Firm dares to make wine drinkers out of Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines—When Vicente Quimbo told family and friends that he wanted to get into the business of producing wine, most everybody thought he was crazy.
Quimbo could not really blame them for thinking that way considering that the wine drinking population in the Philippines is miniscule and grapes are almost non-existent.
And yet he persevered and put up Bel Mondo Italia Corp. because he was confident that Filipinos would embrace wine as their drink of choice.
Some 13 years later, people realize that he was not so crazy after all as his Novellino wines have become the best-selling wines in the Philippines and are now found in supermarket shelves in other countries, such as Vietnam.
Quimbo tells the Inquirer that he believed there was room in the market for wine because Filipinos do like wine, as it evokes images of romance, culture and sophistication.
But there was a huge gap between desire and actual consumption because, at that time, Filipinos believed that wine was beyond their reach or was too strong and bitter for their taste.
“So my question at that time was, what will make the Filipinos drink? They liked wine but they don’t drink it. It was like a beautiful woman that they admire but would not even try to talk to,” says Quimbo.
To address these concerns, Quimbo did three things through Bel Mondo.
First item of business was to formulate wine that will appeal to the Filipino palate that favors sweet over bitter.
This meant going for partial fermentation of the grape juice so that not all of the sugar content is dried out. Complete fermentation meant removing all of the sugar, thus making the wine “dry.”
“Partial fermentation was the innovation we introduced so that sugar will still be present in the wine,” Quimbo explains, adding that Bel Mondo had to invest in machinery and processes to keep the formulation sterile so that fermentation will be halted and the wine kept stable.
The second challenge was the price.
Quimbo says that most Filipinos are intimidated by wine because they automatically equate the drink with a high price.
This is why the basic Novellino wines—named after Novello, a wine-making town in the Piedmont region of Italy, are priced at around P200 a bottle.
The final hurdle was familiarity, and Bel Mondo met this challenge by investing in massive sampling activities in supermarkets, malls and bazaars combined with product advertising in all forms of media, particularly magazines.
“We had 30, 40, 50 sampling locations during our initial years. We had to make Filipinos more familiar with our wine, that wine did not have to be bitter. Until now, we still invest in educational campaigns because the number of wine drinkers in the Philippines remains small,” explains Quimbo.
But even if only about 1 percent of the 90 million Filipinos regularly consume wine, Quimbo says that the market has already quadrupled since Novellino burst into the scene, and the prospects for growth remain high, not just here but abroad.
“There is so much opportunity for growth, not just here but in other countries like Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. That is why we are expanding both locally and globally,” says Quimbo.
To prepare for this growth, Bel Mondo is investing in a new wine-making facility at the Camelray Industrial Park, Laguna, to upgrade and expand the company’s wine production capability to between six and seven million bottles a year.
The 1.3-hectare winery will house Bel Mondo’s production, research and development and storage facilities. The state-of-the-art equipment will come from Italy, which is known for both its wine-making tradition and technological advancements in oenology. Overseeing the design is Franco Nosenzo, the company’s Italian winemaker and technical director.
“We have always been about quality and value. This is our commitment to our customers and consumers. This investment in a major winery is all about that,” says Quimbo.
http://business.inquirer.net/85914/firm-dares-to-make-wine-drinkers-out-of-filipinos
The wines of Yats Wine Cellars are designed for the matured wine lovers looking for wines that are interesting, not necessarily impressive, and at a fair price that is usually below those of a comparable big names, and from a matured vintage from 20 years or older. There are over 2000 selections of wine at Yats that fit that description.

Yats Leisure Philippines

If Philippines is part of an upcoming travel and holiday plan, wine lovers might want to visit Clark Freeport Zone just 70 minutes from Manila. This bustling new city that is slated to replace Manila as the new capital of the Philippines has the largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center. Vintages span over a century and the selection of old- and new-world wines covers all major wine regions are all available at this top-rated wine shop near Manila. Pampanga Philippines is a fast growing province. Growth in major cities such as San Fernando, Angeles City and Clark Freeport Zone has given rise to a strong demand for luxury goods, upscale dining and quality living. Absence of a good wine shop for fine vintage wine has caused considerable inconvenience to the affluent community which is forced to drive down to Manila to purchase their wines.

Yats Wine Cellars is generally regarded by Asian and Philippines wine lovers as the best wine supplier in the Philippines. This Wine Shop in Clark Philippines releases very rare wines for wine lovers in Asia.

Wine lovers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia travel to Philippines Clark Freeport to purchase these limited rare bottles of fine vintage wine.

Things to do in Clark Pampanga: do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. Residents of Angeles City and Clark Philippines have discovered that one of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Leading Philippines wine supplier known for its line of fine vintage wines, Yats Wine Cellars was established in 2000 to address the requirement of a growing population of wine enthusiasts in the Philippines. Yats Wine Cellars caters to the discerning client who requires these qualities in their wines: (1) excellent value, (2) large selection of labels and vintages to choose from and (3) wines properly aged for full enjoyment.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

Tel: 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Centger,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

Tel: (632) 637-5019 0917-540-3626 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Buy wine in Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines at good wine shops and boutique wine stores that offer good selection of good vintage wines at all price points. Wine lovers in Philippines can find good wines from France in wine shops in Manila and Pampanga. Among the good selections of French red wines from Burgundy are Domaine de La Romanee Conti or DRC, Chambertin, Pommard, Clos de Vougeot, Domaine Leroy, Bonnes Mares, La Tache, Vosne Romanee, Echeazeaux, Romanee St. Vivant, Volnay, Morey St. Denis, Nuits St. Georges. This makes it easy and convenient for wine lovers to buy wine in Manila. Manila wine and food lovers looking for things to do in Pampanga and Manila can consider attending one of these wine events. The best way to learn more about wine in the Philippines is to attend public wine tasting events that have no sponsors.