Which came first: the wine or the food?

It was a grand wine-pairing dinner held recently at the ballroom of New World Hotel. Mary Ann and I joined a table of food writers. They were already on their second wine, not counting the cocktails that we missed. We were seven in all around the table: one respectable food editor, let’s call her Madame M; one so-called wine connoisseur, let‘s call him Master G; one young pretty lady who seems to know it all, and let‘s call her Pretty C; one quiet photographer, let‘s call him Mr. Kodak; and one nice and gentle writer, let‘s call him Penman P. One chatty awed woman, let’s call her Darleng and one ignoramus promdi and let’s call him Claude

New World chef Cokin Healy prepared the dishes for the 200 or so guests, while Wine Depot, that wine super store on Ayala Ave. and Malugay St., provided the five-star award-winning Australian wines. There were three kinds of wine for every dish served. That was more than enough to make anyone tipsy and convivial.

The first course was a torchon (thick slice) of goat cheese with truffle artichoke and wild mushroom salad.

"So daring," Master G said, as he glanced at promdi Claude, pretty C and Mme. M. "To pair artichoke and fatty goat cheese with wine, the nemesis of wine."

Ignoramus Claude had nothing to say or comment on that. Thank heavens for the presence of pretty C; she had a rejoinder to the first (intelligent) remark of the evening. But I cannot remember what she actually said. Or maybe I did not even understand it. Darleng watched the two knowledgeable ones as they upped each other (intellectual foreplay?), her head turning like she was watching a game of tennis. Penman P and Mr. Kodak didn’t seem interested in the ensuing battle of wits.

All three wines paired with the artichoke were white. The first wine was a five-star Kilikanoon Morts Block riesling 2004. Master G did not seem impressed and said something unintelligible to me and, I guess, pretty much to everyone at the table. Pretty C had some comments, too, aside from dismissing it as sour. Just to show off, I was so tempted to say the Kilikanoon does resemble a bouquet of kilikili to me with a grassy hint on the edge. But Darleng stopped me and dutifully finished hers to the last drop and simply said she liked it.

The second wine was a Cape Jaffa semillon sauvignon blanc 2004, also a five-star awardee. This time Mme. M, Master G and pretty C all seem to agree it was to their liking, though Master G said something like preferring it if paired with fish than the enemy of the night, artichoke. Trying hard to belong and aping pretty C, Darleng took one sip and dismissed it as "sweet" – "The opposite of sour," she whispered to me. I continually enjoyed the wine and the artichoke and goat cheese, oblivious of what they were saying.

Third was a Nobilo Icon sauvignon blanc 2004, winner of Best White of the Show in the San Francisco (USA) International Wine Show. It was: "Pale gold in color with green tints and brilliant clarity, the wine has the expected traditional Marlborough sauvignon blanc bouquet of gooseberries, nettles and rich herbal characters complemented by an overlay of ripe tropical fruit. The palate is complex, strongly varietal with endless mouth feel finishing clean and balanced." Impressive words from a promdi, right? Ok, Ok, those were not mine but copied en toto from The Wine Guide. Whew, if that does not sound Greek to you, you must be in the league of Master G and Pretty C!

The second course was a seared Chilean sea bass with risotto and apple beetroot relish. This dish was paired with three kinds of red wine. Now, this may be confusing or puzzling to many. "Why red wine?" you may ask. Isn’t it the rule of thumb that white wine is for fish and red wine for meat? Apparently, this old adage has changed and no longer applies.

Our first red wine for the evening was a Dutschke St. Jakobi shiraz 2001, another five-star awardee. Everyone at the table sipped it at the same time, as if eager to finally see a nice and tempting color of red.

"So what do you think?" again asked Master G, directly addressing Mme. M. "Ummm, smells of coconut," she daringly said, nodding in unison with the master. At least, one of us seemed bright enough to impress the master. "Cold-pressed extra virgin," added our master.

The second red was a Anglove’s Mclaren Vale shiraz 2002. "This I like very much," Darleng said.

"Why? What’s in it that you delectably detect that you like?" I asked.

"I don’t know. It pleases my palette and I like the lingering feel and taste of it in my mouth."

I referred to the Wine Guide and it said: "The wine has good length and finishes with firm yet subtle tannins. This wine is the perfect partner to beef bourguignon or roasted duck." Why the hell then did chef Healy match it with sea bass? Oh, wine and life, so complicated as women!

