Regina Troy Barrios

Quezon City Finally Has A Wine Destination Worth Crossing The City For

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I am a sucker for good wine at great value. It’s that sweet spot above the cheap supermarket stuff but well below the prohibitive prices reserved for millionaire wine collectors. Luckily, there are lots of bars and restaurants that fall within that sweet spot. But guess what, they’re mostly in the Makati-BGC area. The rest of Metro Manila, sad to say, is a virtual “wine desert” with only a smattering of establishments with decent wine lists. And the biggest “desert” of them all is sprawling, population-dense Quezon City. So imagine my surprise when news broke of a brand new wine-centric venue in Cubao, the commercial heart of Quezon City. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/world_cellar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Cellar</a> was inaugurated this January 2026 as a much-needed “wine oasis” in Quezon City. Nestled inside <a href="https://www.instagram.com/world_cellar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Kitchens</a> on the fourth level of Gateway Mall 2, World Cellar features around 4,000 wine bottles in stock, with an almost endless list of food options to match. The vision for this new wine destination comes directly from Mr. Jorge Araneta, Chairman and CEO of The Araneta Group, himself a wine enthusiast and collector who personally oversaw the project from start to finish.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780899411413Ribbon cutting ceremony.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>World Cellar opens in Cubao with a ribbon cutting led by Uniprom Inc. director Veana Fores; Araneta City Senior Vice President for Operations Antonio Mardo; Megaworld president Andrew Tan; Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte; Araneta Group Chairman and CEO Jorge Araneta; Singaporean F&amp;B expert Andrew Tan Hock Lai; and World Cellar consultant CJ Juntereal | Photo: World Kitchens PH</div><h3>Bringing wine culture to QC</h3>World Cellar offers a straightforward proposition: make it easy to enjoy wine any day of the week, building towards a “QC wine culture” as envisioned by Mr. Araneta. Simply put, “wine culture” refers to a social environment where wine is a daily pleasure rather than a rare indulgence. Admittedly, this may seem like an overly ambitious goal, especially in Quezon City, but The Araneta Group is serious about making it happen through World Cellar. It starts with the design of the space itself to optimize wine storage and display. <a href="https://celsius.com.sg/?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnw4ZEhJq36DAj3v-h36k2rHIma08dTEBoPQrq0t2L62RzaJDg2MlSUn5wYsQ_aem__v5mt-2Wp7hpSGA7EltpZQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Celsius Equipment</a> from Singapore customized the floor-to-ceiling wine shelves, while Taiwanese specialist Cellar Solutions designed the state-of-the-art wine storage and chiller system.However, this “hardware” is only one part of the wine culture equation. Perhaps even more important are the experts behind the project. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17808995954941.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>World Cellar stores 4,000 bottles with Singapore-engineered climate-controlled wine systems | Photo: World Cellar </div>Wine consultant CJ Juntereal helped curate the 600-plus wine labels sourced from six local wine merchants, offering something for everyone in terms of wine styles, regions, and price points. One can choose from French Bordeaux to Burgundy, Spanish Rioja to Catalunya, Italian Veneto to Sicily, alongside vintages from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, the United States, and yes, there’s Japanese sake, too.In-house sommelier Benedict Tan, with an impressive WSET Level-3 certificate, manages the cellar, recommends wine and food pairings, and conducts Wine 101 classes every Friday at 6:00 pm. CJ and Ben also organize themed wine dinners every month, like last April’s focus on the Piedmont region in Italy, or this May’s French vintage dinner highlighting wines from the Beaujolais, Rhône Valley, and Bordeaux regions.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780899631635Wine Sommelier 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Sommelier Benedict Tan recommends food and wine pairings, and hosts weekly Wine 101 classes every Friday | Photo: World Cellar </div><h3>A wine list that doesn’t break the bank</h3>“We have good wine at extremely reasonable prices,” promised Juntereal as she invited our group to see and taste for ourselves. We entered the cellar and settled into our comfy seats, feeling a bit chilly due to the extra cold air-conditioning. Thankfully, sommelier Benedict Tan warmed us up with a refreshing and light Collefrisio Bianco Magnolia Terre Di Chietti 2023 from Abruzzo, Italy, available at a reasonable P1,620 a bottle. World Cellar endeavors to keep its markup as low as possible, to give customers ample opportunity to discover new wines even if they’re on a tight budget. According to Juntereal, around 30% of the wine bottle inventory retails below P2,000, with another 30% between P2,001 and P4,000. That means there’s plenty to choose from at the lower end of the price spectrum: P850 for a bottle of sparkling Prosecco, P880 for a Bordeaux red, P440 for an Italian Chardonnay, just to name a few. Even the usually prohibitive French Champagnes offer “friendlier” prices, ranging from a low of just P3,000 for the Champagne Victoire Brut Prestige to an extra premium Champagne Pol Roger Vintage Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2016 for P7,880. (Trust me, this is a steal!)