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Don Roberto's Mango
Five decades ago, a religious order of Belgian priests and nuns crossed the continent to set foot in the cold mountains of Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, to bring forth the birth of a new religious order of Nuns for the Natives of the Cordillera.
Together with the Word of God, these Belgian founders of this new congregation introduced the western tradition of fruit wine making. A secret fruit wine recipe from Belgium which was handed down through generations was taught to the Native professed Nuns using the fruits of the locale such as strawberries, cherries and guavas.
On a feasibility study on food business in the year 1999, a gentleman from Imus, Cavite who is also knowledgeable in Music Theatre was introduced to this congregation not as an entrepreneur but as a person who could write, compose and direct a Musical Stage Play which will be shown as a vocation campaign in the whole of the Cordillera. Because of his innate love for music, theatre and arts coupled with his commitment to charity and service for the Lord, the said Musical Stage Play was brought to life. In gratitude for this act of charity, the secret fruit wine recipe was wholeheartedly handed down to him by the congregation as a gift of appreciation. This secret fruit wine recipe became the base reference of a new discovery in wine fermentation.
The Lord in His mysterious ways worked on the entrepreneur heart of this gentleman and having the Philippines as the finest Mango producing country in the world, Mangoes both the unripe green and ripe sweet yellow were made to be the main ingredients in wine fermentation experiments and after a year of thorough research and study, a new improved and innovated fruit wine recipe with exotic, exquisite, smooth and excellent world class taste was discovered and formulated. The holy secret turned Mangoes into wine, the Don Roberto's green (dry) mango wine and Don Roberto's sweet (yellow) mango wine which was formally launched at the ARKDIA along Remedios St., Malate, Metro-Manila on Sunday, December 2, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. with all the media coverage.
Because of this amazing discovery, the said entrepreneur was invited to become an active member of the Likhang Kabitenyo Foundation, Inc., an association of inventors and creative entrepreneurs of the Province of Cavite, the Coffee Capital of the Philippines. With much inspiration, he came up with another unique wine which is made and fermented from a special blend of the finest coffee beans of Cavite. This time the holy secret turned coffee into wine, the Don Roberto's brewed coffee wine.
The unique label and packaging of the MANGO WINE was awarded with a Trophy & Certificate of Merit for Packaging Excellence known as the PHILSTAR AWARD by the Packaging Institute of the Philippines given last September 25, 2002 at the World Trade Center of the Philippines.
Likewise it won First Prize-Gold Award in the prestigious FINAT International Label Competition 2003 which was held in Vienna, Austria last June 4-7, 2003.
This gentleman from Imus, Cavite is Roberto "Oby" R. Castañeda who founded Don Roberto's Winery on October 25, 2000 at his residence at No. 2 Toclong First, Imus, Cavite 4103 Philippines. However, from a small single proprietorship institution it has grown into a corporation which was approved and duly registered on October 21, 2002 by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission and now known as Don Roberto's WINERY CORPORATION
PRODUCTS
Don Roberto's MANGO WINE & BREWED COFFEE WINE pass a careful inspection at all stages of production, fermentation, filtration and bottling to ensure only the finest quality of a world class wine with an exotic, exquisite, smooth and excellent taste.
Note: Click Images for details.
Don Roberto’s Mango Wine: First Mango Wine in the World
One of a proudly Filipino product is the first mango wine in the world, Don Roberto’s Mango Wine. Fairly new in the market and available initially in selected wine stores, Don Roberto’s Mango Wine comes in two variants – sweet mango wine and green mango wine. Both variants are made from carefully selected, processed and fermented mangoes; both products of countless experimentation efforts by Roberto ‘Oby’ Castaneda, founder of Don Roberto’s Winery. He never thought he would discover the first mango wine in the world. His brush with fate came when he did charity work for a religious order of Belgian nuns in Baguio City in 1999. He wrote, composed and directed a musical stage play for the Belgian nun that was shown as a vocation campaign in the whole of the Cordillera. It was in one of the convents that he got hold of guava, cherry and strawberry wines, which he found interesting. “So I asked the Belgian founders if they could teach me how to make fruit wines, and the Mother Superior told me that, yes, they were sharing their secret recipe with me if I promise that I would not share it with anybody else’s,” Castaneda recalls. Thus, the secret fruit wine recipe was handed down to him.
