Hunter Valley Wines, Tapas Nights and Sunset Cruises... Good times!

Jock Tulloch of the family-owned Tulloch Winery of Australia, joined us at Wine Depot last weekend for some Cellar Door-style tasting at the Mandarin Hotel - One-on-One with Jock. The next day, it was all aboard the Rogue Summer Lifestyle Expo at the bay for the sunset cruise. 

For both events, though very different from each other, it seemed like the perfect hand accessory was an ice-cold glass of the very drinkable Tulloch Verdelho wine - fast becoming my favorite summer swig.

At the Tapas Night at the Mandarin Deli. 

Laid back vibe, superb food and overflowing drinks (care of Jock who went around pouring wine).
  

 The menu... a mouthwatering cornucopia of the best cold cuts, cheeses and deli items from Gourmet Depot, prepared by the talented chefs of the Mandarin.

One whole pata negra was the star of the buffet. Known as Jamon Iberico, it's the most premium Spanish ham you'll ever find - comes from the elusive black-hooved boars that have fed only on acorns.

also from the Iberian pig breed - Chorizo, Lomo, Morcon and Salcichon Iberico

 the tomahawk... a kilo of meat in one bone.

cheese...

and more cheese

some dessert... melt-in-your-mouth creme brulee

mini brazos

  Dry Red Shiraz and Cab Sauvignon from Tulloch

acoustics 

 Francis, Marie, Jock and Jaime Ugarte

Brett Tolhurst and Hazel (third from left) with Mr. and Mrs. Brett Marshall

Jock, myself, Alex, Grace, Joy, Lia and Anne

Although we had a late night, we still made it to the SEA EXPO the next day:)
destination: One Esplanade near Mall of Asia

at the entrance, a bevvy of boats and other water sporting equipment 

 We watched pro wakeboarders do stunts outside

but mostly we stayed at the Executive Lounge - a cool respite from the heat... It was open bar on wines, Santa Vittoria sodas and iced tea, sponsored by Wine Depot.

We also served gourmet coffee from Vittoria all day. I learned how to make real Capuccino and Latte!

Tulloch wines for tasting

other bottles we drank...

Then it was off to the boat for the sunset cruise with Rogue!

Just in time for the magic hour

Rogue's Katz Tuason-Cruz and Jock

then here with Olivier of BluInc and Jimmy Tarnate of BDO

More snapshots of our ride...

we didn't mind drinking from plastic cups... 

smile!

the afterparty

'Til next year for the SEA EXPO! And see you on October, Jock, for Toast!
Here's a little video of Jock inviting everyone to the biggest WINE FESTIVAL in the country...

A Good Year for De Bortoli Wines

We recently had a member's tasting for De Bortoli Wines because it's been nabbing accolades left and right - most impressively the QUAFF 2010 recognition of WINERY OF THE YEAR!

The brand carries the Windy Peak Variety which we showcased in all 3 stores, as well as the notoriously famous Noble One!

The Prime Minister of Australia actually gave 6 of these little bottles to the Pope last year when he visited. It's amazingly sweet, almost sticky... but definitely something to try. As I write this, I even just received an email saying that the Noble One Semillon 2006 won the Premium Gold Title at The Berlin Wine Trophy - the highest honor. This has been held for the fourth time under the patronage of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). A competition that's known to subject competing wines to the highest quality standards.

Maker of Wild Wine Decanter likes our blog!

Cheers! We've officially gone international! Guess who's reading this blog in the far reaches of the globe? My officemate in Wine Depot, Alex, came across a site which actually features a link to THE CORNER DEPOT blog! We thought we could return the favor and share with you the cool creations of this French Sculptor - Etienne Meneau. He has been designing some cool carafes for wines.

http://the-strange-decanter.blogspot.com/

A carafe, by definition, is a container for serving hot or cold beverages, while a decanter is one that's strictly for wine and other alcoholic beverages. The reason for the existence of a decanter is that it was used to separate a small amount of wine from the original container which contained sediments - thus its name. But because bottlers are now producing filtered, clear wines, these vessels are now just useful for letting wine BREATHE. Aerating wine lets you get a good whiff of its aromas and softens its tannins... the same concept behind the swirling of the glass.

Serve your favorite Wine Depot Wine in one of these babies!

This one's called Big Heart.

Leave Etienne a message if you want to avail of one of these limited edition designs.

