Initiated by Pritha Casadevall and Poetri Andayani, the event drew upon the idea from the Jakarta Wine Club Series Community that regularly holds wine education activities for its 480 members. The three-day festival is expected to greets visitors until Sept. 2, held as a platform to convene wine-enthusiasts, sommeliers and artists along with the mall’s visitors.

While the wine scene is not particularly large in Jakarta, Pritha expressed her hope for its expansion in the future. Speaking to members of the media ahead of the opening, she highlighted the importance of the local wine industry as a source for local tourism, investment and the growing popularity among young people. She felt the untapped potential could be attributed to the lack of education, something she hoped could be remedied by the event.

To kick off the event, she was joined by Tessa Marlenaska, senior Center Experience at Ashta, Reimer Simorangkir, co-owner and founder of PT. Jaddi Internasional and Vin Plus Group, along with Adi Gunawan, an Indonesian artist well known for his distinctive sculptures on Wednesday.

“I’m hoping that people gain better experiences about wine. That people, when they have more appreciation, will buy more, and we can help all of these importers and producers so they can create better quality wine and can import more wines to Indonesia,” Pritha explained.

All are welcome to join in on The Art of Celebration, as the event is called, to enjoy the finest bottles of wine from all over the world. It is expected that visitors will leave the event with a new-found respect and appreciation for the beverage and its production, and knowledge of the industry as a whole.

“During the pandemic situation, our sales were still good, still increased, because we have the Vines shop. We have the retail space and the marketplace in Tokopedia, so during the pandemic we still had great sales. And now after the pandemic we are back to normal. The bars and cafés are back to normal, and sales are still growing, which is good for wine and spirits,” attested Meinah Widjaja, marketing manager of PT Mandiri Graha Persada representing one of Indonesia’s exporters at the event.

Tessa expressed her gratitude for the organizers of the event and added that it was in line with the identity of Ashta Mall, especially because the event also served as a platform to showcase art, highlighted by Adi’s sculptures displayed in the atrium.

Echoing Tessa’s comments, Reimer also thanked the organizers for the opportunity to introduce the wines he imported to a wider audience and added that the event could also elevate the reputation of locally made wines.

“We need to appreciate our own local [wines] first because when you travel overseas, when you go to Australia, what you want to try is Australian wine. And our producers in Indonesia make such good quality of wine, thankfully because of the modernized machines and labs, and the fact they are also bringing in wine makers from overseas. The quality is so much better than in the past,” added Pritha.

The event welcomes people from all walks of life, regardless of their prior experiences with the drink. Beginners will be able to join workshops that introduce wine varieties, glass knowledge and menus, while those who are more familiar with the tipple can opt for activities such as wine and cheese pairing, as well as wine and oyster pairing.

Furthermore, it is hoped that the festival will attract art enthusiasts to come and appreciate the paintings, installations, ceramics and macramé featured during the event. They are also given the opportunity to try their hand at watercolor painting and upcycling wine bottle art through several art workshops. All of the amazing artworks will be displayed in an exhibition showcasing works by local artists in various fields that promote sustainability.

Over 300 wine types can be sampled by purchasing a wine tasting token for Rp 349,000 (US$23), which includes five wine tastings and one glass, complete with guided private tours before using the tokens. For dining, a food token worth Rp 200,000 can be exchanged for a cheese platter and food at the Space8 food vendors.

In collaboration with recycling partner Octopus Indonesia, unused wine bottles will be 100 percent recycled. Token purchases can be made through the Traveloka and JKTGO applications. For more information about the Jakarta Wine Festival, please visit the Instagram account @jakartawinefest.

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