Foreigners clamoringfor native herbal wine

By Dexter A. See

LUNA, Apayao – A locally manufactured herbal wine is now in demand in the global village because of its therapeutic and medicinal properties.

Joine  Aldrein  Caluya of the Apayao Herbal and Organic Products said that orders of the “Bugnay Herbal wine” are now coming from Canada, Hawaii, Switzerland, Dubai among others while local orders are coming from different parts of the archipelago, especially from persons who know the product.

 “Our product is different from the wine products of other provinces because of its ingredients,” Caluya said, adding the locally produced wine is composed of Philippine wild berry extract, a little mother liquor, moscovado and extracts from biter herbs which are organically produced in the neighborhood.

Caluya, a former employee of a well-known brewing company and a multi-level marketing, said that what makes the local “bugnay wine” different from the wine products of other provinces in the region is the brewing process involved therein.

According to him, the local wine is used for cleansing and helps cure arthritis and imbalances in a person’s body based on testimonies of his relatives and friends who were able to continuously drink it for a longer period of time.

 “We have also been hearing revelations that those who have no children were able to bore a child after having consistently drank the wine in moderation for several months,” Caluya said.

She added the local consumption of the wine is 4 cases of the 750 ml bottle and that the same could go up to 200 liters during peak seasons such as fiestas and special occasions.

Furthermore, he said the locally manufactured wine is also used by some pastors in the different parts of the province as communion wine because it is much cheaper and is beneficial to the health of people drinking it.

One 75 ml bottle of the said wine costs P150 in retail and P100 for those buying it in wholesale.

Caluya explained the local wine has already been registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which authorized the Apayao Herbal and Organic Products to mass produce it thereby gaining access to the local and international markets.

Because of the rapidly increasing demand for the herbal wine, he is now encouraging local residents to be the production of the Philippine wild berry locally known as “bugnay” so that there will be all year round supply of the fruit that is vital in producing the wine which is now in demand in the markets.

Mayor Betty Verzola cited the presence of the local wine manufacturer is an added boost in the promotion of Luna as one of the trade centers in the Cordillera and western Cagayanas well as in the eastern portion of the Ilocos region.