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Virtus Awards honors hotel’s ‘lifeblood’

OUTSTANDING marketing professionals from the hospitality industry were honored on Oct. 14 at Conrad Manila at the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association’s (HSMA) Virtus Awards. The organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

There were four awards given: Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate, Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager, Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader, and an award for Outstanding Marketing Campaign. The winners are as follows: Rigil Kent V. Acapulco, Event Sales Manager at The Bellevue Manila and Ian Bencio David, Sales Executive for MICE at the Conrad Manila tied for the Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate Award. Marvia Jelizha Villarin, Sales Manager at The Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, took home the award for Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager, while Evangeline A. Imperial, Director of Sales and Marketing of Solaire Resort Manila, won the award for Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader. Finally, “Passionately Pink” by Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila and Taal Vista’s 80th Anniversary campaign, “Here for Always,” tied for the Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award.

Rose Libongco, current chair of the Virtus Awards, told BusinessWorld what it meant for a property when their associates win at the awards. “It means that they are able to nurture their associates. Outstanding associates only come from a good, organized property.”

One might have several ideas about what it takes to run a hotel: is it excellent rooms, excellent food, or excellent staff? Ms. Libongco makes it clear: “Sales and marketing is the lifeblood of the hotel. No sales and marketing, no one to serve; no one to enjoy your facilities, or your food and beverage. Sales and marketing is the center of the hotel. Operations support it. Sales and marketing brings the people into the property. It’s up to operations and services to keep them.” — J.L. Garcia

Pag-IBIG’s plan to raise savings rate gets labor groups’ support

THE HOME Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) on Wednesday said labor and employer groups are backing its move to increase the three-decades old P100 monthly savings rate of members.

“The low interest rates of our home loans make home ownership within reach of our members, so much so that the availment of our home loans has grown tremendously. And for us to continue financing the growth in home loans of our members under such low rates, there is a need to increase our members’ P100 monthly savings,” Eduardo D. del Rosario, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

Mr. Del Rosario said they have met with labor unions, OFW nongovernment organizations (NGOs), employer groups, and other stakeholders to seek their views on the Pag-IBIG Fund’s plan to increase the membership savings rate to P200 a month by 2021. The P100 monthly savings rate has been unchanged for the last three decades.

Among the groups consulted were the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GOCCs at GFIs (KAMAGGFI), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), the Filipino Migrant Workers Group, OFW NGOs, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), and Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP).

“As we expect demand to remain strong with growth at around 15% annually in the coming years, we need to find additional sources of funds to sustain the low loan interest rates we currently offer to our members. Our proposal is to adjust the members’ savings rate to P200 per month by 2021, which will be matched by an equivalent amount by their employers,” Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti.

Mr. Moti said the adjustments will provide the agency additional funds to address its loan demand which will allow interest rates on its home loans and calamity loan to remain low at least until 2024. — BML

Avast target of cyber-security attack, firm and Czech counterintelligence say

PRAGUE — Czech-based Avast and Czech counterintelligence service BIS said on Monday they had detected a network attack on the cyber-security company which the BIS suspected of originating in China.

Avast said in a blog post that it found suspicious behavior on its network on Sept. 23 and opened an investigation involving the BIS and Czech police along with an external forensics team.

The BIS said in a statement that — with contribution from foreign partners — it detected a threat to products of Avast, a company founded in the Czech Republic.

“Everything from data analysis so far suggests that the attack came from China, with the intention to take control of the popular optimization tool CCleaner, and through that also users’ computers,” BIS said in a statement.

Avast, however, said it did not know who was behind the attack.

Chief Information Security Officer Jaya Baloo said the intruder, using compromised credentials through a temporary VPN profile, had successfully accessed its network. There were several attempts between May 14 and Oct. 4, Baloo said.

Avast said it kept the VPN profile open to track the cyber intruder. It said the attack was likely aimed at the CCleaner software, used to clean up junk programs to speed up devices, as was a previous case in 2017.

The company said it had verified that no malicious alterations were made to previous releases of the software and it halted new updates. It pushed a clean update of the product to users on Oct. 15 and revoked a previous certificate.

“Having taken all these precautions, we are confident to say that our CCleaner users are protected and unaffected,” Avast said.

“It is clear that this was an extremely sophisticated attempt against us that had the intention to leave no traces of the intruder or their purpose, and that the actor was progressing with exceptional caution in order to not be detected.” — Reuters

Forbes Travel Guide names The Pen’s bar among the World’s Best Hotel Bars

FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE (FTG), the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas, unveiled its Verified List for 2019’s World’s Best Hotel Bars on Oct. 15, naming The Bar at The Peninsula Manila as one of only 45 bars around the world — and the only one in the Philippines — to earn the accolade. This comes on the heels of the Forbes Five Star Awards announcement in February, in which The Peninsula achieved Forbes Five Star status across all 10 of its hotels, resulting in The Peninsula Hotels being the first and only hotel brand to achieve the highest possible FTG rating for all its hotels.

Just a few steps from Salon de Ning and a short walk from the famous Lobby, The Bar echoes the dimly lit bars of Cuba, an intimate space to enjoy the signature Batangas Old Fashioned and Poor Man’s Tea, or savor a malt whisky. The plush armchairs and leather couches encourage intimate conversation among guests.

The Verified List for 2019’s World’s Best Hotel Bars recognizes 45 bars across 13 countries, and represents hotel bars that performed exceptionally on standards related to the quality of their beverage program, their presentation and their luxurious service. Each hotel bar was inspected and scored using criteria such as elements of luxury standards, which reflect sumptuous comfort, choices and conveniences, including a special level of attention to details, and also food and beverage quality standards, which play an important part in the guest experience. Bars must also demonstrate the technical aptitude of their staff, such as their ability to listen to guests’ individual preferences and to deliver beverages at correct temperatures.

“We’ve seen hotel bars evolve enormously in our 60-plus years of operating Forbes Travel Guide, hence the focus of our fourth Verified List,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “Hotel bars are now destinations in their own right and have the ability to transform a hotel experience. We congratulate all of the bars on the list, which were vetted and verified based on the most rigorous standards. They not only scored highly, but also provided the most luxurious experience for hotel and local guests alike.”

Two other Peninsula hotel bars join The Bar at The Peninsula Manila in the Verified List — Z Bar at The Peninsula Chicago and The Club Bar at The Peninsula Beverly Hills.

The Verified List throws a spotlight on amazing hotel bars in the Philippines, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Zara launches online store in PHL

SPANISH fast fashion giant Zara on Wednesday launched its online store in the Philippines, according to the SSI Group, Inc.

In a statement, SSI Group said the complete collection for women, men and kids are now available on the website www.zara.com/ph, and apps for iOS and Android versions.

Customers pick up their orders at any of the nine Zara stores in the Philippines for free. They can also get their orders via home delivery or at drop points for free on orders over P2,995.

Delivery time is estimated to take one to three days in Metro Manila, three to five days in serviceable areas, and five to seven days in other locations.

Customers can return the purchased items free of charge at stores or home collection within 30 days.

Zara stores are located at Ayala Center Cebu, Glorietta 3, Greenbelt 5, SM Mega Fashion Hall, One Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Mall, SM Mall of Asia and Trinoma.

International Specialty Concepts, Inc., a unit of SSI Group,is the exclusive distributor of Zara in the Philippines.

The SSI Group portfolio includes brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Marks & Spencer, Muji, Lacoste, and Payless.

The listed specialty retailer has been expanding its e-commerce business in recent months. Its e-commerce properties include lacoste.com.ph, gap.com.ph, payless.ph, beautybar.com.ph, 158db.com.ph, superga.ph, bananarepublic.com.ph, and dunelondon.ph.

SSI Group reported its net income jumped by 22% to P345.9 million in the first six months of 2019, on the back of a 6.3% increase in net sales to P9.9 billion.

Kaspersky detects 170 ‘stalkerware’ programs in PHL in the 3rd quarter

INTERNET security firm Kaspersky has detected 170 “stalkerware” (commercial spyware) programs in the Philippines in the third quarter.

“In Q3 of 2019, there are 170 monitored stalkerware programs found in PH,” Kaspersky said in an email to BusinessWorld on Oct. 15 when asked for the latest data on stalkerware installation attempts in the Philippines.

Kaspersky said this is a slight decline from last year’s 286 stalkerware programs detected.

“The decline is too few to signify a dramatic improvement in terms of PH’s safety against stalkerware,” it noted.

Stalkerware, according to Kaspersky, is often used as a tool for domestic espionage.

“By using this software, an abuser can access their victim’s message, photographs, social media, geolocation and audio or camera recordings, without the victim’s knowledge or consent,” it said.

In its 2019 report on the “State of Stalkerware,” Kaspersky said that the number of users globally who encountered at least one stalkerware installation attempt has increased by 35% to 37,532 in the first eight months of this year.

“In the first eight months of 2019, 37,532 users encountered stalkerware at least once. This is a 35% increase from the same period in 2018 when 27,798 users were targeted,” Kaspersky said in its report released on Oct. 2.

The report noted that Russia remains the most targeted globally, “accounting for 25.6% of potentially affected users, in the first eight months of 2019.”

Russia is followed by India with 10.6% of affected users. Brazil is in third place (10.4%) while the United States is the fourth with 7.1% affected users.

As for Europe, Kaspersky said: “Germany, Italy and the UK hold the top three places respectively.”

Kaspersky attributes this increase to the improvement in detecting stalkerware software through cybersecurity solutions.

“In April, Kaspersky launched functionality in its Android security app — Privacy Alert — that specifically alerts users if a software that can be used for stalking is found on their device. Since then, the number of detections has steadily risen,” it noted in its report.

Kaspersky recommended that IT security firms and advocacy groups should join forces to “ensure that cybersecurity companies respond better to stalkerware.”

“We believe that every person has a right to be privacy-protected. That’s why we deliver security expertise, work closely with international organizations and law enforcement agencies to fight cybercriminals, as well as develop technologies, solutions and services that help you stay safe from the cyberthreats,” it added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Yields on term deposits up on government spending boost

YIELDS on term deposits slightly recovered on Wednesday amid improved government spending and market anticipation for yet another rate cut from the US Federal Reserve.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) saw total bids of P100.489 billion for its term deposit facility (TDF) on Wednesday, surpassing the P90 billion on offer.

However, this was lower than the P114.510 billion in tenders the central bank saw last week for the P90 billion it auctioned in total.

Tenders from lenders for the seven-day notes were seen at P32.563 billion, oversubscribed against the P30 billion on offer but slipping from last week’s P39.185 billion in bids against P30 billion on the BSP’s auction block.

Accepted yields for the tenor ranged from 4.138% to 4.225%, a thinner band than last week’s 4.12-4.25% margin. This yielded an average rate of 4.2055%, lower by 2.09 basis points (bps) compared to last week’s 4.2264%.

Meanwhile, the fourteen-day papers attracted bids amounting to P30.240 billion, still higher the P30 billion the BSP placed on the auction block. However, it failed to go beyond the P35.52 billion in bids on a $30 billion offer volume last week.

Lenders opted for returns between 4.15% and 4.3%, a slightly wider margin than the previous week’s 4.15-4.283% band. This led the average rate for the two-week notes to hit 4.248%, inching up by 1.32 bp from last week’s 4.2348%.

On the other hand, the 28-day term deposits received tenders worth P37.686 billion against the P30 billion on offer. This is lower compared to the P39.805 billion in tenders seen last week for the BSP’s auction of P30 billion.

Accepted yields for the tenor were seen at 4.18% to 4.45%, increasing from the previous auction’s yields which ranged from 4.16-4.2785%. This brought the tenor’s average rate to 4.248% higher by 2.53 bps from last week’s 4.2227%.

The TDF is the central bank’s primary tool to shore up excess liquidity in the financial system and to better guide market interest rates.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort attributed the recovery in the yields of some tenors to recent local data releases, market anticipation for a further US Federal Reserve rate cut, and the stronger performance in the local unit against the dollar recently.

“BSP TDF auction yields were mostly slightly higher a day after the strong government expenditures growth data that resulted to the widest budget deficit data on record though offset by the possible Fed rate cut on Oct 30,” Mr. Ricafort said via email.

“The financial markets are anticipating a possible cut in the key US short-term interest rates which could possibly lead to a corresponding cut in key short-term interest rates for some central banks around the world, including a possible cut on local policy rates on the next BSP monetary policy-setting meeting on November 14,” he added.

Data released by the Bureau of Treasury on Thursday showed that national government expenditures climbed by 39.01% to P415.1 billion in September from the P298.6 billion a year earlier, its best performance since the 42.7% increase recorded in April last year.

Primary spending — which excludes interest payments and includes infrastructure expenditures — for the month climbed 39.89% year-on-year to P372 billion, while interest payments totaled P43.1 billion, up 31.88% from a year earlier, primarily due to coupon payments for reissued bonds and the five-year retail treasury bonds issued in March.

The BSP’s latest policy rate cut on Sept. 26 has brought down overnight reverse repurchase (RRP) overnight deposit and lending by 25 basis points (bps) to four percent, 3.5% and 4.5%, respectively. Two prior rate cuts on May 8 and Aug. 8 have already slashed 50 bps earlier in the year.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno earlier this month hinted the central bank is likely done for rate cuts in 2019, but is still closing its doors for further reduction in banks’ reserve requirement ratio. — LWTN

Michelin-starred Yamazato soon to open at RWM

RESORTS WORLD MANILA (RWM) will be adding another prominent international brand to its hotel portfolio, namely the fine dining Michelin-starred restaurant Yamazato. The restaurant will have its soft opening on Nov. 23 at the 2nd floor of Hotel Okura Manila, RWM Grand Wing. Its formal opening is set for next year.

Yamazato was the first Japanese restaurant in Europe to receive a Michelin Star in 2002 for the Amsterdam branch. Today, the brand operates in 10 global cities worldwide, offering authentic Japanese cuisine tailored to international guests with Michelin plates served in their Taipei, Macau, and Bangkok restaurants.

For its Manila restaurant, Japanese Executive Chef Rinnosuke Mouri, who has over 33 years of culinary experience in celebrated hotels and clubs in Japan, will be running the kitchen.

“In line with the Okura brand, Yamazato continuously fulfills its mission to provide its signature Japanese omotenashi combined with Filipino heart, along with exquisite Japanese cuisine,” said the chef in a release. “We have a common point that we both live on rice. The taste and texture of Japanese rice is different from the breeds in the Philippines, and in the Kaiseki Ryori, multi-coursed Japanese fine dining, rice comes at the end of the course, yet I do believe that the diners in Manila would find our style attractive. In Yamazato, diners can enjoy the authentic Japanese rice imported from Japan,” he adds.

Yamazato’s interiors will feature origami-simulated ceilings, warm wood finishes, and ambient checkered lighting. Servers will wear traditional kimonos that signify the changing seasons while classic dishes are to be served in rustic, handmade Arita-yaki earthenware.

Bestselling dishes at Yamazato comprise extensive selections that include the traditional Kaiseki Ryouri set menu for dinner. The dish date back to the Japanese Imperial Court in the 9th century and have evolved into one of the world’s most popular forms of dining today.

Yamazato will also serve an array of teppanyaki, sushi, and sashimi dishes, as well as an extensive à la carte menu. The dishes evolve with the seasons and the availability of the ingredients to ensure authentic and quality flavors.

Yamazato at Hotel Okura Manila is now accepting reservations for Nov. 23 onwards. For details visit www.rwmanila.com.

Aboitiz taps BlueVoyant for cybersecurity services

ABOITIZ Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) on Wednesday said it tapped global analytics-driven cybersecurity firm BlueVoyant as its managed security services provider.

In a statement, the holding company of the Aboitiz Group said BlueVoyant “delivers real-time monitoring and vulnerability detection, backed by 24/7 security operation centers located across the globe.”

“As part of our sustainability journey in 2019 and beyond, the Aboitiz Group aims to work toward achieving an information security risk-aware culture to further strengthen the prevention, detection and comprehensive response to growing global cybersecurity threats,” AEV Chief Operating Officer Sabin M. Aboitiz said in a statement.

The deal was signed by Mr. Aboitiz and BlueVoyant President and Chairman of Israel Gad Goldstein last month.

“We are excited to bring our world-class, corporate cyber defense capabilities to businesses of all sizes in the Philippines, and we look forward to working with AEV to enhance their cybersecurity posture,” Mr. Goldstein was quoted as saying.

The Aboitiz Group is working to “achieve the optimal balance between retaining and transferring risks. It has implemented policies and guidelines for cloud storage and cybersecurity to protect the group’s information against unauthorized access, as well as to ensure confidentiality of information.

AEV has investments in power, banking and financial services, food, infrastructure, and land.

BlueVoyant provides Advanced Threat Intelligence, Managed Security Services and Professional Services. It has offices in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Philippines.

SAP teams up on cloud sales with Microsoft

BERLIN — Business software group SAP said on Monday it had reached a three-year deal with Microsoft to help its large enterprise customers move their business processes into the cloud.

The partnership, called “Embrace,” will help clients to run operations hosted at remote servers supported by SAP’s flagship S/4HANA database, new Co-Chief Executive Jennifer Morgan said as SAP released third-quarter results in line with preliminary figures released on Oct. 11.

“We bundled SAP’s cloud platform services to support customers around the extension, integration and orchestration of SAP systems,” Morgan told reporters, adding that Microsoft would act as a reseller for the product.

SAP said it expected annual revenues of around €75 million ($84 million) from the deal: “There’s no downside to those numbers — only upside,” she told analysts on a call.

In the third quarter, SAP reported a 10% increase in revenue and a 15% rise in operating profit, after adjusting one-off items and currencies, helping it to achieve an expansion of 1.7% in its operating margins. The company reiterated its forecast for the year and through to 2023.

Morgan also praised the performance of Qualtrics, the customer experience platform that SAP acquired a year ago in an $8 billion deal that some analysts and investors criticized as overpriced.

She said that Qualtrics had added more than 300 clients since May, with customers often buying it together with SAP’s human resources product SuccessFactors. Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith — now an SAP management board member — said its deal size had grown by 30% since the takeover.

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Disclosure of the Microsoft partnership comes after long-time CEO Bill McDermott stepped down to make way for Morgan — the first woman to become CEO of a company in Germany’s blue-chip DAX index — and fellow Co-CEO Christian Klein.

Shares, which had rallied strongly on news of the leadership handover, added another 2.3% in trading in Frankfurt on Monday.

The deal — which helped SAP double new cloud bookings in the third quarter — addresses a complaint from many customers that it is too hard to shift from SAP’s traditional on-premise model to remotely hosted services.

The partnership deepens an already close relationship with Microsoft and its Azure cloud division, although the Walldorf-based company said clients hosted by Google and Amazon Web Services could still buy direct from SAP.

De-emphasizing its own-brand cloud offering is turning out to be one factor supporting a pickup in SAP’s cloud gross margins. These picked up by 5.4 percentage points to 69% in the third quarter — compared with a 2023 target of 75%.

SAP is due to update investors on strategy at a capital markets’ day in New York on Nov. 12. — Reuters

Etiqa may offer takaful insurance in Philippines

ETIQA, the insurance and takaful business of Malaysia’s Maybank, is looking to bring its takaful insurance services in the Philippines if Islamic banks can provide solid distribution reach, its top official said.

In a media roundtable yesterday in Makati City, Chris Eng Poh Yoon, chief strategy officer of Etiqa Insurance and Takaful in Malaysia, said they are “taking a look” at the possible takaful market in the Philippines as well as Islamic banks that will give them “distribution access” to the Muslim population in the country.

Takaful is a type of Islamic insurance where members contribute a certain sum of money in a common pool.

Mr. Eng said that they distribute takaful insurance services and products through banks and takaful agency force in Malaysia.

“We’re taking a look at the takaful market here in the Philippines… We don’t have a takaful agency force right now in the Philippines but what we can easily grow in this business is if the regulations are in place, and if there is an Islamic bank that has been set up for distribution access to the Muslim population. Then we can easily just plug in our system to that bank,” he said

“We need that bank to make that first step because they have the distribution reach then we will follow through,” he added.

Currently, Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines provided under RA 6848, or the “Charter of the Al-Amanah Islamic Bank of the Philippines of 1990,” is the only bank in the Philippines authorized to offer Islamic banking services.

However, Mr. Eng said that Al-Amanah’s reach as of now is still “small” and needs to be scaled up first before they can deliver their products.

“We’ve seen their reach, I think the reach is a little bit small, at this point of time. We are open for discussion but I think there needs to be scaling up there before we can easily deliver the products,” he said.

“Takaful concept is risk and profit sharing. If you don’t make a claim, you actually get a profit share on whatever premium you have invested over the year,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Etiqa Executive Vice President in Strategic Division Diana Mohamad said that they are looking to launch their policies covering critical illnesses in the Philippines by the first quarter of 2020.

Mr. Eng said that the 68 critical illnesses such as cancer, stroke, high blood pressure and kidney failure, will be included.

He also said they are still studying on the inclusion of mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and major depression, in the coverage of critical illnesses.

Mr. Eng said that they are looking to bring automated processes here in the Philippines, which are already being implemented in its offices in Malaysia and Vietnam.

He said Etiqa’s artificial intelligence also allow for faster assessment and claims while reducing the turnaround time of their operations at the same time.

Etiqa is a member of the Maybank Group that offers life and general conventional insurance policies. It made its presence in the country, known as Etiqa Philippines, through Maybank branches and through online platform. — BML

Another Champagne brand to reckon with

CHAMPAGNE has always been the gold standard of sparkling wines, and I still cannot think of a better celebratory beverage than champagne. Champagne consumption in Philippines is, however, almost invisible, making up less than 0.5% of total wine imports. Sparkling wine as a wine category is also extremely low, accounting for less than 2% of present wine business by volume.

The main culprit of course is that our country taxed sparkling wine ridiculously at either 833% or 2,333% higher than still wine — depending on Net Retail Price (NRP). This year the excise tax per bottle of a still wine is P28.47 per standard 750ml bottle, while a sparkling wine at NRP of P500/bottle or less is being levied an excise of P237.25/bottle, and for NRP of above P500, an excise of P664.29/bottle. Champagne obviously falls under the above P500 NRP. To start with, Champagne has never been cheap, and with our excise tax discrimination, it is made even more prohibitive. But regardless of price, Champagne will always be Champagne, and to those who are financially capable, there is simply no substitute.

RELATIVELY NEW BRAND
Champagne had a long illustrious history, with of course Dom Pérignon, the late 17th century Benedictine monk, being the most recognized figure in Champagne’s discovery and evolution. Champagne makers are called Champagne houses, and not wineries or chateaux. The oldest champagne houses that are still around include: the Champagne house of Gosset (though it was founded as a still wine producer in 1584 before Champagne was even created); Ruinart, founded in 1729; Chanoine Frères in 1730; Taittinger in 1734; Moët et Chandon in 1743; Veuve Clicquot in 1772; and Louis Roederer in 1776. Ruinart, Moët et Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot are now under French luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH). With over 100 Champagne houses and close to 20,000 smaller vine-growing producers in the region of Champagne, it is hard to imagine seeing a relatively new brand like Champagne Thienot make it work in the mainstream. But Champagne Thienot is definitely no greenhorn in the Champagne business.

Champagne Thienot is the eponymous Champagne house created just around 35 years ago by founder Alain Thienot. Mr. Thienot was originally from Reims, Champagne and had been working there for 20 years already as perhaps the most important Champagne broker in the region prior to embarking on setting up his own Champagne brand.

I met with the newly married visiting Asia-Pacific Export Manager of the Thienot Bordeaux-Champagnes Group, Anthony Rocher (he got married less than a week before coming to Manila), at the Wine Story BGC branch during a Champagne & Bordeaux Dinner, and he shared more insights about their founder Alain Thienot.

“Alain Thienot was a very important figure in Champagne. Being a top broker in the region that oversees up to the 20% of the whole Champagne volume, Alain acquired incredible knowledge and expertise before embarking on his own Champagne endeavor. In Champagne, roughly 70% of the vineyards are owned by vine growers, and being the broker means being the middleman between the Champagne houses and the vine growers. The job entails being in the vineyards every day, and talking to every single vine grower. Alain Thienot would negotiate volumes, quality, and price with the vine growers in behalf of the Champagne houses.” Anthony further elaborated: “At some point, Alain had an opportunity to take over a parcel of vineyard in Ay Grand Cru and that is how Champagne Thienot started. Thienot now owns 30 hectares of vineyards, 50% of which are classified as either Grand Cru or Premier Cru, and still has good access and leverage with vine growers.”

Because of this depth of experience and unparalleled understanding of the quality of the Champagne region, it is no surprise that despite being a baby in the industry compared to the old Champagne houses, Champagne Thienot is making quite a good impression with their quality and reputation.

At the Champagne & Bordeaux Wine Dinner, five incredible Champagnes from Thienot were served, together with some Bordeaux wines. The Thienot Group has major stakes too in the Bordeaux region, including Château Belgrave, a classified fifth growth from the Haut-Médoc appellation. Below are my customary tasting notes:

• Thienot Brut NV (non-Vintage): “biscuity, hints of green apple, very fresh, round in texture and effervescence, crisp and fresh from entry to finish; a real good Champagne treat for its most basic NV.”

• Thienot Blanc de Blancs NV: newest Champagne release from Thienot; made from 100% Chardonnay grapes; blanc de blancs meaning “white from whites” are normally vintage dated and can fetch really premium prices, but there are now several big Champagne houses like Ruinart, Billecart-Salmon, Louis Roederer, and Gosset doing blanc de blancs NV — which means a blend of Chardonnays from different vintages; “expressive, with lime and lemon flavors, nice flintiness, good length on the palate, very long on the finish”

• Thienot Rosé Brut NV: “nice salmon pink color, lovely fresh strawberries on the nose, resonating sour cherries on the palate, nice and tangy, mouthwatering finish — impossible not to like this one”

• Thienot Cuvée Stanislas Blanc de Blancs 2007: named after Alain’s son Stanislas, who is also working for the Thienot Group; “complex nose, creamy, chrysanthemum, peppercorn, white petal, green apple, minerally, good body, racy mouthfeel, with round dry finish; this was my favorite among all the lovely champagnes poured during the dinner”

• Thienot Cuvée Garance Blanc de Rouges 2008: named after Alain’s daughter Garance, who, like her brother Stanislas, is also working in the company; blanc de rouges means “white from reds” and this one is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes; “grapefruit nose, orange marmalade, more richness, citrusy and long and persistent at the end; this makes a great dinner champagne”

With this showcase of their Champagne range, Champagne Thienot has won me over.

Finally, do not be surprised to see the Champagne Thienot brand side by side with Australia’s most famous wine brand, Penfolds. Champagne Thienot collaborated with Treasury Wine Estates through their chief Penfolds winemaker, the renowned Peter Gago, to create the very first “literal” Australian Champagne, the Champagne Thienot x Penfolds — starting with vintage 2012. These French-import Champagnes of Penfolds were released in domestic Australia just last June. The first three variants are the: Champagne Thienot x Penfolds Chardonnay Pinot Noir Cuvée 2012, Champagne Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Blancs 2012 and Champagne Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Noirs 2012.

Prices of Thienot champagnes range from P3,100 for the Brut NV to P7,850.00 for the Cuvee Stanislas Blanc de Blancs. Champagne Thienot is available at Wine Story. Visit Wine Story’s new store at the One Uptown BGC. You can also visit their website at www.winestory.com.ph.

The author is a member of the UK-based Circle of Wine Writers (CWW). For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, and other wine-related concerns, e-mail the author at protegeinc@yahoo.com. He is also on Twitter at twitter.com/sherwinlao.

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