Cheers to the 19th Grand Wine Experience! (Pasay City)

The 19th Grand Wine Experience at the Marriott Grand Ballroom

The Philippine Wine Merchants (PWM) have done it again with their very successful 19th edition of the Grand Wine Experience, the country’s most prestigious annual wine event (ranked as one of Asia’s most important wine spectacles), held last November 15 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel (its 9th consecutive year as host), Resorts World Manila.  This year’s theme is Generations, highlighting the story of wine as a legacy since heritage in winemaking plays across generations in vineyards and the families that cultivate them.

An array of wine and spirit stalls

A huge cauldron of meatballs

A giant plate of paella

As early as 5 PM, while everyone waited for the grand ballroom event venue to open its doors, early attendees avoiding the usual insane pay-day weekend traffic mayhem were already at the red carpeted halls leading to the main ballroom, having a chill time with white wine. Just like in past GWEs, the ballroom was set up with stalls, with different wines and spirits, stationed on the perimeter of the ballroom, with different buffets scattered across the center. 

Live entertainment 

At the center of everything was a big stage where the 20-piece AMP Big Band with Mel Villena played live music.  To complete the mood, veteran club DJ Boyet Sison was also spinning records. There were also small stages where winemakers will have their interviews.

By 6 PM, the ballroom soon filled with dignitaries, top executives, celebrities, wine connoisseurs and wine lovers, most in business or cocktail attire. They were amazed by the spectacular wine choices and buffet spreads and excited to taste the more than 700 renowned wines, beers, sakes (rice beer), whiskeys and other spirits from over 100 wineries, breweries, and distilleries from 20 countries.  

Chivas booth

On hand to welcome them and officially start the event were the Joseph brothers of PWM - Ronald Lim Joseph (Director of Finance), Raymond Lim Joseph (Director of Sales and Marketing), Robert Lim Joseph (Chairman) and Ralph Lim Joseph (President).

Favorite brands such as Hennessy and Chivas were there. Hennessy featured the Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand and Malbec from Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina. 

Tapping into the milk tea craze that’s sweeping the country, Hennessy featured its three-star Cognac, Hennessy VS, in a cocktail which it called Hennessy Milktea. Chivas, on the other hand, featured, for the first time, its “full range,” coming up with exciting cocktails that show how “flexible” their brands are.

The "party-like" ambiance

Aside from wines, there were also liquors from popular Filipino brands (Don Papa Rum, etc.), beers from Corona and Stella Artois, whiskies from Dalmore, and a lot more. Also featured was the largest premium sake selection in the Philippines, with 14 legendary sake from breweries (Dassai, Tatenokawa, Gekkeikan, etc.) from 11 prefectures of Japan.  

A whole yellowfin tuna

Some wines from Greece (Domaine Sigalas, Kir-Yianni, Xinomavro, Assyrtiko, etc.), the Golan Heights from Israel (Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.), among others, also made their Philippine debut. 

Aside from unlimited tastings, guests also had the chance to meet winemakers, sake brewers, beer brewers, and owners.  Within everyone's easy reach were sumptuous culinary treats, courtesy of the chefs and crew of Marriott Hotel Manila, led by Executive Chef Meik Brammer, who kept replenishing their glorious assortment of food, from the shrimps to the cheeses, sausages, breads, whole slabs of fresh fish, roasted ducks, etc..  

A taste of China - Peking duck

The amazing buffet spread of tasty dishes lavishly displayed all over the grand ballroom (which was already probably too much to consume all in one night) included impressive displays of a massive plate of paella served on one side and a humongous cauldron of meatballs on the other. For sweets, there’s chocolates and fresh strawberries, right in front of the stage at the center of the venue, to pair with their drinks.

Freixenet booth

In spite of the large contingent of oenophiles attending the event, everything seemed to be unlimited in this outrageously fun night, with food and wines served from 5:30 PM till past midnight. 

Truly, this evening, with its casual, almost “party-like” ambience, can best be summarized as “Eat, Drink and Be Merry.” Though wine was the focal point of the conversations, camaraderie and hedonism, the GWE also offered guests the opportunity to see old friends, catch up with wine industry people and also meet and see new faces.

Toasting to the present and the future.....

