more than 700 wines, beers, sakes, whiskies and spirits from over 100 wineries, breweries and distilleries from 20 countries will be featured in this year’s edition.

Wines and spirits are the rage this time of year because the last quarter in the Filipino calendar means booze and merrymaking.

The Josephs and Philippine Wine Merchants have been holding one of the metro’s highly anticipated ‘boozefests’ of the year for 18 years. This year, they are going to amp the ante in anticipation of next year’s milestone 20th year of the Grand Wine Experience (GWE).

The GWE has become synonymous to a grandiose “bang for your buck” event for most wine and spirits connoisseurs and enthusiasts in the country. For one night, they gather under one roof and try to down all the featured drinks from the finest wine estates and regions and leading hard drinks makers from all over the world.

A decadent buffet spread and attention-grabbing centerpiece will complement the flavors of more than 700 wines, beers, sakes, whiskies and spirits from over 100 wineries, breweries and distilleries from 20 countries.

Robi Joseph, the next-generation Joseph, answered the Daily Tribune’s query on how this year’s edition will look during GWE’s recent press conference.

“It’s going to be indicative of the kind of show-stopping displays you’re going to see. In a nutshell, the fringes of the ballroom (will be) decorated with all the different wine bottles. In the middle, you have different buffets. We have small stages where our winemakers will have their interviews. At the center of everything, we’re going to have a big stage where the bands play, including the 20-piece AMP band,” he said.

He continued, “And chocolates! The dessert station is central to the GWE. Chef Meik (Brammer, executive chef of Marriott Manila) always prepares a centerpiece. It’s always crazy, always something out of this world. There was this year when he painted one of his chefs in chocolate. He was a statue, just standing up for hours. Apart from that, chef has created these amazing statues made of chocolates. He also did other sculptures that always wows the audience. And the great thing about it, by the end of the night, these sculptures get stripped away, little by little.”

The Josephs toast to another year of GWE. Shown are (from left) Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM) director for Finance and Administration Ronald Lim Joseph, Ryan Joseph, Robi Joseph, Marriott Hotel Manila F&B director Mo Ali, Resorts World Manila director for Corporate Communications Joee Guilas and PWM director for sales and marketing Raymond Joseph.

Milktea cognac, Chinese and Israeli wines

Last year was notable for attracting the highest number of attendees at over 2,000 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

The annual event has gone a long way from the initial 300 in 2001 when the Joseph brothers, namely, Bobby, Ralph, Ronnie and Raymond, decided to hold the first GWE.

The brothers behind one of the largest wine importers in the country, Philippine Wine Merchants, took it upon themselves to hold a unique gathering of oenophiles, enthusiasts and the curious lot alike, even inviting fellow importers to showcase their wares in the event.

“It’s been a challenge for us, having done this almost 20 times. You think you’ve ran out of ideas but the truth is, the world of wine is just so vast and there’s so much to draw from. We’ve been able to come up with a whole gamut of themes. And that changes the way we present things,” the next-generation Joseph said.

“This year, it’s all about generation. When you talk about generations, you talk about the legacy of wine; of how it’s passed on from one generation to the next. And just like this particular event, we’re seeing not just people from our company passing the torch to the next generation, that would be my generation, but also you could see parents who’d bring their children, who weren’t old enough to attend past editions. And now they get to join the festivities,” he enthused.

As the GWE grows older, Robi said they’ve gone on to look for wines from countries that will see action for the first time in the festivities.

There’s going to be wines from Israel, from the Mt. Hermon locale. Chinese wines, such as the Fenjiu brand, which Robi says is among the more expensive Chinese brands, will also be introduced. He said attendees should look forward to tasting the Chinese brands because “China’s winemaking region is a lot similar to Bordeaux.”

Of course, favorite brands such as Hennessy and Chivas will be there. For Hennessy, they will be featuring the Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and Malbec from Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina.

To tap into the milk tea craze that’s sweeping the country, Hennessy is featuring its three-star Cognac, Hennessy VS, in a cocktail which it calls Hennessy Milktea. Similarly, Chivas will feature, for the first time, its “full range” to come up with exciting cocktails to show how “flexible” their brands are.

GWE 2019 is in partnership with Resorts World Manila, Marriott Hotel Manila, Starbucks Coffee Philippines, Moet Hennessy Philippines Inc., Pernod Ricard Philippines, Future Trade International, Diageo Philippines, Best World Beverage Brands, Golden Wines, Cle Ace Corp., Calabria Co. Ltd., Emperador Distillers Inc., Grand Cru Wines and Spirits, Booze On Line, Global Noble, Int’l. Corp., Philippine Craft Distillers, Gold Tree Import & Export, GCRM and Don Revy Philippines Inc.

It is organized by Philippine Wine Merchants and Ralph’s Wines and Spirits.

For 6,500 and a delectable buffet spread, head on to the Marriott Grand Ballroom on 15 November for the 19th Grand Wine Experience.

Don’t forget to the ask away the most curious, intriguing and out-of-this world question to the winemaker and he or she might share with you his secret stash. That’s a pro-tip from Robi.

For more information about the 19th and the past Grand Wine Experiences, visit www.grandwineexperience.com or follow Philippine Wine Merchants on Facebook.