Will this Duval Leroy Magnum Bottle Be Yours?

Raffle Draw on May 8. Visit the Wine Depot Branch nearest your neighborhood.

MEAT THE BUTCHER

Because knowing how to buy premium, good quality meat (with all the options available today) can feel like rocket science to people like me, I'm excited to attend this workshop! There's going to be a cooking workshop as well so don't miss it. Best of all, it's FREE!

Why Arzuaga Wines Are In the Inquirer

 Arzuaga goes Club Punta Fuego

I recently blogged about the Arzuaga Dinner we had at Red, Makati Shangri-La, where I talked about Arzuaga's Pago Florentino. Since my first taste of it, I can seriously, honestly say that if there was only one wine I had to drink with the most succulent Wagyu beef or Iberian Porkloin, it would be the Pago. It's not the winery's most expensive wine but during the dinner, we had so many requests for boxes and boxes of it to be signed by the winemaker.

I'm not going to elaborate why here but you have to try it for yourself -- especially those who are NOT wine experts like me. It makes you understand why some wine and food really pair well together. Get it exclusively at Wine Depot.

A Date with d'Arenberg

Wine Depot had more food and wine moments with one of Australia's more humorous wineries - d'Arenberg. The dinner event featured 6 wines paired with 5 dishes prepared by the adventurous chefs at purple feet.

We were seated somewhere between tables named after d'Arenberg fun facts like "Footbolt" (the race horse that Joseph d'Arenberg sold to start his winery) and "Mclaren Vale" (where d’Arenberg vines are grown. Among the first wine regions in South Australia.)

Some snapshots of the evening...

Special prices for the Money Spider, d'Arry's Original Shiraz Grenache and Stump Jump GSM

The Galvo Garage, Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay and the Dead Arm Shiraz were also on sale!

 

All ready for a dinner feast... Alex, Lia, Grace and myself

Gian and Kalin

 Brett and Andy

Alex with Toby

  Apple melon mesclun salad topped with Atlantic Salmon Trout, chopped pistachios and drizzled with a green tea dressing. This first course was harmonized with a refreshing white - The Money Spider Roussane. It has fruity hits of melon and an influence of green tea.

Next was the Iberian pork loin on a bed of crispy arugula leaves with rhubarb cherry plum sauce, paired with the Stump Jump - an aromatic red filled with notes of peppercorn, dark cherries and plum.

 Lamb medallion drizzled with licorice coffee and plum jus, complemented by a glass of d'Arry's Original Grenache.

 Toasting to good eats!

  Gourmands, Lalay and Jojie

More satisfied guests, Marly Laraya and Beng Abella

A duet of grain fed beef and Wagyu medallion smoked in tobacco leaves. Chocolate, wild mushroom and mint, and truffle sauce top this succulent dish. The Galvo Garage Cabernet Sauvignon and the award-winning Dead Arm Shiraz bring out the smoky, meaty taste perfectly.

the finale - buttered peach, green apple and orange rind crepe with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and butterscotch glaze. It's made even more sinful by the Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay which is packed bold, sweet flavors of marmalade, cumquat, ripe peach and orange butter.

 Good job, Chef Marco!

Looking forward to the next Garden Party with wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State!

THE COLD, SPARKLING TRUTH ABOUT CHAMPAGNE...

European Union law, as well as laws in different parts of the globe, states that only sparkling white wine produced from the actual Champagne region in France can legally be called “Champagne.” Rightly so, the next time you’re scouring the aisles for a good bottle of bubbly, remember that there may just be a reason for this. Within the viticultural boundaries of this historic province are sparkling wines made so exceptional, they just had to name it differently.

Duval-Leroy, a Champagne carried by the Philippines’ biggest wine distributor – Wine Depot, is one of the few remaining 100% family-owned Champagne firms. It is located in the heart of “La Cote des Blancs” – one of only five districts that make up the region. This Champagne house is ranked in the 15 top Champagne houses of the world and is the only Champagne to be included in the top 100 wines of Wine Spectator in 2008.

But perhaps the most powerful testament to its quality is its presence in most Michelin Star restaurants, as well as its status as the preferred Champagne of Michelin Star Chefs. Even some thousands of feet above ground, airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, Aeroflot, Austrian Airlines, Eva Airways, Singapore Airline and Air Mauritius fancy Duval-Leroy in-flight.

Any takers? Join Wine Depot as it embarks on a Champagne pairing of a different sort. Champagne D’Orient extols the virtues of Cantonese specialties with Duval-Leroy at the New World Hotel’s Jasmine Restaurant this April. For more details, got to www.winedepot.com.ph