The Grand Wine Experience, resembling a humongous wine dinner or wine party, combined everything in one huge epicurean festival - an overflowing array of food from various cuisines, live entertainment and different wines, liquors and spirits from different regions. This year’s wine drinking odyssey, a GWE that I’m sure people won’t soon forget, truly surpassed its previous editions.

L-R: the author, Mr. Pete Dacuycuy (publicist), Ms.  Patria Aurora "Dawnie" Roa (former DOT Region 7 Director), Fr. Boyd R. Sulpico (Colegio de San Juan de Letran chaplain) and Mr. Ricky Paul Tio (president and general manager of Cebu Tours & Holiday Travel, Inc.)

Philippine Wine Merchants: 2253 Aurora Blvd., Pasay City 1300, Metro Manila.Tel: (02) 853-7423.  Email: sales@ralphswines.com.ph. Website: www.grandwineexperience.com.

Kasadya! Pasko sa Bohol (Tagbilaran City)

Kasadya! Pasko sa Bohol 

After merienda at Panglao Bluewater Resort, we all boarded the resort’s van for the 25-km. drive to Abatan, Cortes where we were to experience the Abatan River Firefly Tour.  

Along the way, we made a stopover in TagbilaranCity to feel the air of Christmas Spirit at its “Kasadya! Pasko sa Bohol, a 40-day Christmas bazaar at Carlos P. Garcia (CPG) Park, New Capitol Compound (across Bohol Wisdom School).

Check out “Resort Review: PanglaoBluewater Resort” and "Abatan River Firefly Watching Tour"

The food court

Launched as an avenue for local entrepreneurs to display their wares and to promote local cuisine, culture and tradition, it will showcase the best of Bohol’s local handicrafts, local cuisine , fresh farm produce, processed food, plants, ornamental items and the best from Boholano artists and artisans. 

They include Bohol Blades, Dalareich Food Products (unsweetened chocolate or tableya), The Boholana Essentials, Reputana Guitars, Habol, Templos, Sabunichi, Jzaki Enterprises (rice wine), Serendipity Tea Bar, Paeng's Chicken, Green Thumb Farms (organic farm), The Shawarma Shack, Kew Hotel, Astoria, Asin Tibuok (artisanal salt), Let's Go Natural (handmade bags and accessories), The Baker (butter cookies), Tubigon Loomweavers Multipurpose Cooperative, Taloto Tinapay Squares, Buenaventurada Farms (organic farm), etc.

Kew Hotel:  serves pork barbecue, inuyapang baboy, kare-kare and more

Arte

Bohol Blades (Sikatuna)

Bohol Gov. Arthur C. “Art” Yap led the lighting ceremonies, ribbon cutting and opening of exhibits at the first ever Kasadya: Pasko sa Bohol Christmas Market on November 5, 2019. 

Gov. Yap, whose main program is tourism, intends to strengthen Bohol’s tourism industry by improving its local products and supporting its producers as well as its aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

Reputana Guitars

The Boholana Essentials

Sabunichi Artisan Bath and Body

According to Gov. Yap, "I hope to have a Christmas village that will not only showcase regular products but unique Boholano products.”  

Also attending this special event were  Provincial Board members Mr. Ricky Masamayor, Mr. Aldner Damalerio, Ms. Jade Bautista, Ms. Lucille Lagunay and Mr. Elpidio Bonita; Provincial Administrator Ms. Kathryin Pioquinto and Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants (BAHRR) members Ms. Joy Angeli “Shobe” Uy (F&B Manager of Belian Hotel), Ms. Dalareich P. Polot (manager of Dalareich Food Products and founder of Ginto Fine Chocolates) and Mr. Duke Miñosa (Buenaventura Farm). The bazaar, opened from  5 PM to 10 PM, will run until December 15, 2019.

Artwork by Boholano artists for sale

On its first week (November 5 until November 10), this curated Christmas night market, organized by the provincial government, raked in PhP1.1 million in total curated market’s sales, according to Capitol Communications Chief Mr. Augustus Escobia. The majority of the revenues (PhP941,000) was earned through food sales while the agriculture and handicraft segments of the market raked in P130,174 and P65,542, respectively.

As part of the over month-long celebration, other activities also launched include the Belen contest (final judging will be on December 14 to 15, 2019 at the CPG Park), a display of the manger scene depicting the birth of Jesus, and the Dayegon Contest (final judging on December 13, 2019 at the Bohol Cultural Center, 6 PM), the traditional devotional performance expressed as votive carol to the newborn Christ. Both are two of the most enduring Christmas traditions that have been the hallmark of local heritage.

