The House of Pascal Jolivet

CEBU, Philippines - The business was established in 1987 and the vineyard in the France's Loire Valley had an area of 120 acres in the regions of appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. The French people are very strict about appellation origine protégée, which means that wines were produced only from the grapes grown within particular boundaries.

The guiding principle is "terrior," defined as the set of environmental factors that affect the epigenetic qualities of the crop when grown in a specific area. The best example would be mangoes from Guadalupe and Busay. If it is grown in these two areas, then harvested at the proper time (140 to 150 days after flowering) and allowed to ripen naturally, it will be very sweet with a touch of tart which makes these mangoes unique.

On the other hand, even animals are affected by "terrior." My father used to raise dairy cattle in Maaslom, Busay, where the water was sour. There, animals with black hair appeared as if oil was applied on it. A visitor, upon seeing it, commented that it was caused by the presence of arsenic in the environment.  Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of arsenic in the water, soil and grass - but absent in the animals' milk. Arsenic in low dosages acts as a tonic; in fact, Progen 90 (of Abbott Laboratory), a growth enhancer had arsanillic acid (arsenic).

Back to grapes. An advocate of natural winemaking, Pascal Jolivet faithfully practices environmentally friendly techniques in both the vineyard and the cellar. It takes time and money to do this biodynamic vinification, but perfection is never an easy task. And only a select few from the local media were witness... and able to taste, excuse me, this luxury with Pascal Jolivet himself at the Cowrie Cove, Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa.

A bottle of Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc 2014 was poured followed by the first course - Sautéed Scallops with Lobster Tartare, Poached Green Onion and Green Apple Sauce. Nothing really complicated; it was an awaking of the appetite with the apple sauce stirring the usual bland taste of the scallops. It was paired perfectly with the very refreshing fruity Sauvignon Blanc that a second glass was a must.

The second dish was Jumbo Prawn Confit and Strawberry Salad, Coriander-Scented Tomato Cocktail paired with Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Blanc 2014. The usual material used for confit is ducks cooked in its own fat so it was interesting to taste this creation of Executive Sous Chef Paolo Pelosi. Very tasty indeed, and the Sancerre Blanc toned down the slight acidic taste of the tomatoes.

The main dish was Roasted Salmon on Vanilla-Scented White Radish Puree, Salmon Roe, Asparagus and Micro Leaf Salad. There were layered tastes and textures, from the oiliness of the caviar, crunchy asparagus, slightly bitter taste of the micro greens and the deliciousness of the salmon, then tweaked to the heavens by the elegance and finesse of the Pascal Jolivet  Pouilly Fume 2013. Now, writing this makes me hungry!

Dessert was Chef Paolo's Cheesecake, Oven-Scented Pear and Cream Chantilly, paired with Pascal Jolivet Attitude Pinor Noir 2013. (FREEMAN)