About the trip, he said, "It was exciting because a friend from Australia came with me. It was great–we drove about 4,500 kilometers in three-and-a-half weeks, from Paris to Bordeaux to the South of the Loire Valley, going down to the Languedoc region to Provence to the Rhone Valley."
Specializing in independent French boutique wineries, Philippon chooses each wine through systematic research, interviews with artisanal winemakers, estate visits and lots and lots of comparative tasting. "We found some brilliant winemakers and formed new relationships with people in France. It's always exciting to help these guys in opening in Asian markets," he revealed.
Philippon, who has been nominated for this year's Les Trophees de L'esprit Alimentaire or The French Food Spirit Awards, added 25 new wines to Sommelier Selection's wine list of 180 wines from 15 different wine regions in France. "[The 25] represent about 60 kinds of grape varieties. It is the widest and I believe the best French wine selection that you can find in the Philippines," he declared.