Templos

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com. 

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

“Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks” Exhibition (Melbourne, Australia)

 

“Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks” Exhibition

Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks, a temporary exhibition opened just last May 24, 2019 at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, was supposed to run only until October 6 but it was still ongoing during our November visit. It features a suite of exhibitions and experiences that explores the art of tattoo, alongside themes of identity, self-expression, culture and community.  

Check out "Immigration Museum"

 

The artists.....

It includes two main photography exhibits (Immigration Granulation and Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World) that look at the intersection between ancient and modern tattoo practices and a series of contemporary installations curated by Ukrainian-Australian artist and tattooist Stanislava Pinchuk (also known as Miso). 

 

Immigration Granulation

Immigration Granulation, in the Community Gallery, presents a series of immigration journeys tattooed onto the bodies of those who made the journeys. The inked lines are complemented with beautiful gold jewelry handcrafted by Zaiba Khan using gold granulation from staple foods that the wearer would have eaten on their journey. 

 

Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World

Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World, designed by exhibition artist Kip Fulbeck (photographer and professor of art at the University of California, Santa Barbara), was organized by the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (California) and are toured internationally by Flying Fish Exhibits.

 

The tools of the tattooist ......

It explores the artistry, extensive history and rich tradition of Japanese tattoos and their influence on modern tattoo culture in Japan. Fulbeck himself is extensively tattooed in the Japanese style. Facing negative criminal stigma thanks to its association with the Yakuza, the country's notorious mafia syndicate, this exhibition investigates how tattoo practice has persevered and looks to share its artistry, symbolism and the skill of its practitioners with wider communities. 

 

The human body is their canvas......

Held in tandem with this exhibition is Tatau: Marks of Polynesia, an exhibition exploring a traditional Samoan art form.  It showcases the works of both traditional tatau masters and emerging artists that are still practicing this 2,000-year-old art form.

 

Photo gallery of tattoo art.....

“Our Bodies, Our Voices, Our Marks” Exhibition: Immigration Museum, 400-424 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.  Tel: 1311 02.  E-mail: mvbookings@museum.vic.gov.au. Website: www.museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/. Open daily, 10 AM – 5 PM (closed Christmas Day and Good Friday). Admission: adults ($15), children (free).  Entry to the Tribute Garden is free.

"Lucy McRae Body Architect" Exhibit (Melbourne, Australia)

 

Lucy McRae Body Architect

Brush (2007)

Lucy McRae Body Architect, the first survey exhibition of “body architect,” interior designer, architect, science fiction artist and former ballerina Lucy McRae’s provocative and beguiling work, explores the Los Angeles-based Australian artist’s collaborations with scientists, through to pop musicians, in her creative research practice over the past thirteen years. Opened last August 30, 2019 at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, the show runs until February 9, 2020. 

Lucy, one of the youngest ever TED Fellows and listed by Fast Company as one of the “fifty people shaping the future,” lives between Melbourne and Los Angeles. 

She has presented at international events, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Being Material conference on wearables, and her award-winning science fiction artwork has been exhibited worldwide. In 2018, at the World EconomicForum, she was selected as a Young Global Leader.

Check out "Ian Potter Center: NGV Australia"

 

L-R: Exploded View (2008), Evolution (2008) and Grow On You (2007)

Dripping Color
No. 1 (2010)

To consider how technology could transform the human body in the future, she produces short films and images that raise questions about what it means to be human and what is it that makes us human, effectively blurring the lines between fashion, design, art, architecture and science. 

Through the areas of biology, beauty and health, her work encourages conversations on the future of human existence. The exhibition features seven of McRae’s videos that combine storytelling with speculative science including Future Day Spa and her seminal work Institute of Isolation. 

Also included in the exhibition are McRae’s music videos for Australian and Danish pop bands Architecture in Helsinki and Reptile Youth. Her collaboration with Swedish pop-star Robyn is represented by McRae’s iconic image created for the Body Talk album cover.

 

Future Day Spa (short film)

Grow On You
# 3 (2008)

Future Day Spa, presenting an immersive experience, is a hypothetical therapy designed to prepare human subjects for space travel.  Here, participants enter a vacuum pressure chamber, evoking the feeling of being hugged which helps induce the body into a state of relaxation. 

