While undoubtedly Filipinos love food, we have yet to develop a strong wine culture. However, some
wine stores in Manila aim to change that by letting Filipinos enjoy their favorite spirit from the glass or the bottle.
We asked our readers their favorite places to get a bottle or two of bubbly. Which
wine shop in Manila topped our list? Read on to find out.
Wine Story started when owner Romy Sia picked up a book about the world’s most expensive bottle of wine. After attending wine tours in Napa and Bordeaux, he opened the first Wine Story shop at Shangri-La Plaza.
This luxury wine store in Manila carries only wine from Bordeaux, California, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Customers can taste up to 16 samples of the best wines in the Philippines in-store before buying a bottle. Wine Story aims to develop a wine culture among Filipinos. As such, this wine shop in Manila offers wine-tasting events for private occasions or corporate functions.
June 2023 Update: Wine Story is temporarily closed. Follow them on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/WineStoryPH, to be the first to know when they resume operations!
The third place in our poll of wine stores in Manila goes to Säntis Delicatessen. Although they are primarily known for selling cold cuts and cheese, this hasn’t stopped the neighborhood deli from taking the third spot. Werner Berger and company opened Säntis in 1897 to cater to housewives. Since then, the company has expanded to twelve outlets in Metro Manila, Cavite, and Tagaytay.
Aside from dairy products, dry goods, kitchen equipment, fresh produce, and meat and fish, Säntis also sells wine and beverages. The assortment of goods at this wine store in Manila includes Swiss, Italian, European, and continental flavors, making them a one-stop for world-class gourmet products.
The Wine Club is a wine lounge and bistro at Legazpi Village, right at the heart of Manila’s business district. This wine shop in Manila has been in the wine business for 10 years and has established partnerships with hotels and restaurants in the country.
This wine store in Manila primarily features top-rated spirits from Napa Valley and Sonoma, the Santa Cruz Mountains, California’s Central Coast, and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Here, patrons can buy wine by the bottle or by the glass. This wine store in Manila has the best wines in the Philippines and serves food inspired by rustic Italian cuisine, with staff ready to make recommendations of wine to pair with one’s dish.
The store is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Taking the top spot in our survey of wine stores in Manila is Wine Depot. The family-owned corporation was established in 2000 by Brett Tolhurst, whose family has been in the wine business for 90 years.
The extensive array of spirits at Wine Depot includes more than 100 award-winning wine brands worldwide. Aside from five physical stores, they have an online shop where customers can order their favorite bottles. This wine store in Manila also holds monthly wine-flight events where guests can enjoy wine, steak, and seafood.
Did your favorite wine shop in Manila make it to the list? Let us know them!
Results are based on the Top 10 Wine Shops in Metro Manila 2017 Poll posted on the home page of ShoppersGuide.com.ph from November 6 to 12, 2017.
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on November 19, 2017.
Check out this video: