VINOS DE ARZUAGA in Manila

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine connoisseur or simply an enthusiast – everyone loves a good ol’ story behind a good bottle of wine. And for all it’s modern-day appeal, (Julia Roberts admittedly craves for it, J. Lo poured it at her wedding, and football royalty Real Madrid has made it their official wine), I like that the Arzuaga label finds its time-honored heritage in Spanish vineyards along the legendary Duero River in Castile.  There is where a man named Don Florentino Arzuaga, in a countryside setting where his rustic winery -complete with a weather vane and bell tower in the middle of purple fields -  began producing one of the most highly acclaimed wines in the region, and the world.  

At Makati Shangri-La's Red last week (Feb 5), I was privileged to wine and dine with premier winemaker Ignazio Arzuaga when he came to Manila to bring with him a collection of award-winning blends from Bodegas Arzuaga.

Arzuaga Crianza, Pago Florentino, Fan D’Oro, Reserva Especial and La Planta Tempranillo.

“Warm in the day and cool at night,” Ignacio talks about how Ribera del Duero’s very ideal location and altitude lends itself to the perfect grape.

A sumptuous five course menu by Chef Thomas Linke of Red complemented the wines. Here, a cocoa dusted foie gras with pomegranate and vanilla syrup with pata negra crisps starts off the dinner paired with Fan D'Oro and the La Planta.

Star Anise pork belly, chorizo tamales with thyme and oregano immediately follows, served with the Pago Florentino Red Cencibel.

There was an olive oil poached wild salmon fillet with blackberry reduction, warm sambuca jelly and  shellfish veloute. Literally one of the softest, creamiest and "melt-in-your-mouth-est" salmons I've ever tasted. Too bad I couldn't take a better photo.

On the other side of this photo, where you can't see, I was devouring a bone marrow crusted organic beef tenderloin and mashed potatoes and couldn't be bothered because it was soo good.

That's Anne, Alex, Jean Claude, Me (in my Spanish-inspired outfit) and Lia

La Camara members

An occasion to lift a glass for

Ignacio, Sergio Mazza of Makati Shangri-La, Brett Tolhurst and Jean Claude Terdjemaine

All in all it was a grand event where everyone took their sweet time and stayed 'til late -- a very Spanish trait i very much like, I must say. 

Tuscan Dining at Chelsea, Serendra

Literally a family affair at Chelsea Serendra for the Banfi Wine Dinner: A Tuscan Toast 

Alex, my officemate, and I invited our folks to join us in dining "taverna-style" (as in tables of 6 or more and everyone sharing platter after never-ending platter of yummy Italian dishes.)

All 10 courses were paired with the Tuscan wines of Castello Banfi Winery.

Fumaio, Collepino, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino...

i like the way the names roll off my tongue.

The Romans plus my dad (right)

Mom and friends joined the party

More guests, friends and families enjoy the charmingly casual set up

to put us more in the "countryside" mood...

Judith and Elias of High Life chat all night with

Guillaume Blanchard of Castello Banfi.

First on the menu, Panko-Crusted Feta Greek Salad with Lemon and Dill served with Banfi Fumaio - a light, white wine.

The "Pissaladiere," according to Chelsea owner Andrej and his lovely wife Myrza, means "onion pizza." The caramelized onions went well with the sweetness of the red wine - the Collepino.

Parmesan Jalapeno Arancini with Deep-Fried Olives and Caperberries

Baked Herb Chicken and Spinach Gorgonzola Rigatoni

Salt Baked Barramundi with Garlic Aoli

A very interesting way of cooking fish - with a salt wrap. It was a bit of a challenge though breaking through to the inside. But the Barramundi was actually not too salty and very soft. 

Duck Confit and Sausage Cassoulet is my new fave comfort food. It actually reminds me of a white bean recipe at home except that we use pork.

It will fall-from-your-fork: "Low and Slow” Merlot-Braised U.S. Beef Short Rib Stew was delicious with creamy mashed potatoes and crispy, fried onions.

