About Us
"Beyond the bottle, into the experience."
We are a trio of professional wine experts who love what they do (and drink). Each having their own unique wine journey, we’re here to guide you through yours.
The Sip Studio is the brainchild of three wine lovers, dedicated to elevating wine culture through expert guidance, curated education, and bespoke experiences in the Philippines. Founded by FiveAndAHalfTwists, we bring a dynamic and modern approach to wine appreciation—whether for businesses looking to refine their offerings or individuals seeking deeper knowledge.
Our Core Values
- Expertise & Education
- Authenticity & Integrity
- Collaboration & Community
- Innovation & Adaptability
Meet The Team
Christine Rollom-Bitanga
Her journey into the world of wine is a story of passion and transformation. With a background in the fashion industry, before transitioning into the wine industry in 2022. She started as a Vendor Management Executive for a wine company, she quickly developed a deep appreciation for wine—not just as a product, but as a culture, a craft, and an experience.
Chie Gatchalian
Chie started out her career as a wine professional in 2010 as one of the first female Filipino wine educators. She put up a wine education business called 5 & 1/2 Twists more than 10 years ago with the intention of making wine understandable, friendly and non intimidating. She loves to pair wine with everyday meals and believes that people should definitely be looking to wine to enhance daily living.
Ian Esteves
The first step to Ian’s wine journey was becoming the Marketing Intern for a wine company in 2022. There he met Chie, who a few months later, offered to mentor him as her new Wine Service Associate. To him, the complete shift in career track is his best decision to date. As an aspiring wine educator, his focus is to make wine inclusive and intertwine it with Filipino celebratory culture.
Client Testimonials
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Chie, our incredible wine consultant for Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Philippines. She has been an inspiring teacher, imparting not only her knowledge of wine but also a genuine passion and enthusiasm for it. Chie has been able to make complex wine concepts easy to understand for our entire team. Through her guidance, our wine stewards have gained a lot of interest in wines and most importantly, confidence in suggesting wines to our guests to enhance their overall dining experience. Her dedication has truly made a lasting impact on our team, and we are most grateful for her mentorship.
Chie was an absolute pleasure to work with—a true professional with deep expertise in all things wine. Her passion shines through in every interaction, making her an invaluable partner to me and our team.
Chie as our wine expert for many of our online event projects was a breath of fresh air. She made the whole experience approachable, relatable and fun! Having her in our events was like having a friend talk about wine.
Chie’s wine classes are highly educational, but at the same time a lot of fun and very engaging. She has this skillful way of combining technical knowledge with practical application. I always look forward whenever she will conduct classes for my online shop JC Wines because I know my clients will have a great time. She’s also that convincing that people will end up buying the wines she taught. Such a great partner!
Eager to whet your palate?
Our Tasting Calendar will let you know of the latest tasting events and wine dinners in Metro Manila!
