AFTER Spain, it is now Australia’s turn to seek a bigger share of the Philippine wine market, as it introduced Penfolds, one of its oldest wineries, in the country.
Penfolds Winemaking Ambassador Patrick Dowling said during its upscale launch in Makati City that they have to bring their iconic brand to the Philippines, because of a growing middle class that is fast understanding the finer points wine.
“If we are not here, someone else will,” Dowling said, while adding that Penfolds has name recognition anywhere in the world.
Penfolds, which traces back its history to 1844, is part of the more than 100 varieties of Australian wines spread over 60 regions.
Dowling said Australia is the fifth-largest wine exporters in the world of “world-class quality wines.” He said, unlike other wines, Penfolds wines are mixtures of the different wines grown across several regions.
“We have a unique house style in making wines. We have distinct rules in wine making. Others have lots of single vine years. Ours is multiregional, multivarietal. We get to pick the best fruits. We are meticulous in our process without compromising style. We do not buy. We grow our fruits,” he said.
Dowling added that Penfolds bought 500 hectares of the choicest farmland in Adelaide, which they planted with grape vines, and the wines are used as tonic in his practice to cure anemia and high blood pressure.
“We all know today the benefits of red wine. Penfolds is probably well ahead of his time,” he noted.
Premiere Wine and Spirits President JP Santamarina Penfolds distributor in the Philippines, said the country has imported some 1.2 million cases of various wines each year.
He said the outlook for wine consumption looks bright for the country, because of the rising middle class coupled with the digital age educating the public on wine varieties and the lifestyle that goes along with wine drinking.
Santamarina said California wines remain the market leader because of its basement-level pricing. He then added that Penfolds is premium brand with the cheapest price at P500 per bottle and the ultrapremium at P25,000 per bottle.
During the launch, several variety of Penfolds wines were paired with the food served during the dinner.
It started with Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Reisling 2015 with its tastes of lemon, lime and a range of other blossoms. It accompanied dishes that included Ahi poke and crispy rice, tempura lobster, caper and tarragon aioli.
Next was the smoked and roasted duck breast, with foie Gras, roast pear and leek tart, paired with Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro 2013.
Then came the slow cooked spiced lamb shoulder, roast pumpkin and Zatar crisp that went well with Penfolds Bin 407 cabernet sauvignon 2013.
The last was a serving of Jack creek Wagyu beef fillet, sweet onions, roast Celerac and watercress. It was paired with Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz 2013.