits.”
He added, “It’s not about the affordability but the quality. The affordability comes from the fact that we are able to go directly to the winery. At the end of the day, it’s all about quality and the what we’ve been trying to go fot. At the end of the day. There is a a good quality wine that buyers are willing to pay for.”
Hopefully, The World of Wine could be a yearly thing, says Brissonnaud. The better to make more people appreciate and enjoy fine wines, he shared. “Wine is a very personal thing. It’s not about how much you know. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve been in the industry for 40 years or so but if you find a wine that you like, then that is it.
“It’s a matter of personal taste. Some would go for wines that are heavy, bold, and with more body while others prefer something light or sweet. It’s all about one’s personality. And the best way to find out is to go around and taste until you find one or more that you like.”
Want to enjoy more of the exceptional wines at the fair? Shoppers can find them at the wine section of the Marketplace by Rustan’s staring this month through the holiday season.
For more info, visit www.rustansfresh.com, follow and like rustansfresh on Facebook, and @rustansfresh on Instagram and Twitter.
