An afternoon of fine California Wines

Wine tasting is always a fascinating experience for me – it’s full of new flavors and new discoveries. I learn from my fellow tasters as well as make new friends - those who share the same interest in wine. I was at The Venue a few days ago to sample a variety of wines from the Beringer Vineyards of Napa Valley, California.

In line with the month-long MADE IN USA celebration at Iloilo Supermart, Happy Living Philippines Corporation, a leading distributor of quality wines in the Philippines conducted a two-day wine tasting session at Days Hotel Iloilo and at The Venue.

So how would one newbie start a wine tasting session? Well, I just go with the flow … actually it’s my second wine tasting session (the first one was an array of French wines from the Sommelier Selection). I always start with the whites so the White Moscato was the obvious choice and with a whole lot of “cocktail bites” on the table I took the liberty of choosing what caught my eyes first.

I got the “Cheesy con carne” bruschetta, Angus beef in nachos and creamy seared tuna on fish crackers. It was sweet and fruity and even Beringer’s California Collection Pinot Grigio has a refreshing bite of juicy white peach and citrus.

Then it was on to the Beringer Red Wine selection as I got my glass of Syrah. Though not a sweet as my previous glass but for a red wine it was still in “my” category of sweet. The lettuce cups with sisig and some slices of grapes brought out more of its taste.

With a more intense taste was the Cabernet Sauvignon but the fruitiness was still evident in every sip. Alcohol content was obviously stronger so swirling the glass slightly reduced it plus it was a match with the variety of cheeses and the assorted vegetable sticks in spiced dressing. I don’t know if the last one really paired off but I like the combination of both their intense flavors.

Finally, a glass of Red Moscato. Compared with the white variant, it was stronger yet lighter than the red wine line up. As I have already tasted almost all the cocktail bites before the (second batch of) supply came, I just paired it with my faves (sisig, tuna on fish crackers, etc) and the pineapple and bell pepper on sticks.

Thanks to Arvi Sumayo Sicad, Marketing Manager of Great Foods Concepts which run The Avenue Complex, my taste buds were again opened to the lure of the finer things of gastronomy. Another satisfying gastronomic experience but not limited to the palate but also with my own personal learnings about wine and wine-pairing. It was indeed an afternoon of fine California wines and more …

Happy Living Philippines Corporation was established in 1996 by a family of wine lovers to bring quality California wine to the growing Philippine Wine market. Happy Living ships via refrigerated vans and maintains the quality and consistency of its wines by storing them in temperature controlled facilities. Read more ...

The Beringer Vineyards in California is the oldest continuously operating winery in the wine region of Napa Valley. Established in 1876, it is the only winemaker in the world to have been awarded Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” award for both a Chardonnay and Cabernet. Read more.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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