Gourmet Shopping Made Simple

If you're at the supermarket with dizzying products filling the shelves, wouldn't you want easy-to-read information on why you should choose a certain bottle of olive oil over another, other than the scribbles found on back labels? Wouldn't insider tips on how to buy meat from chefs come in handy while cruising the store aisles?

Gourmet Depot, found inside all Wine Depot outlets, went ahead and did the research so customers can get the fast, friendly facts with shipping tags on all products.

Like...

Jindi Cheese: "Won in the World Championship Cheese Contest – the ultimate award in the cheese-making industry."

Yellingbo Olive Oil: "Martha Stewart finds this "Absolutely Delicious!"

The Chilli Factory: "Hot, fat free sauces especially good with barbecue or tuna"

For meat products, you can even take home various trivia and preparation instructions... like this chart on meat "doneness" depending on the thickness. I like personal touches like that.

AUSTRALIAN GARFISH IS THE NEWEST CATCH IN TOWN

*As featured in the Inquirer Column "The 101 on Wine and Food"


Seafood lovers in the Philippines will soon have no trouble finding premium quality fish in the country. Imported catches from Australia is making its way to the kitchens of chefs, homemakers and gourmets with specialty stores such as Wine Depot having a wide selection of the highest quality Australian seafood.

Apart from Coffin Bay oysters, Australia is world famous for seafood catch such as the Barramundi, King George Whiting and Garfish.


King George Whiting, readily found on the coasts of South Australia is one of the more popular and sought after fish from the land down under. It is what Aussies otherwise call the “butterfish,” because it melts in your mouth with its delicate flavor and texture. This makes it ideal for cooking a number of ways. Whether barbequed, pan-fried or baked with herbs and spices, one of the Whiting’s best qualities is that its fresh, buttery taste comes through even after being frozen.

Get the Whiting at its best quality at Wine Depot - it's vacuum sealed and individually packed so there's no human contact!

Another seafood favorite indigenous to Australian shores is the Barramundi. Derived from the aboriginal word meaning large-scaled river fish, it is usually found in the rivers of Western Australia. They prefer more tropical regions where they can go through their very unique lifecycle (it spends its early years as a male then changes gender when it reaches the age of 5).

This vegetarian fish can usually grow up to 62 cm long when fished from open waters but farmed baby barramundi will usually extend to about half this size. You may cook this whole but fillet bigger ones when needed. With its flavor compared to the most premium white fish such as sea bass, dover sole and red snapper, you never need more than just a little lemon or lime, some spinach or arugula or a splash of white wine to make this fish a sumptuous dish.

Sail to the Eastern waters and you’ll find the finfish with many names. The Australian Garfish may have one too many common names (136 to be exact) for a fish of relatively smaller size but it just goes to show that its taste has made it quite the popular pick. Whether prepared in an attractive boned-out, butterfly fillet that is ideal for more refined dishes, or deep-fried whole, its soft, succulent and sweet qualities make it a good pairing for more intense, fruity and lively wines.

We’ve asked a true blue Aussie Chef, Harry Callinan, Executive Chef of The Marriot Hotel Manila, how to prepare this Australian fish.

Here, he shares an easy-to-do recipe that anyone can enjoy at home.

Spiced flour dusted Australian garfish fillets, mango salsa and peppery leaves

Ingredients:

2 Garfish fillets
100 gm Flour
10 gm Chili powder
1 pc. Ripe Cebu mango
1 pc. Red capsicum
1 pc. Red onion
10 gm Parsley
1 pc. Fresh red chili
100 ml Olive oil
50 gm Fresh Arugula


Method:


• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and chili powder
• Take garfish fillets and toss in spiced flour to coat
• Deep fry in hot oil (180C) until golden
• Remove and drain on paper
• Make a lemon vinaigrette by combining lemon juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
• Toss washed Arugula leaves in lemon vinaigrette and place on center of plate. Add freshly ground pepper on top.
• Make a mango salsa by dicing the mango, red capsicum and red onion and combine in a bowl. Add chopped parsley and chopped fresh chili. Mix all ingredients and add lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange fish fillets on top of leaves
• Spoon mango salsa over and around

Serve it with a good white wine like Villa Maria Estate’s Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc.

2009 Vintage: Gold Trophy from International Wine and Spirits Competition 2009
2008 Vintage: Gold Medal from New World Wine Awards 2009 and Silver Medal from International Wine Challenge 2009

Get it at CRU, Mariott Hotel Manila and at Wine Depot Stores.