Institute of Isolation, an observational documentary, contemplates whether isolation or extreme experience might be used to increase human resilience for space travel. McRae questions what happens to people when they are travelling in a confined space for decades and how people will prepare for the physiological and mental impacts of this experience. 

The exhibition also features Lucy’s grotesquely beautiful, color digital images created in collaboration with Bart Hess, a Dutch textile artist, between 2007 and 2009. Lucy and Bart met at Philips Design in Eindhoven while working in the Probes Program, a far future design research lab where they speculated on what design technologies might look like in 20 years’ time. In both their images, low-tech materials (including balloons, pantyhose, safety pins, grass and bath foam) are used to initiate high-tech conversations about the body. By speculating on fictional technology, both propose a future human body capable of physiological transformations such as color-excreting skin.

 

Make Your Maker (short film)

Morphe (short film)

Lucy McRae: Body Architect: IanPotter Centre, NGV Australia, Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia. Admission is free. Further information is available from the NGV website: NGV.MELBOURNE.  

“Marking Time: Indigenous Art from the NGV” Exhibit (Melbourne, Australia)

 

“Marking Time: Indigenous Art from the NGV” Exhibit

The “Marking Time: Indigenous Art from the NGV” Exhibit looks at the persistence of images, signs or text painted or drawn on a range of surfaces in Indigenous Australia, from ancient times until now. Opened last August 17, 2019 at the Ian Potter Centre and curated by Judith Ryan, the show runs until January 26, 2021.

 

From Ground and Body to Board

From Rock Face to Bark, the first room, features a number of drawings and carvings of spirit-beings on wet season bark shelters. Here, indigenous artists have found new ways of prolonging the visual language of images and signs, by reimagining it in new and more durable art forms, such as acrylic paintings, neons, sculptures and limited-edition prints. Current bark and sculptured forms, by Jimmy Midjawmidjaw and Crusoe Kuningbal, give modern presence to this enduring visual tradition in a gallery setting.

 

Bryan, Cheska and Kyle at the From Ground and Body to Board Exhibit

From Ground and Body to Board, the second space, uncovers a very different narrative of Country whereby sacred signs and stories move, from ephemeral surfaces such as earth, rock face and bark, onto more permanent materials like composition board and canvas. 

Blind Faith (H.J. Wedge)

Intiation Tree (Robert Campbell Jr, 1981).

These non-figurative works, whose bold presence declares their value as art rather than artifact, explore a colorful chromaticity made available through the use of enamel and synthetic polymer paint.

 

Bark Shelter (Bardayal Nadjamerrek and Dick Ngulayngulay Murrumurru, 1987)

From Street to Gallery, the third space, curates a powerful body of work that critiques social and political issues through a post-colonial gaze. It marks a shift towards a more modern interpretation of Indigenous iconography using new technologies and contemporary concepts.  

Here, artists of the Western Desert transfer their designs, from the ceremonial ground and body, to the wider world of circulating images on gallery walls.

 

Initiation (Reko Rennie, 2013)

Incisions on carved trees or shields are translated by Reko Rennie and Brook Andrew into bold neon icons.  On the other hand, multimedia artist Josh Muir, together with Hannah Brontë, use video art to communicate voices of dissent, create dialogue between groups and to effect change. Hannah Brontë’s nearly 5 min. long music video Umma’s Tongue – Molten at 6000° (2017) adorns the back wall, perpendicular to Gordon Hookey’s “Sacred nation, scared nation, indoctrination” (2013), a 6.4 m. long (overall) and 1.83 m. wide oil on canvas satirical triptych.

 

Sacred Nation, Sacred Nation, Indoctrination (Gordon Hookey, 2003)

From Body to Classroom to Gallery Walls, the fourth room, celebrates a series of paintings by senior Warlpiri women from Lajamanu (a small town located in the Northern Territory). This collection of paintings, which renders permanent the body designs used within yawulyu  (women’s ceremonies), acknowledges the challenges faced by female Indigenous artists who, prior to the 1980s, were rarely given the opportunity to produce and exhibit artworks. Throughout their shared stories, the artworks create a feeling of union and harmony through repetition of patterns, symbols and color palette.

Big Rain Dreaming (Fred Jampijinpa Jigili, 1986)

Marking Time: Indigenous Art From the NGV: Level 3, Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia. . Admission is free.