Wine pairing 101

MILLIE: One of the most enjoyable activities Karla and I delight in is planning an event together. The more difficult the event is, the more challenging it gets. For both of us, it’s an amazing learning process. Karla learns from me and I learn from her. Quite an exchange, but we both see things differently and that’s where the fun is. We realize we make a great team and complement each other, the way my parents were. Although we usually think alike, we sometimes contradict each other, which is healthy, and allows for the balance we need to achieve the right perspective. At times, with just a look in the eye, we understand each other and know how to address a situation. Most of the time, we say exactly the same words at the same time. We are facsimiles of each other. We are clones.

A recent catering activity was a wine-pairing cocktail event organized by the USDA. When Karla received the request by email, she lost no time and immediately started to create dishes in her head, consulting me every now and then.  Eventually, we learned that the USDA preferred native Philippine dishes to be paired off with the American wines. Another menu was drawn up and we were tasked to pair off the wines.

I reviewed the list of wines and read the literature that came with it. Too bad there was not enough time to sample all the wines. Then I drew up a quick and simple guide for food and wine pairing and tasting.

• Light wines before heavy ones

• Sparkling before still

• Young before old

• Dry before sweet

• White before red

• The general rule is, white wines go with seafood and poultry while red wines go with meats. But in this day and age, people tend to drink whatever they please.

• It is best to pair mild-tasting food with mild wines, flavorful food with full-bodied wines, and rich-tasting food with rich wines. Acidic wines won’t go with creamy dishes.

• For hors d’oeuvres, it is best to serve light, white wine, dry and sparkling.

• Fish and seafood go with dry white wine.

• Poultry is perfect with dry white wine, a rosé or a light red.

• Red meat goes very well with heavy, coarse reds.

• Cheeses pair off well with any wines except sweet ones and are best with grand crus.

Since we were very familiar with the native dishes, pairing them off with the wines was not too difficult. One look at the menu and I insisted that more cheeses should be included and I suggested the local cheeses from Malagos in Davao be included. I’m glad the client heeded my advice. From what I was told, the cheeses were a big, big hit that evening! I didn’t make it to the wine-pairing event as my sister Marijo had organized a farewell dinner for US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. at the Aristocrat on Roxas Blvd.

KARLA: The wine-pairing event was held at the residence of the US Deputy Chief of Mission Brian Goldbeck and since my mom had to attend the farewell dinner for US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr., I was left to supervise the event on my own. The food and wines were divided into five stations, each station promoting an importer and their wines paired with a Filipino dish.

The first station was wines imported by Emperador Distillers with Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon paired with chicken skin crackling, Barefoot Merlot with the chicken barbecue and Barefoot Moscato with leche flan with macapuno. Best World Brands Beverages consisted of the Menage a Trois 2009 red paired with chicken adobo in a puff pastry cup. The Wine Club station featured the Crane Lake Gewurtztraminer, which was one of my favorites of the evening, paired with the Malagos Blue goat cheese; the Block Nine Pinot Noir was paired with the Queso Rustico, both of which are local cheeses from Davao and received excellent reviews that evening. The Crane Lake Riesling and Girard Cabernet Sauvignon were paired with Vigan longganisa and Crane Lake Moscato paired with The Plaza’s Choc-nut cheesecake.

The next station carried Happy Living Wines like Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir paired with bagnet, Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc paired with The Plaza’s Smoked Tanguingue Pinwheel, Beringer Sparkling White Zinfandel paired with angulas with melba toast, and Schramsberg Sparkling Banc de Blancs paired with a couple of local Davao cheeses, the fresh chevre and blue peppato.

The last station carried the wines imported by Future Trade International, which were all from a very familiar vineyard to me called Robert Mondavi. Robert Mondavi was the first vineyard I ever went to. I was only 15 years old and was therefore not allowed to taste the wines. Since my mom was very, very cool, we stayed at the back of the group hoping not to be noticed, while mom would pass me her glass. I would hide behind her to take a sip and give it back almost empty. I enjoyed the wines so much that I persuaded mom to bring home a bottle, which we’ve been saving for a special occasion. The Robert Mondavi wines featured during the event were Woodbridge Chardonnay paired with The Plaza Premium Baked Ham and pan de sal, Woodbridge Red Zinfandel paired with beef tapa and, Woodbridge White Zinfandel paired with crispy kangkong.

The biggest challenge for me was thinking of Filipino dishes to go with the wines, pairing them solely on their profile without having to try them, and that nerve-wracking moment in between watching someone take a bite and sip and the first sign of approval. Haha!

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