<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780901434930Wine 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>World Cellar keeps wine accessible with bottles from under P500 to Champagne | Photo: World Cellar </div>For those who want to sample wines without having to open a bottle, World Cellar has lots of sparkling, white, rosé, and red wines by the glass—let’s say an Italian white for P210 or a Spanish red for just P250—about the same price as what you’d pay for a trendy coffee or tea concoction.Of course, for wine connoisseurs looking for something a bit more premium, World Cellar has its fair share of pricey vintages, with 20% of its inventory above P6,000 a bottle, edging into five-figure and even six-figure territory, with many prized bottles housed in a special inner cellar that customers can have access to as well. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780900219412Wine Sommelier 2.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A sommelier guiding guests through pairings, turns dinner into a learning experience | Photo: World Cellar </div><h3>Food and wine pairings galore</h3>With so much choice for good wine, the food selections had better be up to par. Diners are spoiled for choice thanks to World Kitchens which features comfort food offerings created by 15 international chefs. Unlike a traditional food hall, it provides table-side service in a luxury hotel-like setting. Just scan the QR code at your table and order your dishes and wines via your mobile phone. (For the tech-phobic, tablet and printed menus are also available.)Excited by all the choices, our group decided on dimsum, deep-fried eggplant, and beef ho fan from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/18jadeatworldkitchens/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">18 Jade</a>; premium otoro roll from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kuromaguroph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kuro Maguro</a>; Indian pani puri and butter chicken from Prana; and picanha steak with garlic rice from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kevinsdinerph/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin’s Diner</a>. We then asked sommelier Ben Tan what wine he’d recommend with this mish-mash of flavors. Of course, Tan was up to the challenge, settling on a Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon La Voûte Saint-Vincent 2023 (P2,220), a French Beaujolais red with a pleasing acidity that went especially well with the beef and eggplant dishes. We were also treated to glasses of Stars Reserva Brut 2022 Cava (P1,740) from Perelada, Spain that seemingly went with everything we ate. Our group ended the evening with a beautiful Hana Mori (Garden of Desserts) set from Sticky Sweet. It featured matcha and black sesame ice cream, Earl Grey cake, pistachio kataifi bomb, taho panna cotta, and Biscoff tiramisu balls with mascarpone, providing a flurry of sweet, nutty, smoky, creamy sensations that complemented what remained of the red, white, and sparkling wines we were finishing up.While we leaned heavily on Chinese fare for our dinner, World Kitchens offers so much more: fusion and Filipino dishes from Chef Jessie by well-loved Chef Jessie Sincioco, Italian fare from Dario Pizza &amp; More, Spanish roasts at Asador de Manila, Hong Kong favorites by HK Ma’s Bistro, Japanese ramen and noodles at Ramen Masa, teppanyaki from Shinshima, grilled eel and other donburi at Unagi Yukimitsu, plus cocktails, mocktails, and beer from Lepak. Indeed, the food and wine choices can seem overwhelming, especially for a first timer. So where does one start? My suggestion is to choose a point of entry. Are you hankering for a particular type of wine, let’s say a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Noir? Or are you craving for a particular cuisine, perhaps Japanese or Filipino, or even a hodgepodge? Make your initial choice, then put yourselves in the capable hands of sommelier Ben Tan who has only one requirement, “just give me a budget” and he’ll do the rest.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780900787330Guests.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Weekly Wine 101 classes aim to build a growing QC wine culture | Photo: World Cellar </div><h3>QC wine culture in the making</h3>Perhaps that’s really the sweet spot—an availability of choice and a friendly budget—that can set the stage for the eventual development of a true “wine culture” in Quezon City. Imagine this: a mind-boggling two million people pass through Cubao every single day, according to an Araneta City representative. Some pass by the supermarket to buy supplies. Others meet up with friends to catch a movie and quick dinner. And hopefully, a few won’t think twice about dropping by World Cellar—where the air-conditioning is cold, the seats are comfy, and the service is attentive—for a glass of wine or perhaps a bottle, some pica-pica or a full dinner, just because they feel like it, any day of the week.  <div> </div><div>Find <a href="https://www.instagram.com/world_cellar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Cellar</a> at Level 4, Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, and follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/world_cellar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@world_cellar</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldkitchensph?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn6UbJaP3a4QDJic6iCEqeIG76G-14XUIswtLK99So4LcEQUp6djEFXunpU6E_aem_ZXRFRsBRTaZCscVJdGKz4Q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@worldkitchensph</a> on Instagram for updates.</div>

A new wine destination inside Cubao’s Gateway Mall 2 is quietly reshaping Quezon City’s dining scene with an unusually deep cellar, accessible price points, and a food hall designed for serious pairing.

A new wine destination inside Cubao’s Gateway Mall 2 is quietly reshaping Quezon City’s dining scene with an unusually deep cellar, accessible price points, and a food hall designed for serious pairing.

Quezon City Finally Has A Wine Destination Worth Crossing The City For

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Quezon City Finally Has A Wine Destination Worth Crossing The City For

Anne Marie Ozaeta

Published June 05, 2026 02:55 PM PHT

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Updated June 08, 2026 02:55 PM PHT

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