The Grand Wine Experience is known to be Southeast Asia’s most renowned wine event. It is me and my husband’s first time to attend it, especially when tickets are worth P5,000 each – illustrious indeed! It was my husband who was invited to attend and cover the event by Digital Circles Asia, and he brought me as his date (yehey!)
A Grand Feast of Food and Wine
This year, the event was held at The Marriott Grand Ballroom. The guests looked as prestigious as the venue, many of which from the hotel and hospitality industry.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed when you first enter the ballroom. It really was a different realm, the venue was huge yet everywhere you look there are different types of wine and food. And, it’s not just any wine – one of the stars of the night is the Dalmore Whisky priced at P2.5M per bottle.
As a guest, you can sample and drink all the wine to your heart’s desire. It is impossible to count how many wines were available and from different parts of the globe but according to the website, it is easily over 500 kinds of wine and spirit.
The food feast featured an array of stations. Carvings included peking duck, Spanish ham, and roast beef with complimenting side dishes. Seafood included a giant tuna sashimi station with complimenting sushi selection, and shrimps accompanied by different sauces & salsa.
There were also extraordinary attractions that added to the luxury experience of guests, these were the giant wok of beef ravioli and seafood paella, and a giant hanging canopy of desserts that descended from the ballroom’s ceiling!
Giant wok of Spanish Seafood Paella
Dessert heaven
Ham and cheese
Luxury Wine & Food Experience
it’s so easy to be overwhelmed with all the sights, smell, sound, and tastes at the 16th Grand Wine Experience. But, after you’ve explored and found your perfect spot to breathe in this one of a kind event, your tastebuds will start to tell you where to go.
Live soundtrack for your wine adventure
I started sampling the meats so that my gut will be ready for all the wine I will drink. I am not a wine expert and all I know is that I like sweet wine. So after enjoying my peking duck and Spanish ham, I headed straight to the nearest wine station and asked for a recommendation that fits my taste.
Moscato!
My first glass was a Yellow Tail White Moscato, it was perfect for a light drinker like me. Sweet and sparkling with very clean and light finish. From then on I decided to focus and take this opportunity to sample as many Moscato as I can.
Most of the Moscatos I tried were from the Australian wine section, another stand out for me was the Gossips Sweet Lips Pink Moscato which was sweeter than Yellow Tail and it’s tough to decide which is better. Since we were at the Grand Wine Experience, there is no need to decide because we can enjoy all the wine that we like.
Capping it all off with Coffee
Yes! There is also overflowing coffee and different kinds at that with real baristas that can prepare a good cup of latte, cappuccino, or amerikano to wake up your senses AND give you an extra boost of energy to dance to the live music.
I absolutely enjoyed my caffé amerikano with a selection of chocolate macarons from the dessert buffet, this – while keeping my friends updated on social media. There are plenty of comfy seats at the event so you can choose to stand, mingle, or like me, just relax and quietly enjoy the wine experience.
We were happy to find familiar faces and friends, Ted and Myke
Wine appreciation at your own pace
It was difficult to leave the Grand Wine Experience but when we finally did, I walked away with an extraordinary and memorable experience PLUS new knowledge especially about what wine I should buy this holiday. In fact, I am very excited to shop and look for the wines that I enjoyed at this event so that I can share wine appreciation to my family and friends.
Wine events, dinners, and what have you – it may all sound intimidating at first but at the end of the day, it is up to us what wine we choose to enjoy and with what food. Unless you are vying for the P2.5 million peso bottle of Dalmore, wines are not as expensive as they sound and prices do not necessarily dictate their quality and taste.
If you want to embark on a wine adventure to find your own favorite glass, don’t miss the next Grand Wine Experience. Stay tuned to http://grandwineexperience.com/ for updates.
Cheers! 🙂
