Photo by JL Javier
Staying true to the carefree Filipino spirit that has made Bombvinos so successful, the company has launched a new wine with flavors made for drinking and dancing under the sun. Bombvinos unveils Bb. Sunshine, their very first wine infused with green mango and pineapple flavors.
“Eh “di magsayaw nalang tayo!” (“Then we should just dance!”)
From this line in the 80s cult classic film, Temptation Island, Bombvinos was inspired to create a natural wine made for sipping and dancing under the sun.
For Bombvinos co-owner Paolo Monasterio, “every sip [of Bb. Sunshine] refreshes the palette and offers a very interesting flavor profile.” With its green mango and pineapple flavor notes along with stone fruit and floral aromas, they envision it as a drink to have with your favorite Filipino snacks.
In cuisine we trust
The Bombvinos team believes that natural wines are a match for the Philippine market because of the country’s climate and cuisine. With this in mind, they conducted multiple tastings with respected restaurants in Manila, such as Toyo Eatery and Metiz, and spoke to their chefs to find that there was an opportunity to create a wine designed specifically for the Filipino palate.
At the launch in Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, they welcomed guests to have a taste of the bottle paired with vinyl selections and appetizers. A food spread from Chef Don Baldosano’s Filipino Bistronomy menu served Caramelized Cornick, Empanadang Bulakenya, and Charred Eggplant Tostada. These Filipino classics reinvented into appetizers created the perfect setting to enjoy the wine.
The team encourages people to drink it casually, with no fuss whatsoever. It strays away from how most people commonly see wine as a drink reserved for formal occasions and embraces a lighthearted and very Filipino take on how wine should be enjoyed.
“The best Filipino get-togethers are always casual and fun-loving — even wedding receptions in the most formal and made-up setting always evolves into a from-dusk-till-dawn song and dance party. Bb. Sunshine is made to fit in all those get-togethers,” says Joey Osmeña, another co-owner of Bombvinos.
Creative Spirits
At the Bombvinos Bodega in Makati, a wall of their space is dedicated to showcasing their collection of wines and spirits from all over the world. First impressions matter in this lineup full of interesting drinks. To be taken off the shelf, each bottle vies for attention through their label’s design. The challenge for winemakers, apart from developing delicious flavors, is to have a bottle that catches peoples’ attention while also representing the essence of its contents itself.
So, Paolo and Joey collaborated with Filipino creatives to express how much of a milestone the creation of their own wine is for the team. For the label, they worked with designer and creative director Paulina Paige Ortega to bring Bb. Sunshine to life. The label includes the sun, the titular Temptation Island they were inspired by, and their embodiment of Bb. Sunshine herself. “The scene [from Temptation Island] resonated so well with us and with people during [the pandemic] because it basically reflected the mindset I think many of us adopted to try not just to survive, but thrive during trying times,” their team shares.
But aside from the bottle itself, their entire collaborative project also includes media collateral, merchandise, and even flower arrangements present at their launch. “Personally, growing and diversifying our community has made building Bombvinos more fun,” Joey says. Their hope is that Bb. Sunshine makes the Bombvinos and natural wine experience inviting and accessible for more Filipinos and to further grow their universe of collaborators.
From the wine to the label, Bb. Sunshine mirrors Bombvinos’ origins in the past two years. Since their beginnings during the pandemic, the company has worked closely with Filipino creatives, which gives their wine a unique brand DNA. To them, the bottle is an ode to the Philippines.
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