Ilocos Norte is fast gaining ground in winemaking. Besides the traditional basi (a liquor made of fermented sugarcane), Duhat and Bugnay wines are now being sold commercially. Tapuey can be found in the fascinating mountainous town of Adams.
Cormel Foods, an Ilocano company owned by Anthony Abadilla, has brought Ilocano liquor to the forefront through trade and tourism exhibits. Even Robinsons Supermarket IN now carries Cormel Foods’ innovative products. Duhat (Java plum, or lomboy) Wine has become one of the customary goodwill presents from Ilocano tourists visiting relatives and friends abroad.
Tapuey (rice wine) making is an art mastered by Lola Ingga Acupan of Adams. She inherited the recipe from her Kankanaey ancestors. It is made through fermentation by adding yeast to half-cooked organic mountain diket or balatinaw, sticky rice varieties. Sweet and delicate characterize exotic tapuey.
Another Adams wine product is Bugnay (wild blackberies) Wine. The people of Adams are constantly experimenting on other possible fruity alcoholic concoctions. At a local trade fair, I got to try Santol Wine, a great alternative to white wine, I guess.
Happy shot session!
BlauEarth 
Great blog you have! Hey, I’m yearning to taste these exotic wines again. Actually, I’ve had my first taste of these kinds of wines over two decades ago while in college. My cousin is studying then at Araneta University Foundation while I was at Mapua. I visited him on a week-end while they were fermenting different fruits into wines; duhat, mango, pineapple, santol, etc. Although at raw early stage of fermentation, I find that they do have very good peculiar tastes! I wonder why we could not make perfect wines worthy for global export. Perhaps, with more R&D and better equipment, somebody soon will…
sana mag-offer ng wine tasting ang mga vineyards/wineries sa Ilocos 🙂
Adams usually offer wine tasting at their booth during Ragrag-O Festival, the Ilocos Norte fiesta.
grrrr… i cant wait to go adams…i hope our research bout d bugnay wine making will be successful! sana magpatikim sila…ahehehehe, ng libre, of course!
I Live in Quzson City. Metro Mla, I want To Order Basi & Some Stuff…Do you Deliver or Do you Have Dealer Here In Manila…thanks
i’m sorry. i just featured the wines in this story. please try cormel foods. they produce basi. tel. no: 077 771 6538 address: 54 A. Castro Street Laoag City, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
panu po ang pagorder ng fruit wine..d2 po ako sa laoag city..?
try visiting Enrico’s, Makarismus or La Elliana, may nahita akong display.
how can i get their contact numbers? i want to order a few boxes for my balikbayan friends…
try calling this number, ask for Paul — 0917-5775111
Hi Saan po makakabili ng basi wine niyo po dto s manila?
Try Victorinos, it’s an Ilocano reataurant on Sct. Rallos. I’ve featured it before so you can use the blog search engine.
who i will contact and where to buy adams bugnay wine?
Just please google Adams Winemakers Asso. for distributors or contacts.