I was a little hesitant going to this occasion because first, it was very far from where I live and second I was actually afraid of getting drunk. With all those worries, I knew better, so I went to Makati to check out Beringer Wines. Honestly, I've heard of them but never had been able to actually get to taste a bottle or two. Their reserve is located at Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Paso Robles. Fueled with passion spanning 140 years to make wines that want to rival that of other wine producing countries of Europe, they built their empire around it and now have a variety of products in their cellars. During this event, they even paired it with some of the Philippines' best dishes. They also did it with the usual steak, and even dessert!
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| This is the classic Zinfandel which is one of their rich, full bodied reds. It's perfect to have for those more intense savory meats. It has notes of vanilla, and pretty intense spices. |
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| What else to pair it with but with some really good Longganiza from Lucban, Vigan and Alaminos. The intense garlic, the savory burnt bits on the Philippine sausages was a good match with this strong red. |
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| This Beringer Pinot Noir on the other hand had some fruity notes. Probably been mixed with raspberries or something like it, with the usual spices of course. |
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| I was a bit startled because they went a little off track with this Duck Dinuguan. I don't know if they did pork blood still but it was nice. Soft and fatty, then a little tangy. It was nice with the Pinot Noir. |
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| This one is still strong, I think had more tannin than usual. It's a little more oaky than the one above, plus it has some notes of plum and cherries. I like it a lot. It's perfect for pork dishes, and it proved mighty true because as soon as the Lechon came out it was wiped out in a few minutes. I didn't get to catch a glimpse of that lechon no joke haha! |
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| They even had a huge sashimi/Kilawin and oyster buffet, front and center. |
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| Of course what else to get for that but a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. I had a couple of glasses of this so you can say this is my personal favorite. |
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| The Beringer Chardonnay on the other hand had some sweet notes of apple and pears. In cooking, the fruit would be something good with pork so in this case they had something similar. |
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| This is sisig. But not your ordinary sisig. |
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| It's made of frog legs. I have to say I didn't try it for obvious reasons, but the others were raving about it. |
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| The Beringer Merlot had a lot of ripe cherry notes on it. Pretty good and perfect for thick cuts of meat. |
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| People had it with Bistek but of course not the tougher kind, I think it looks like Filet Mignon deconstructed. |
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| The Beringer vineyards had us salivating on this Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon with it's dry but full bodied feel on the palate. It is spicy, fruity and a little woodsy. Quite a nice thing to pair with something intensely savory. |
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| Another hit that evening is this. It's pot pie, but their version is Goat meat Caldereta but they made it even richer with a slice of Foie Gras inside! |
Fine wine need not an audience, or occasion. You just need a glass, a very willing spirit to enjoy what it offers. Beringer is but one of the first things I've tried from Napa Valley, and by the looks of it, it won't be the last. The next time you're ordering a bottle, perhaps a Beringer would be in mind no?
For more information about their wines:
Beringer
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