Anyone for a glass of Philippines wine?

Anyone for a glass of wine from the Philippines?

Like Indonesia, China and other unlikely Asian nations, the Philippines has a nascent industry, Minda News reports.

What began as a hobby in 2016 has grown into a promising start-up venture with a home-grown winemaker set to start selling wines made from locally grown grapes at a family-owned vineyard in Barangay Tacunan, Davao.

Jennifer Taglucop, one of the owners of the Taglucop Estate Vineyard & Winery, said the family plans to sell red and white wines to local and foreign tourists visiting their four-hectare vineyard.

She said the family aimed at world-class quality beverages that the Philippines could take pride in. Which might prove easier said than done. 

As owners of a travel agency, she and her husband, lawyer Ferdinand, often travel abroad. During their trips, they made it a point to visit vineyards in the United States, Europe, Australia, and even Thailand.

Seeing several Filipinos visiting the vineyards abroad inspired the couple to establish their own in Davao, so that Filipino travellers would no longer have to travel overseas “just to see grapes.”

The family began growing grapes in 2016 and has since experimented with different varieties to determine which ones would thrive best in Davao’s climate.

Taglucop said her family currently cultivates shiraz, moldova, cabernet sauvignon, and moscato.

Her husband learned winemaking in the US, while her eldest son studied viticulture and oenology at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

She said the wines they have produced are currently aging in barrels stored in their cellar in Tacunan, where a wine museum is being built to educate visitors on winemaking.

Indigenous winemaking traditions in the Philippines dates back to before the colonisation of the islands by the Spanish in the 16th century.

They include wines fermented from palm sap, rice, sugar cane and honey, as well as fruit wines.

Cool event to showcase cool-climate wines

Lovers of cool-climate wines might want to put Piers & Pinots into their calendar. 

 
Twelve producers from the Mornington Peninsula will be showcased at the immersive afternoon event on May 2. 

The venue will be Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and offers the chance to meet some of the talented winemakers behind some famous labels, offering insights into how the region’s maritime influences from Western Port, Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait define the local wines. 

There will be over 40 wines to taste, along with a charcuterie and cheese station. 

Detailed tasting notes will be provided and there will also be a live acoustic singer-songwriter performance (somewhat distracting I would have thought). 

The event will run from 2pm-5pm and tickets are $120 per person (includes GST, plus booking fee)

Participating wineries are Baillieu, Dexter, Elgee Park Wines, Foxey’s Hangout, Handpicked Wines, Kyberd Hills, Ocean Eight, Portsea Estate, Pt Leo Estate, Rahona Valley, Stonier and Yal Yal Estate.

See www.mpwine.com.au

Why tourism is booming in Spain

Spain is enjoying a tourism boom despite global uncertainty. 

Tourism officials and analysts expect an uptick in demand despite issues in the Middle East, travel industry news hub Travel Mole reports.

 
Some travellers, particularly from Europe, are reconsidering long-haul trips to the Middle East, and, by extension, to Asia. 

And as oil prices rise amid Gulf tensions, airfares - especially for long-haul routes - are expected to increase. This dynamic tends to favour short- and medium-haul destinations in Europe. 

Spain and cities like Madrid (above) and Barcelona, is set to benefit directly from this shift, particularly in key source markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. 

The country, seen as a safe, stable, and easily accessible destination, is well placed to capture redirected demand. 

Spain finished 2025 with 97 million foreign arrivals, official government data shows: up 3.5% from 2024. That made it was the second most-visited country in the world behind France.

It is targeting over 10 million visitors in 2026.

New restaurant is a tribute to a legend

 

Mietta O'Donnell was a legendary Melbourne restaurateur, who is fondly remember a quarter of a century after her death.

Mietta's was an conic restaurant much loved by the the city's movers and shakers, and O'Donnell was  also an influential figure in the arts and cultural world.

Now a new restaurant named in her honour: Miettas, has opened as a fine dining destination at The Queenscliff Hotel on the Ballarine Peninsula, where she once oversaw the property when it was Mietta's Queenscliff in the 1970s.

With a kitchen brigade led by executive chef Salvatore Giorgio, Miettas aims to establish itself as a destination restaurant, with a one-seating-per-service model "designed to create a relaxed and elevated experience". 

Giorgio, former owner and chef of Bar Taralli, has built "a strong reputation for honest, flavour-driven cooking grounded in southern Italian tradition", the local tourism authority reports. The chef has worked at kitchens including Marnong Estate, Scopri, and Bar Bambi.

The menu includes hand-crafted pasta, local seafood and premium meats with an Italian accent. 

There are two degustation menus for $115 and $135 per person, as well as vegetarian and Vegan options.

See thequeenscliffhotel.com.au

Chardonnay May to showcase one grape in style

The month of May sees wine producers in the Adelaide Hills promoting local chardonnays with tastings, lunches and dinners all featuring the classic white grape for Chardonnay May.

Many of the cellar doors will host curated tastings, new-release showcases, museum and back-vintage pours, and immersive wine experiences.

May will see more than 30 chardonnay-themed experiences, with a Chardonnay Trail Passport available to help guide your trek.

“Chardonnay is the flagship white grape variety for the Adelaide Hills, with examples produced within the region rivalling the very best,” says Adelaide Hills Wine Region president Alex Trescowthick.

“Chardonnay May puts a spotlight on our region’s ability to produce world-class chardonnay, as well as the growing recognition for our Sparkling Blanc de Blancs. 

"For the month of May, we are all things chardonnay as we celebrate the different styles produced throughout the Hills. We invite everyone to come and discover Adelaide Hills chardonnay.”

One of the showcase events is the The Chardonnay Collective on May 16, featuring four courses of food, eight producers and eight wines over one evening.

The event will see some of the Adelaide Hills’ leading chardonnay producers joining together.

Chef John Simpson-Clements at Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard will created the four-course degustation showing off seasonal South Australian produce.

Each dish will be served alongside two premium Adelaide Hills chardonnays, showcasing the diversity of the region, from Lenswood to the Piccadilly Valley and beyond. And every wine will be poured blind.

No labels. No hints. Not even the producers know what’s in the glass. Which sounds a lot of fun.

Producers include Ashton Hills , Gentle Folk, Koerner, Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Murdoch Hill, Shaw +Smith, Sidewood Estate and Vella Wines.

The event costs $245 per person. Book Here.

Another highlight of the program is the Tasting Australia event Adelaide Hills Chardonnay Heroes, to be held on May 9 at Mount Lofty House.

This special dinner will feature a line-up of the region’s top award-winning chardonnays.

Further details on individual events and offerings can be found at adelaidehillswine.com.au Chardonnay May

Image: Duy Dash 

French vineyards facing frost threat

A late cold snap is causing concern for grape growers across France. 

Vignerons across the country, from Champagne in the north to the Var in the south, fear frosts causing damage to vines that are well ahead of schedule in their development, wine news service Vitisphere reported. 

Vines emerged from dormancy two or three weeks ahead of schedule, making the icy conditions serious concern as growers used heated pots to prevent frost from destroying the buds on their vines.

"We're going to have to endure the frost and wait to assess the damage to the vines," industry news hub Vitisphere reported growers as saying. 

"Whether it's tonight or the nights to come, the risk of frost is confirmed in French vineyards," said Sébastien Debuisson, R&D Director of the Comité Champagne. 

"For many areas, the question isn't whether it will freeze, but how severe it will be."

There are forecasts for this week of -3 to -4°C in sheltered areas in Champagne. Growers in Chablis reported even lower overnight temperatures late last week.   

"A cold air mass is common at this time of year," Debuisson said. 

"What is unusual is the exceptional advancement of the vines: between 15 days and three weeks, especially for chardonnay but also for pinot noir, depending on the sector."  

Image: Vineyards in Quincy, Vitisphere