After the play ended and he went back home in Imus, Castaneda began seriously considering going into wine-making for business. Determined on keeping his promise to the Belgian nuns, he chose to make mango wine. After all, mangoes are plentiful in the country and the Philippines are known for its delicious mangoes. He tried using mangoes in the original fruit wine recipe that he got from the Belgian nuns, but it did not work. He made several adjustments, experimenting with a number of combinations, until he got the right formula – detailed down to the tiny mango bits that have been purposely included to keep the raw and authentic mango wine favor. But before making business out of his mango wine, he went back to Baguio to ask the permission of the Belgian nuns.
“They told me there was no need for their permission since it’s an entirely different recipe that I come up with for my mango wine” Castaneda says. “I promised them that for every bottle of mango wine that is sold, 10% will go to them.” All systems go; he designed a bottle for the wine and had a friend, who owns a labeling company, and do his label for him. He set up a winery in Imus, Cavite, and in December, 2001, he formally launched Don Roberto’s Green Mango Wine and Don Roberto’s Sweet (Yellow) Mango Wine available in 750 ml. and 75 cl. bottle containing 12.5% alcohol, A blend of Western tradition and Eastern bounty, Don Roberto’s Mango Wine has an exquisite, exotic smooth taste that captivates.
The Philippine entry -- DON ROBERTO'S MANGO WINE-- in the FINAT INTERNATIONAL LABEL COMPETITION 2003 won FIRST PRIZE - GOLD AWARD during the FINAT International Congress in Vienna, Austria last June 4-7, 2003. Because of this the DON ROBERTO'S MANGO WINE (green-dry & sweet-yellow) will be exhibited in the INTERNATIONAL LABEL CONGRESS in Brussels, Belgium on Sept. 24 - 27, 2003 thus the President, MR. ROBERTO R. CASTAÑEDA, was invited to attend the said congress to promote the Mango Wine. Mr. Castañeda will be very proud to visit Brussels, not as the maker of the wine, but as a FILIPINO representing the PHILIPPINES as the Gold Award winner.
Map for Phiippine Mango
Philippine mango exports are expected to increase with the introduction of the Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) for mangoes. The technology is now available through the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Food Research Institute.
The MAP has been specifically adapted for Philippine mangoes that have generally thinner skins than those indigenous to other countries. The technology was earlier identified by the Center for International Trade Exhibitions and Missions (CITEM) in 1992. Since then, the Philippine Food Development Center and the KFRI conducted joint experiments from 1995 to 1998 before the suitable zeolite-coated film was deemed fit for use.
The development of the technology for Philippine mangoes effectively addresses the need to delay the ripening of the delectable fruit and allow for seafreight. Philippine mangoes may thus be shipped to far-away destinations at more competitive prices.
The mangoes are simply packed in carton boxes lined with MAP film and stored under prescribed conditions. The thin plastic film restricts gas exchange, delaying ripening by increasing carbon dioxide and reducing oxygen. Ripening can be effectively delayed from the original seven (7) days to twenty-nine (29) days. Extensive tests prove that MAP technology does not have any significant effect on taste or the general appearance of the fruit.
The MAP prototype is currently manufactured in the country by United Polyresin, Inc. and First Colors Inc. and is available to fruit producers. The MAP technology may also be modified for use on other fruits (i.e. papaya), vegetables and cutflowers.
On 8 June 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo awarded special plaques of appreciation to the KFRI, MOST and the Korean scientists, Dr. Hyung Woo Park and Dr. Dongman Kim for their contribution to MAP for Philippine Mangoes in simple ceremonies at the Malacañang Palace.
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Don Roberto's Mango
