The Philippines Branch was chartered on October 20, 1982 with 27 members. Today, with membership totaling 69, the branch remains exclusively for men who pay single membership dues but whose spouses are welcomed to every activity as non-voting members. A new member would typically be invited and sponsored by a member in good standing and required to attend three functions before their application is submitted for approval by the entire membership.

Functions

Our branch holds at least eleven official dinners in a calendar year, at least one for every month of the year except December, which are held on the third Thursdays of every month unless specified otherwise. Actual tastings of the wines and foods to be served at these dinners by the Wine Master and his committee are conducted before every dinner, to carefully ascertain that they are properly matched in keeping with the Society’s belief “that a right understanding of good food and wine is an essential part of personal contentment and health and that an intelligent approach to the pleasures and problems of the table offers far greater rewards than the mere satisfaction of appetite”. At least three of these dinners are set aside for themed wine tastings - intra-appellation challenges, horizontals, verticals, varietals, old-world vs. new world, etc. We also hold regular BYOB lunches at least once every quarter and occasional out-of-town trips to promote camaraderie amongst members in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Wine Fair

An annual wine fair was recently conceived and held to allow members who are in the wine business to showcase their wines within a set of defined rules and guidelines directly to their fellow members and guests of IWFS branches in the Philippines, the commercial aspect of which is frowned upon and prohibited in the Society. This allows members to be educated in turn by the wine merchants in their midst to the wines they offer. This event is incorporated into the dinner for the month where members can choose wines to pair with their food on the spot and be shared with each other around the table. The outstanding success of the first wine fair held in February 2010 sets the stage for its encore every year thereafter.

Website and Wine Education

To promote continuing wine and food education amongst our members, intra-branch communication and friendships, a comprehensive website, www.iwfs.org.ph, also accessible through www.iwfs.ph, was established in early 2009. Through our website and emails, we make every effort to report to all our members on every function with a focus on the results of wine and food pairing at each function. These informative write-ups are made available to the general public on our website with the belief that our role in the culinary world can be better served when we share our knowledge and in doing so, the Society’s standing in it would be greatly enhanced.

Enhancing Value of Membership

To further enhance the value proposition of our membership, we also offer our members Philippines Branch ID card-based special privileges that we solicit from all leading wine merchants, restaurants, hotels and resorts in the country. These privileges cover discounts for wine purchases at wine stores, accommodations in hotels and resorts, and discounts for food and waivers of wine corkage in restaurants.

Role in Society

In a recent move to redefine its role and relevance in Philippine cuisine, the Philippines Branch has undertaken a lead role to study how Filipino cuisine can be brought to the bar of international standards and how it can be promoted beyond its shores. This follows the establishment of a professorial chair at a leading university in the Philippines in 2003 to help develop and train future culinary professionals.

Role in IW&FS

The branch actively participates in IW&FS affairs and activities in the regional and international levels with the current Chairman and Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Zone Committee coming from its ranks. Members not only attend regional and international festivals but the Philippines Branch also does its share in organizing them - a Regional Festival in Manila in 1991 and an AGM and Mini-Festival weekend in Cebu last November 2009.

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