If you are anything like my husband and I, you may be at that point in the holidays when you are in a panic while braving the horrendous Manila traffic, crossing things off your Christmas shopping list.
A potential stocking stuffer you may be thinking of buying is wine. But with the many options out there, it can get pretty overwhelming… Or even scary. Questions may swim in you head, like, “Am I getting the right wine?”, “If it’s pricey, it must be good, right?”, “I want to impress my client with a spanking wine, but I don’t want to spend money on what I don’t understand and get laughed at… What do I do?”, “I’m giving wine to a wino, what should I get him?”
This is where my blog post comes in. I have compiled a list of places in Manila where you can get decent wines, and have categorised it according to recipients/purposes:
1) Bulk buying for people who just want to drink wine but are not wine-os: RUSTAN’S SUPERMARKET
You can get decent Chilean reds for about 500PHP and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs for about 400PHP per bottle (try not to go lower than these prices so you won’t scrimp on quality). They have really good options for new world wines (North America, South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand). Marketplace has a promo going on for wines of the world as well that is worth looking into.
2) For foodie friends you want to impress but would not be willing to spend so much on: SANTI’S DELICATESSEN
They have pretty neat Italian reds and entry level Proseccos that won’t break the bank, and match flavourful holiday food. Their staff is very helpful at finding you the right wine, and as an added bonus, you can even get deli items to match the wine (Or, to heck with that and just buy the wine and cheese and serve it at home for yourself a dinner party).
3) For intermediate winos you want to really impress (in an affordable manner): TERRY’S SELECTION
The owner, Juan Carlos de Terry, personally hand picks his selection. His PhD in Oenology and understanding of the Philippine market will guarantee you fabulous wine options. If you don’t believe me, dine in the restaurant with a bottle of wine you’re thinking of buying for yourself your friends. Try it with their food, and be blown away by a fantastic gastronomic experience.
4) You’re in the middle of nowhere/stuck in traffic, and you need to be in a close enough store with a decent selection, stat: RALPH’S WINES AND SPIRITS
They have a huge selection and branches almost anywhere in the metro (and even large provinces like Boracay and Tagaytay), with very helpful people. You can’t go wrong with their Montes selection, their Australian line, and they even have spirits (like scotch, gin, tequila…) just in case you want to add variety (the Johnny Walker we bought from Ralph’s is going to a special uncle of ours).
5) You really want a high-end, top of the line wine to impress your clients and are prepared to shell out massive amounts of moolah: BACCHUS EPICERIE (Rockwell Mall)
They have a little private cellar you can walk into; with a gorgeous, high end, old world range to choose from. You can opt for a bottle of Bollinger as an homage to James Bond, or ask their crew for a top of the line Burgundy. Since you’re already willing to impress, go to their deli and grab some truffles to go with it.
I hope this helps. I promise that these recommendations came with research and I was not in any way, shape, or form compensated by any of these stores. Resist the temptation to buy (so much!) for yourself, it is always better to give than to receive. Better yet, share your finds in a dinner with friends. I know we will. 😉
Happy Holidays and Cheers!
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[…] I realize that over the years, I’ve written about James Bond in the contexts of Tempranillo and Champagne, but never in relation to his signature drink, the […]
[…] looking to give wine or coffee for Christmas can look at my previous entries (here and here) for recommendations (I would like to add Wine Depot as a great wine source as well… Bulk buyers […]