By Issa Quirante
THE morning air is always crisp, the afternoons are often a mixture of subdued warmth and a laid-back atmosphere, and the sun turns slowly from vibrant yellow to fiery orange over the sloping hills of the Taal Volcano. Then there comes the night to cool the weather, with fog covering the rows of lush pine trees and wide roads.
This is a typical setting in Tagaytay City—its unique charm and accessibility make it undeniably one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations near Manila. And, sometimes, it becomes so enticing to simply commune with nature and find a permanent home in this prime vacation spot.
Megaworld’s Global-Estate Resorts Inc., the leading developer of tourism estate in the Philippines, creates this exclusive, low-density residential condominium cluster impelled by the rustic allure of Tagaytay’s rolling terrains and the quaint ambiance of countryside Europe—The Vineyard Residences.
The Vineyard Residences is a vast 2.62-hectare residential cluster in the 1,200-hectare integrated tourism estate, Twin Lakes. It features three midrise condominium towers named after the world’s finest grape varieties such as Merlot, Chardonnay and Shiraz.
The Merlot has eight stories featuring a total of 81 condominium units; the Chardonnay has seven stories, which have a total of 70 units; and the Shiraz with six stories. All three buildings offer one-bedroom units ranging from 27 square meters to 102.2 sq m, which offer a range of studio types to two bedrooms.
The units at the second floor will have a pocket garden, and units on the third floor will have a skylight, while the rest will have a balcony for private view of the Taal Volcano and Taal Lake.
Unit owners will also be given the distinct privilege of being in the midst of the very first vineyard resort community—The Vineyard. With over 69 hectares of land, The Vineyard will have a stunning 10-hectare landscape of tidy rows of real grapes, a setting that mirrors the world-renowned vineyards in Tuscany and Napa Valley.
Producing its own vineyard products of the finest vintage, the real vineyard will be overseen by Filipino farmer-scientist Avelino Lomboy, while Spanish consultants will be on top of making brandies and wines.
The products of the vineyard will then be stored and showcased in a traditional wine chateau. The French-inspired wine manor, named Chateau Twin Lakes, will be next to Twin Lake’s beautiful manmade lake.
While close to the natural treasures of Tagaytay, residents will still get access to modern-day conveniences. Embodying the township blueprint of Megaworld, Twin Lakes is a complete integrated tourism community of expansive nature spaces linked by residential villas, condominiums, townhouses, hotel and resort, commercial and retail hubs, and leisure facilities. Residents, who get to be in the middle of all the action, have the first access to the township’s unique offerings.
Currently, the Shopping Village, at the entrance of Twin Lakes, has opened its doors to signal the beginning of the township’s developments. Open to visitors, it houses stopover joints like Bag of Beans and what is dubbed as the “most beautiful” Starbucks store in the country.
Apart from The Vineyard Residences, Twin Lakes also features four residential villages, namely, Domaine Le Jardin, Domaine Le Montagne, Domaine Le Soleil and Domaine Du Lac.
www.megaworldcorp.com