Garcia, Justine Day Entrepreneurship 101

12 STEM A Sir. Amistoso

Novellino brand spreads ‘gospel’ of wine culture to Filipino homes

By: Rizal Raoul Reyes
Source: The Entrepreneur, June 5, 2019 issue

Summary

Reaction / Critique
Father and son team Chris and Nonoy Quimbo of Novellino Wines fame pose for a
snapshot while pulling a cart loaded with boxed wine at their Laguna winery plant.

IN 1999, Nonoy Quimbo founded Novellino Wines guided by a simple vision of building a
wine- drinking culture among typical Filipino households amid the many varied choices
and taste barriers.

“Wine drinking has a perceived degree of sophistication, thus, making it an aspirational

product. Through the foray of Novellino Wines in the Philippines 20 years ago, we have
helped build a wine-drinking culture among typical Filipino households,” said Nonoy,
founder and chief executive officer of Novellino in a recent press briefing in Calamba City.

Nonoy pointed out the company has been embarking on huge marketing campaigns to
promote wine consumption in the Philippines. In fact, the Quimbo patriarch considers the
spreading of the wine “gospel” a “missionary work.”

His efforts to promote wine drinking yielded positive results as Novellino has helped grow
the consumption per capita to 0.1 liters to 0.2 liters per year, albeit still considered small
when compared to the 40-liter wine consumption per capita of most European countries
but is nonetheless a feat for the nation more fond of spirits and beer. “In our second year
of operations, we achieved profitability,” he said.

At present, Novellino Wines produces millions of bottles of wine per year and outpaces
the growth rate of the wine category, which in the last several years, has consistently
been the fastest-growing category in the alcoholic-beverage market.

For the long term, Novellino Wines will continue to convert Filipinos to wine drinking and,
in the process-become the brand of choice for everything wine.

“Filipinos love to drink. We drink when celebrating significant milestones. We drink during
the holidays. And we drink on regular days. A typical Filipino gathering is incomplete
without booze,” he said.
With the entry of Novellino into the local market, wine drinking has been democratized.
More than two decades ago, Nonoy recalled that bottles of wine during special occasions
are only found on the tables of the rich and popular. Filipinos, heavy on hard drinks as
well as beer, made very mainstream by popular breweries of that time, have no taste for
wine.

Furthermore, Nonoy observed that local tongues are not accustomed to the pale, bitter
taste of the nectar, and bottles of wine are just too expensive.

Nevertheless, all of these had changed because of the Filipinos’ exposure to different
varieties. This has become a window of opportunity for Novellino Wines to expand in the
local market as it is more affordable and suits the taste of the local market.

As it celebrates its 20th year of being the market leader in the winery sector, Novellino is
not going to rest on its laurels and will continue to innovate its products, with the possibility
of introducing more aspiration products included in the pipeline.

Part of its innovations is the

introduction of Novellino Wines on Tap, which are mobile kegs that will expand brand
presence on the premise trade. This will enable consumers to try Novellino Wines without
buying a whole bottle at a much affordable price.

“Innovation has always been a priority for Novellino Wines. We believe that by constantly
implementing fresh ideas on products and processes, Novellino Wines will continue to be
relevant in the fast-changing Philippine market,” Chris Quimbo, president and general
manager of Novellino Wines, said.

Strong family-owned company

Today, Novellino Wines leads the winery industry in the Philippines, producing and selling
millions of bottles of wine varietals per year through its state-of-the-art winery in
Canlubang, Laguna.
Built on a 1.3-hectare land, the winemaking plant is equipped with the latest Italian
winemaking technology, which is responsible for the fermentation.

The winery is one of the largest wine-production plants in Asia. It is the only winery of its
scale in the Philippines and is future-proofed for the next five years, with excess capacity
ready to meet the demand for more Novellino products in the coming years.

“Our plant employs a sophisticated technology that is unparalleled in the country. We are
even considered by foreign wineries as a thought leader in wine production, given the
intricacies of producing sweet wine,” Nonoy said.

Novellino Wines has gone a long way. From a small-scale business in a 300-square-
meter space in Metro Manila, Novellino Wines now produces millions of bottles of wine
per year, having a presence

where Filipinos are, such as the United States of America, the Middle East and other
Southeast Asian nations

“Thriving and succeeding in an industry where demand for a product is low is a huge feat
for a family-run business like Novellino Wines. We owe it to our customers who continue
to support our products, and we are happy to have helped fulfill aspirations of many
Filipinos across all walks of life,” Nonoy said.