Banana and Balsamic Caramel Waffles with Chocolate-Dipped Bacon. I took a bite of the bacon and it wasn't what I expected. It actually works when you make the bacon real crispy then it just gives the chocolate a little salty crunch. The caramel was my favorite though coz there would be slivers of it on the soft waffle, like when you break the surface of a creme brulee. 

Warm Cinnamon Nutmeg Apple Pie with Lavender Honey Gelato

My dad's favorite. He orders it everywhere so I could say that he knows his apple pie.

Our moms on the other hand, enjoyed the Vittoria Cappuccinos. Funny, since it was  served with a piece of chocnut on the side, they figured it was meant to be dropped whole inside the coffee. It actually worked so maybe it was?! Can't know for sure but i'll probably try it again as well.

Why Store Shoppers Appreciate a Little Taste Test...

When you buy clothes, you try them on for size right? Even in ice cream stalls, those little spoons for taste testing are always so helpful when you're choosing between a coffee crumble and a choco hazelnut.

The Australian Sale at Wine Depot was a hodge podge of all things wine and gourmet last week, where people can walk in and sample everything from cheeses, wines, chips and dips, and even wagyu steaks in bite-sized portions just waiting to be devoured.

Red tags on all Australian Wines

Apparently, 'true blue' in Australia means "authentic" or "genuine"

first stop...

Cheese glutton's paradise

The cheeses were lined up from the mildest flavored to the strongest.

 

Brie. my favorite so far. A little creamier than the Camembert.

 

strong, sharp taste but equally delicious. This goat cheese was wrapped in bay leaves for a distinct flavor.

Another goat cheese. Not for the faint-hearted. Robust, rich taste, it's a must try.

I personally liked the chilled white wine paired with the cheeses, over the reds:)

Next stop, gourmet station

spring onion, spinach, cheese and chives... creamy dips galore. Makes me want to open a bag of chips, camp out in a couch for a DVD marathon.

meanwhile, by the meat station

tomahawk, grass fed tenderloin, grain fed striploin, lamb rack, wagyu-name it.

I was informed that chilled meat is different from frozen meat. Chilled meats are really fresh and can go straight to the grill or pan. Frozen ones last longer in the fridge.

Gourmet depot keeps their meats individually packed and vacuum sealed.

Little cutlets of perfectly cooked samples were by the display, so shoppers can tell the difference.

Australian fish were on sale too...

At the corner, the chef was demonstrating how to prepare easy fish recipes.

For dessert, shoppers can head to the homemade bakes section and try one of their yummy cookies and biscotti

Across the sweets station, the baristas of Vittoria coffee will teach you how to make your choice of coffee.

 

It takes a lot of skill to actually perfect the "rosetta" (the swirl you see on the froth)

At the end of the day, i even learned how to sip coffee through an Australian tim tam bar. I'll tell you how in my next blog;P 

Colts, Coffee and Cocktails

...Well, it was a Polo Match so it's more like "really expensive Horses, Coffee and Cocktails."

The view from the top

I was at the Enrique Zobel Cup last Sunday at the Manila Polo Club. Don't know much about the game except that it's an occassion where women get to wear huge hats and men got to wear boots and no one seemed to mind.

The tents started to fill up quickly with guests as soon as the festivities began.

Vittoria Coffee Booth

It's actually a pretty interesting event especially that I got to hang out by the entrance where all the sponsor booths were. They didn't serve cocktails til around 5:30 so a shot of espresso, a large cappuccino and a medium latte kept me alive for most of the afternoon.

It was a sunny day but the wind was blowing non stop (and knocked most of the tarpaulines down). I guess it kept people cool enough to want to drink freshly brewed coffee.

The fact that there were Porsche's cruising around the field in between goals was actually pretty cool and added to the glamour of the event.

The parade of buffet and cocktail tables and tiki torches came after the awarding of winners. 

It seemed like it was tradition to announce cocktails like a cavalry. (It's my first time so I'll see how they do it next year.) I wouldn't mind attending again. A combination of overflowing wines, coffee and food, plus a healthy dose of sport will always be a winning recipe for any event.