This vineyard near Tagaytay should be on your next ‘must-visit’ list
After the extended respite due to the COVID-19 lockdown, many have been asking how things are going in Tagaytay and its neighboring areas.
The roads remain empty for most parts of the day, save for the occasional vehicles delivering essential goods and services. The sky is a lot clearer, the sights still breathtaking, and the cool breeze still lingers. It might surprise most people to know that during the lull, something fresh began blossoming in the area — at Twin Lakes in Laurel, Batangas.
The picturesque vineyard in Twin Lakes, Megaworld subsidiary GlobalEstate Resorts, Inc.’s (GERI) 1,200-hectare mixed-use leisure and resort community near Tagaytay, gave the community a bountiful harvest recently. Over the past few weeks, workers at the vineyard have been harvesting baskets of luscious table grapes. By the end of June, they estimate that they will be able to record a total yield of 100 kilos — a clear sign that more exciting things are about to come in this unrivaled destination.
“We have three grape variants here at the vineyard: the Catawba grapes, the Brazilian hybrid, and the Red Cardinals. Since March, we have been harvesting these grapes from a portion of the vineyard and now we are close to reaching our target as the lone harvest cycle concludes in a few weeks,” says Efren Magpantay, an agriculturist working for GERI who has been tasked to oversee the vineyard.
A SLICE OF NAPA VALLEY NEAR TAGAYTAY
Contrary to popular belief, grapes thrive in tropical countries like the Philippines where hot weather extends for months all throughout the year.
Harvest in the vineyard started in March, weeks before several parts of the country were put under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). The vineyard served as home to some of the workers who stayed in their quarters during the lockdown, isolated from the rest of the community. They resumed harvest when Region 4-A (Calabarzon) was placed under general community quarantine in June.
According to Magpantay, the secret to achieving the perfect sweetness for the grapes lies in perfect timing. “You need to know how to make the plant adapt to the environment. Unlike other places in the country like La Union, General Santos City, and Davao where grapes are grown, here it tends to get really cold during the latter part of the year. You have to be able to help the grapes adjust to ensure that it rewards you with the best and high-quality harvest possible,” shares Magpantay.
You can’t miss the one-hectare Twin Lakes vineyard — it’s a short hike from
Twin Lakes Shopping Village along the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway and Twin Lakes Hotel offers a glimpse of the terraced vineyard that straddles the entire length of the hotel all the way to the low-rise condominium clusters of The Vineyard Residences.
The next harvest season is between March and April next year. This will be a perfect time for guests wanting to experience how it feels like to roam vineyards, such as Napa Valley in California. A REFRESHING ESCAPE CLOSE TO MANILA
In 2018, Twin Lakes Hotel was awarded the Country Winner for the “Best Hotel Development in Asia” category at the Asia Property Awards held in Bangkok, Thailand. Prior to that, it was also recognized for its exemplary design, location, and huge potential for tourism when it was feted as the “Best Hotel Development” at the 2018 Philippines Property Awards.
As the hotel prepares to resume operations soon, plans are being readied to welcome guests to the vineyard. Once the current restrictions are lifted, those seeking to get away from the dizzying buzz of the city can do so by visiting the vineyard next year. Here, they can pick and take home their own bunch of grapes for a fee and take as many photos as they’d like. There are even plans to put up a winery at the vineyard.
“What makes the Twin Lakes vineyard unique is the fact that you get to pick your grapes while being surrounded by beautiful scenery. This is the only one of its kind along the entire Tagaytay-Nasugbu ridge. Here, you have unobstructed views of a naturally lush landscape and the worldfamous Taal Volcano, while the majestic façade of the Twin Lakes Hotel and the rest of the community looms ahead of you,” says GERI president Monica T. Salomon.
For now, the harvested grapes are being used by the hotel to develop more dishes for their all-day dining restaurant, Twin Lakes Café while the rest of the harvest was delivered to residents of The Vineyard Residences.
Just over an hour’s drive away from Manila, Twin Lakes evokes charm, and is a serene and rewarding escape for weary city dwellers.