Premium champagne, fine wines, and liquor flowed freely at “Wines and Spirits 2009,” held recently at the Grand Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Manila. Presented together with the International Wine and Spirits Association, the wine distributors were: Philippine Wine Merchants, Titania Wine Cellar, Future Trade, Best World Beverage, Wine Depot and Moet Hennessy/ Ram’s House of Wine.

Rupert Jacinto, a champagne enthusiast, wasted no time and started sipping the Veuve Clicquot Rose, at the booth bar of Olga Azarcon of Moet/Hennessy, followed by Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial. He moved on to the other premium red and white wine booths of our oenophile friends Tita Trillo of Titania and Ralph Joseph of Ralph’s. 

Mandarin Oriental’s GM Helmut Gaisberger and Executive Assistant Manager Marc Ennis mingled with the guests who were pairing the wines with the international cocktail buffet, prepared by the hotel’s Executive Chef Rene Ottlik. IWSA President Ralph Joseph and Executive Assistant Manager-F&B Oliver Kreuzer welcomed the guests to the event. The jazz music of David Starck and Alvin Cornista of Manila Paris Confidential filled the room. 

A raffle draw included vacation packages from El Nido, Bellarocca Resorts, Air Philippines, Club Punta Fuego,  Subic International Hotel,  Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Waterfront Hotel-Cebu, Centennial Resort Hotel, Iloilo,  7107 Islands cruises and Maribago Bluewater Resort. 

Guilly Rufino Birthday Bash

It was a salsa dance party at the birthday bash of Guilly Rufino held recently at the swinging Temple Bar in Greenbelt 5.  It was attended by the Rufino clan, Raffy, Tony, Mav and Carlo including friends, among them Maureen Santiago,  Cora Dee,  Raul and Marem Zamora, Marzena Nowakowska,  Gloria Huang and Jo Buendia.