Your Guide to This Year’s Manila Natural Wine Fiesta

It’s a good idea to get wine drunk this Saturday.

On July 4, the Manila Natural Wine Fiesta (MNWF) will be returning for its fourth year to a brand-new venue: the redesigned Porcelanosa Showroom at NBS Park, Mandaluyong.

The fiesta is the Philippines’ singular gathering of natural wine importers and enthusiasts. It will be hosting nine Philippine brands pouring over thirty wines from organic, biodynamic, and low-intervention producers worldwide.

The wines that will be showcased this Saturday are unique from the typical wines that people encounter. Natural wine, or “natties” as some may call them, is an umbrella term for wine made with minimal intervention to the grapes as it grows in the vineyard and in wine cellars as it ages. It offers a distinct drinking experience without additives, preservatives, and other commercial corrections. As the country’s only dedicated natural wine fair, MNWF aims to champion these wines by making them accessible and celebrated within the local community. 

Each ticket grants fair-goers a tasting glass, wine samples from the importers at the event, and a 10% bottle discount, all for P1,850. Food will also be catered by Pluck MNL, purchased separately.

Here’s a guide to the brands present this weekend:

Bombvinos

Bombvinos is a familiar name to any wine lover in Manila. Owned by Joey Osmeña and Paolo Monasterio, this pandemic baby-turned Makati mainstay exclusively focuses on importing low-intervention, raw, and vibrant natural wines from around the world.

Expect them to bring refreshing pours and possibly their own proprietary natural wine, Bb. Sunshine, inspired by the country’s tropical climate. Infused with green mango and pineapple notes, it was made for sipping and dancing under the sun.

Good Morning Wines

As the first Japan-focused wine merchants in the Philippines, Good Morning Wines imports rare Japanese wines that would otherwise be hard to find anywhere else. If you’re looking for something easy to drink, then their selection would be a good place to start. Many of the wines in their portfolio have delicate and refreshing profiles.

Gran Hacienda Wines

Gran Hacienda Wines will be a familiar face if you’ve supported the MNWF since the very start. Owned by Butz Tenchavez (who is also behind Toka Wine, the popular wine bar and shop along Katipunan Avenue), this boutique distributor specializes in bringing in quality wines from small, family-run vineyards in different parts of the globe.

They have supplied wines for numerous fine dining restaurants in the metro, including Blackbird, Sala, and Hapag. As a small and independent supplier, they only bring in wines that they personally drink and believe in.

Somelove

Another MNWF veteran, Somelove brings to the table a huge reverence for the produce and the land that creates the natural wines that they import.

Somelove’s husband-and-wife team Justin and Vanessa Apolonio are thoughtful about the wines they choose – specifically selecting wines that they feel reflects both the creativity and the skill of the winemaker. The result is a curated, but diverse catalog of wines sourced directly from independent winemakers globally.

(Super)natural Wine

(Super)natural Wine is one of the Philippines’ biggest purveyors of natural wine, bringing in low-intervention wines from Austria, Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Spain. In their own words, their selection ranges from light and juicy, to wild and umami-forward wines.

Wine FM Live

Wine FM Live is your friendly tour guide if you’re a casual wine lover new to the natural wine scene.  They source small-batch, low-intervention wines from independent producers all over the world. But aside from operating as an online natural wine distributor, they also organize guided wine tasting pop-ups at local cafes and bars.

Terroir Wines

The people at Terroir Wines have an eye for spotting rising stars in wineries across the globe. True to their name, they mainly focus on terroir-driven wine producers and share their knowledge of these wines by regularly hosting wine tasting sessions at their “wine tasting cave” in Makati City. Beyond their portfolio of natural wines, they’re also bringing in their extensive knowledge to the fiesta table.

.274 Wines

.274 Wines is a boutique wine distributor that brings in natural wines from Central Europe; specifically from small, family wineries in Strekov, Slovakia. Interestingly, their name is derived from an old Roman unit advised by Saint Benedict measuring to about half a pint, which was said to be the amount appropriate enough for monks to find God — and also avoid being vulnerable to temptation.

It might be difficult to resist drinking more this weekend, as you can look forward to trying Slovakian wines such as the intense, yet subtle reds of Vino Magula, and the boutique’s prized bottles of the Strekov 1075 Wine project.

Pluck MNL

A seat at this trendy rotisserie and winebar became one of the most sought-after spots in Mandaluyong City after it opened earlier this year. Guests at the fiesta are sure to be taken care of with Chefs Pat Curitana of Los Tacos and Ralph Sy of Goods From Scratch at the helm of their menu. 

If their name is any clue, expect exceptional roast chicken alongside classic bistro bites to balance your palate during a whole afternoon of drinking.

The Manila Natural Wine Fiesta will run this July 4, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Porcelanosa Showroom, NBS Park, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City. Tickets are available at mnwf.helixpay.ph

Patricia Villoria

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