An evening with Casa Lapostolle

Born from the fusion of French expertise and the superb terrain of Chile, the premium wines of Casa Lapostolle was revealed in a private dinner held at Paparazzi at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Casa Lapostolle winemaker Diego Urra and Asia director of Grand Marnier and Casa Lapostolle Yves Coppin welcomed guests to savor premium Chilean wines. Urra mentioned that the perfect wine-growing condition found in Chile is attributed to the existence of the cordilleras and the influence of the maritime winds. He also revealed that 70 percent of the Apalta vineyards are 60 to 75 years old, yielding highly concentrated grapes. He also added that what distinguishes Casa Lapostolle is its commitment to quality, where vineyards are grown completely organic and management of canopy to avoid diseases and optimize maturation and that the grapes are harvested and de-stemmed by hand.

Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific chief representative Olga Azarcon and business development manager Randy Uson collaborated with chef Massimo Pettinau of Paparazzi to create the ultimate wine and food experience. An expressive and aromatic fruity style of Sauvignon Blanc 2007 was served during cocktails before guests were ushered inside Paparazzi for the five-course menu, which started with Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexander Chardonnay 2006 that was paired with seared tuna with fresh fennel and orange salad. Then the complex nose of red fruit, plum and cherries that best described the Casa Lapostolle Merlot 2005 was served with veal shank ravioli with saffron sauce. For the main course, the Cuvee Alexander Merlot 2005 was a perfect match to the beef tenderloin with potato, spinach and blueberry sauce.

The highlight of the night was the critically acclaimed Clos Apalta 2005 savored with Italian cheeses. The Clos Apalta, a blend of 80 percent Merlot-Carmenere, 20 percent Cabernet and sourced from the very best lots of old vine fruit, is a delightful blend of red fruits, black cherry, blackberries, raspberry combined with notes of chocolate and coffee. It is consistently the highest rated South American wine to date because of its taste and smooth texture. The Clos Apalta 2005 vintage that was served that night was rated 96 points by Wine Spectator.

 It was indeed a perfect night for food and wine lovers.

Great explorations at Theodore’s

Since it opened late last year, Theodore’s has opened its doors to individuals with distinct personalities, an adventurous spirit and strong characters. It’s not just a store — Theodore’s is a fashion and lifestyle hub where people can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while they browse through the exciting cult favorite brands and edgy, cutting edge labels.

Some of the diverse cult brands in the store include Energie, Miss Sixty, Cheap Monday, Kid Robot, Evisu, Meltin Pot, Onigashima, Morphine Generation, Common Projects, Colab, Puma Black Label, Toy Watch, PRPS, Rag & Bone and Stronghold.

The Great Exploration party took place as Theodore’s opened its doors to showcase the latest additions in an exclusive cocktail exhibit and launch of Manila’s first ever “magalogue” that was conceptualized by Michael Salientes and Yodel Pe. Only 300 copies of the store’s “magalogue” were printed and given to the guests that night.

A fabulous raffle ensued right after the exhibit. The lucky winners included Daphne Oseña-Paez who won a Shaoo necklace, Globe Asiatique’s Divine Lee won a Shaoo bracelet, Tals Diaz won a Toy Watch, Puey Quinones won a Kid Robot Mini Mobile, Bryan Yambao won a P10,000 gift check and Jeroen Van Straten and Jay Cu-Unjieng both won Franchi Menotti watches from Italy.

The event was made possible with the support of Rene Barbier Wines, Hennessy Cognac, Belvedere Vodka and the Pasto group of Conrad Alcantara for the sumptuous Italian fare that night. 

(Theodore’s The Store is located at Quadrant 4, Bonifacio High Street right beside Club Ascend.)