Then come another red, a Banfi Poggio Alle Mura 1999, from Italy this time. Contrary to its name, this wine is not mura – it retails at P3,200 a bottle. It is one of the oldest wines served that night, and this wine is the result of two decades of research. Again, I referred to the Wine Guide to acquaint myself: "It has a deep ruby color and has aromas of violets, sweet ripe red fruits and berries, as well as cigar box, cedar and exotic spices, like clove and cardamom." And then another confusion to ignoramus me and great pretender, Darleng, "The wine is best exhibited with game, red meats, roasts, hearty stews and rich powerful cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano." Again, why the hell then were we drinking it with sea bass?

For an "icebreaker" and most probably to clear our confused palettes, we were served iced fennel, raisin and saffron yoghurt in a shooter. This time, Darleng, who finished all the six glasses of wine served her, was very chatty and engaged the two quiet men in the conversation.

"Mr. Kodak, you are so quiet’’ she said.

"I am always quiet," he replied.

"What happens to you when you are more than tipsy?" she asked.

"I forget everything," Mr. Kodak replied.

"And you?" she asked Penman P.

"I, too, forget" he answered.

"But before you forget, are you chatty like me or sleepy like Claude?" she queried further.

"Chatty" said Penman P.

"Sleepy," said Kodak. End of conversation.

Then to the delight of Darleng, we were served her favorite, a cold smoked beef tenderloin with oxtail ravioli and herb potato gnocchi. "And if this beef is served with white wine, I will go home more confused than ever," I found myself talking sotto voce. But no, it was served with a five-star Houghton Margaret cabernet sauvignon 2001: "A deep red with the complex aromas of bay, cinnamon and clove with tobacco (that’s different from the wine before, with an aroma of cigar box) red currant and spicy vanilla. The tannins are soft and fine with a velvety texture, finishing with spicy sweet flavors, characteristic of Margaret River."

"Where do wine experts get all these words to describe wine?" I wondered. There must be a special thesaurus just specifically for wine somewhere.

Then came wine No. 8, a soft and silky red Bordeaux with chocolate berry character, medium bodied with a caressing finish, the Chateau Lachesnaye Haut Medoc 1997, followed by wine No. 9, Veramonte Primius 2003 (Chilean), a well structured blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere, beautifully crafted with no hard edges. It is soft, generous, complex but easy in every important respect. Wood is perfectly turned to the fruit with very soft ripe tannins. Again, some very impressive words from the Wine Guide.

For dessert, we were served a Verona Chocolate, which we enjoyed with wine No. 10, a light amber-hued, maple syrupy sweet Dutschke Tokay from South Australia. And then came the last but not the least, a fruity sweet Grant Burge 10 Year Tawny Old Port. "The palate is sweet and mellow but finishes quite dry and shows a harmonious balance of developed fruit characters and oak tannins." (Oh please, pass me the thesaurus of the Wine Guide.)

By now, after 11 wines, Darleng was all the more chatty and Ignoramus was sleepy. "Master G," she asked. "How do you pair wines with food?" He was the only one at the table who knows his food, just as well as his wine.

"The wrong wine will affect the taste of the food. What I do is I choose my wine first and then choose my food to go with that particular wine. If I have a peppery wine, then I would have a steak to go with it." But he said something like though many wine experts will raise their eyebrow at his philosophy. Another confusion for the evening.

"I do not like sweet wines or port. So what do I pair dessert with?" she asked.

Before the master of the table could answer, pretty C jumped in and said "You do not like sweet wine? Which means you do not like Sauternes?" making it sound like it is a sin not to like sauternes.

"Is that the sixth planet?" cute Darleng whispered to me.

So, which comes first, the food or the wine? Well, that depends if you’re a foodie first, whino second, or vice versa. My simple theory on wine is if you like it and can afford it, then it is good. It’s all a matter of taste.

During the night, some wines were auctioned off, the proceeds going to the Chosen Children Foundation. A bottle of Cape Jaffa Shiraz 1998 Imperial sold for P32,000 to a Filipino. Now, that’s one generous wine aficionado.

Take this as a waiver. The impressive words are not from my mouth, but from the Wine Guide. I will not claim that I know much about wine, but suffice it to say, I do enjoy wine with my meals, or rather, I do enjoy my meals with some wine. I was neither born French nor did I grow up with wine on our dining table. I am just a simple boy from the province. But I can tell a pure unadulterated and fresh gatas ng kalabaw in any form. I, however, am hats off to and have a high regard for the true wine experts, especially among Filipinos.

But one thing is certain: One need not know the complexity of wine to enjoy it. Don’t get intimidated by all those highfallutin words.

Catch the award winning wines at the Wine Depot and the staff will gladly assist you with what will most likely suit your palate and wallet.

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Wine Depot is at the corner of Ayala Ave. and Malugay St., Makati City.