The spirit of the bottle is classy and quirky in H&T Wine Gallery
A wine tour of the best of Western Europe and the new world’s wine regions, all in a quiet neighborhood in Quezon City.
Images provided by H&T Wine Gallery
Written by Pao Vergara
September 5, 2023
In view: Wide interior shot of H&T Wine Gallery.
“It’s a bit like fashion,” ponders Tanguy Gras, one-half of the duo behind H&T Wine Gallery, which is co-run with his partner, designer Happy Andrada-Gras.
He pours me another glass of Tempranillo, and continues his train of thought: “Our wine list changes every two weeks. Some of my best sellers two years ago are not the same as they are today. Malbec is one example. It’s something people appreciate today but not as much 3 or 4 years ago. That’s why now I have a selection of good Malbec. Before I used to have only one.”
When you meet Tanguy for the first time, it doesn’t dawn on you that this is a man who’s spent the last decade thriving in the F&B scene, waiting as a teenager in Monaco and Spain before eventually managing the supply chains in top Philippine hotels. With an assistant, Tanguy runs the floor in H&T, often pouring wine, welcoming and seating guests, and preparing food himself.
Hospitality is this Frenchman’s third language.
He has a waiter’s courtesies and observant eye, all while readily pouring jokes when a glass is held out. You realize all this is a form of confidence, cool and collected, seasoned by working closely with the loves of your life.
For Tanguy, it’s two loves: Happy, and wine.
In view: Wide interior shot of H&T Wine Gallery.
Tucked away in an unassuming and quiet corner of Quezon City, H&T Wine Gallery is actually the first floor of Happy’s atelier and workshop, converted into a cellar and bar that can accommodate roughly 30 people. Originally launched as an online store in the middle of the pandemic, H&T’s physical store essentially manifests a fuller vision of the shop.
There is a cellar room where wine is stored at to-serve temperatures with a refrigerator for storage temperatures. The “wine gallery” is literally this specific space, but H&T Wine Gallery is about the bigger experience.
In view: Wide interior shot of H&T Wine Gallery.
“It’s an extension of our home,” shares Happy. Tanguy reveals that “a lot of the furniture, the decor, are things we already have.” True to its origins as a bespoke fashion designer’s playground, the space spreads out with a bright palette, with decor hinting at the couple’s sense of humor. Here, a sewing table repainted and repurposed as a dining table, there, furniture right out of a scene from The Jetsons: futuristic-retro, groovy, neon-cozy a welcome contrast to the more formal settings of older wine bars in the Philippines.
Happy wasn’t always into wine, but during the couple’s younger days, Tanguy would often introduce new wine every Wednesday. They’d take a break from work and unwind and admire new flavors. She quips that it “eventually went beyond just Wednesday.”
They’ve since extended that joy of discovery and slowing down to gallery visitors.
In view: Tanguy Gras, one-half of the duo behind H&T Wine Gallery, with his partner, designer Happy Andrada-Gras.
La Vie en rose
For wine, Tanguy’s second love, it all started when he was 12. Like beer with their German counterparts, some French families introduce wine to their young by “flavoring water” with drops of wine.
Born in Nice on the Mediterranean coast, the Gras family moved to Beausoleil on the border of the microstate of Monaco. Despite taking up economics in high school, his summer jobs in Monaco’s restaurants brought Tanguy home to the world of F&B.
It was his time working in Spain that left a strong gastronomic impression.
During our visit, Art Plus Magazine was able to try a Spanish-inspired sampler: queso Manchego (sheep cheese from the Mancha region) tweaked by smoking under cherry wood, cold cuts such as chorizo Iberico and jamón serrano bodega, faux baby eel (actually surimi, a fish paste which originated in Japan) seasoned with paprika and parsley, all paired with toasted baguette chunks and Tempranillo wine also from Mancha. Condiments included virgin olive oil and truffle honey.
While Tanguy agrees that “it’s usually good to pair regional wine with regional food,” Team Gras encourages people to play and experiment too. Tanguy reveals “what’s on our menu are just recommendations. If you want strong red wine with pan-seared fish, just do it!
He then reveals his appreciation for Filipino culinary innovations, wine included, notably Baguio’s strawberry wine, while observing how “adobo is one of the foods that really pairs well with red wine.”
In view: Wide interior shot of H&T Wine Gallery’s in-store selection.
“Gallery” is no idle word for H&T as its wine selection is lovingly curated, spotlighting its selection of old world (European) wines while also carrying new world (Australian, American, South African, and South American) wines.
Given Tanguy’s supply network, the wines, cheeses, and tapas essentially combine the offerings of different Philippine four- and five-star hotels at a lower price (and arguably spicier music).
Tanguy expounds: “The aim is for people to enjoy wine and not be too intimidated. But we also don’t serve entry-level wines. If we wanted more money, we could do that, too. We want to serve well-produced, quality wine that more people can really appreciate and not just for the sake of selling something. Otherwise, we would have just chosen something easier to sell.”
As of this writing, Tanguy notes how people from outside of Metro Manila, sometimes as far as Davao, have inquired. Unfortunately, demand is still too small to make up for cold storage and cold shipment costs. He and Happy hope that in the future, demand can outweigh cost.
But it’s not that big of a concern. Noting how I’ve finished the Manchego on my plate while the charcuterie still holds, Tanguy winks, “do you want another glass of wine?”
Contact H&T Wine Gallery at 0917 175 2779 0r [email protected]. For schedule and menu updates, follow them on their official Facebook and Instagram pages. H&T Wine Gallery is located at 24 K-D Cor K-1st street, Kamuning, 1103, Quezon CityWith additional reporting by Kat Rodriguez.