En route to Abalde’s Grapes Farm, a verdant gem high up from the shorelines and the sole ATI-certified Learning Site for Agriculture in the alluring coastal Municipality of Alubijid, Misamis Oriental, and while battling dust and the glaring heat of the afternoon sun, the tricycle driver curiously asked whether our center has ever grown its own grapes. It was unfortunate to inform him that we had tried, but it failed to thrive due to its dubious location, where torrential rains flood the area with floodwater. So, talking to Michelle Abalde Baculio, the farm manager of their family-owned vineyard, it was remarkable to witness that cultivating grapes thrives in the Philippine weather—an uneasy feat for a country devastated yearly by turbulent storms and harsh summers.
It all started in 2019 when the Abalde’s shifted from their furniture business to turning their ancestral land into a farmland. The family tried planting tobacco and corn but failed to maintain it until their uncle, a chemical engineer now residing in Canada, learned about vineyards and wineries from his generous neighbor.
Vines and Wines
Grapevines basked in warm sunrays and spread their green vines in loose, unsuspecting local soil, dissociating from the general misconception that they only preferred foreign lands and winters (grapes actually require at least six hours of direct sunlight!). From the first cuttings they brought from Cebu, their growing grape variety has started from Joy, Hope Everest, and Talisman, to wine grapes like Riesling and Krasen. Visitors can enjoy its fruits’ tangy and delectable saccharine taste of these varieties they can get through the farm’s pick-and-pay activity every harvest time, which painstakingly took almost a year from pruning before yielding. Just don’t be shy about asking for its price, each type has a different value ranging from ₱350 – ₱600 per kilo.
What comes after grapes, you ask? Wine. An ancient ambrosia passed down from generations outliving dynasties and used in trades, medicine, religions, and cultures around the world. Even our ancestors had welcomed the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, as documented by Italian navigator Antonio Pigafetta, with a jar of palm wine. Proof that the Filipinos had fermented fruit wines like tuba (coconut wine), basi (sugarcane wine), and tapuy (rice wine) even before the Spanish colonization. Through the vast influence of the West, grape varieties and European techniques of winemaking were introduced in the archipelago, which shaped the local winemaking scene as we see it today.
Did you know that the Abaldes needed the strength of two people just to crush grapes using their old wine press? News flash! They don’t stomp their feet to press the grapes like in the traditional way. Through further research online and the guidance from the experts they have consulted, they finally got a suitable blender for crushing the grapes before transferring them to a 20-liter food-grade latons for fermentation. Mr. Rey Niño Abalde, their winemaker, briefly introduced us to their winemaking process, adding potassium metabisulfate, tannin, yeast, and their secret ingredient, carefully isolated in a dark hub, to the tireless racking for sediments until fermentation is stopped when the desired wine mixture is achieved. A year of patience and dedication for a bottle of fine wine.
Abalde’s Nouvino: Alubijid’s Grape Wine
When is the perfect time for wine? A romantic dinner date with a loved one or from the cheers for a toast to celebrate with your family and friends. Well, as a non-drinker, I sure can say I did not expect to taste-test five different flavors of Abalde’s very own Nouvino in the raging noonday sun!
For only ₱50.00, you will be served a tray of five shot glasses as a sample of Nouvino’s fine wines: Rosé, Texas, White, Cordofan, and Red Wine. A visual of contrasting white, yellow, and blush liquids. Each sip is wrapped in varying silky, fruity relish, with a dry aftertaste, and a wisp of its delicate citrine sweetness spreading into your mouth. Their wines are reasonably priced, with white wine as the darling of the crowd (my personal favorite too!) from their Riesling grapes at ₱600.00 per bottle. Their red wine with a fresh aroma, a result of the Joy variety, is at ₱450.00. Rosé is a pale gold liquid from the Everest variety priced at ₱400.00. Cordofan in light purplish hue, a surprise blend of grapes and blueternate is also ₱400.00. Texas is an intriguing blend of watermelon in cloudy white shade at ₱375.00 (the taste reminds me of tuba!).
Nouvino is perfect for the ladies and gentlemen, depending on your palate, at only 12% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) content. Indulge in a bottle of sophistication when you pay a visit to Alubijid with Abalde’s Nouvino. Truly a guilty pleasure in any weather!
Abalde’s Grapes Farm also serves their own creamy grape ice cream with real grape bits, grape jam (too bad it was unavailable at the time of our visit), and their no pork menu of ₱149.00 rice meals like escabeche (sautéed fish in sweet and sour sauce), fried chicken in garlic buffalo, honey lemon, and butter. A lutong bahay experience with a generous amount of serving. (written by: Giftfemae S. Catiil, RPm)
Abalde’s Grapes Farm
Farm Location: Upper Purok 3, Loguilo, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental
Cooperator: Ms. Michelle A. Baculio
Land Area: 14,000 square meters
Date Established: 2019
Farm Products: Grapes, Wine, Grape Jam, Grape Ice Cream
Services Provided: Pick-and-Pay Activity, Grape Viewing, PhilGEPS Certified Venue, Mini-Golf Course
Social Media Page: https://www.facebook.com/AbaldesGrapes/
Contact Detail: 0970 962 9418
References:
Pascual, J. (2024, November 9). From arack to alak: How our wines and spirits figured in key moments of our history | ABS-CBN Lifestyle. ABS-CBN. https://www.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/11/02/19/from-arack-to…
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