8 Things I Learned from my EuroWine experience

When I was invited to have a taste of the EuroWine festival, I was a bit apprehensive. Wine? What do I know about wine? From the invite, it said that the EuroWine festival would offer a wide selection of the best wines from 12 different countries, with food specialties from each of those countries too. The lunch I was invited to offered a taste of Italy, quite a teaser into what the full-blown EuroWine festival would be like.

I thought about it for a little bit. Wine? What do I know about wine? Then I said, “Exactly.” What did I know about wine? Nothing! I might as well start knowing.

Wine can be intimidating. Heck, I was intimidated. I only knew two kinds: white and red. My liking for wine was pretty basic. I liked its smooth and sophisticated hit. Other than that, learning about the different years and countries it came from, plus the different dishes they could be paired with kind of intimidated me. It was clear to me that my mission was to get out of the pre-festival lunch feeling less intimidated by wine.

So off I went to the press launch to get myself a little taste of the EuroWine festival. Let me tell you how it ended: Mission accomplished. 😉

Eight Things I Learned From my EuroWine Experience:

1. European wines are more expensive because of, well, the Euro, and the fact that European wineries have a more traditional wine-making process. I learned that New World wines, a.k.a. American, Australian and South African, could be quite process-driven in their techniques, i.e. distillation, acidification, etc. Old World wine, a.k.a European wine, is more classic (in my book, romantic!) in preparing wine. While the process is important, the perfect European wine is the end-result of also its climate, the topography, and the soil. These give European wines a higher price tag. The EuroWine Festival therefore is one way to help us appreciate and (re)discover European wine. Who knows? We may have a taste for it. 😉 That’s what I learned from Mandarin Oriental’s General Manager, Helmut Gaisberger.

Delicious Citra Wines, General Manager Helmut Gaisberger, my favorite that day: Gancia Asti

2. Get a glass of Asti, pour in a little red wine and you’ve got yourself a Rosé.

3. White wine goes excellently with salads. It was spectacular with my Salad Nicoise. I’ve always preferred red wine to white, but this experience opened me up to the possibility of drinking white wine more often. I mean, with salads. With salads.

The bottle says “Chardonnay Terre di Chietti 03.” I read “Yummy White Wine.”

4. The Sangiovese was spectacular with my Goulash. We were advised by Mr. Robi Joseph on how different red wines would go great with that soup. I latched on to his description of how the Sangiovese specifically would bring out the peppery taste of the goulash. Bring that pepper taste on! It did bring out that kind of spiciness and I loved it.

5. Different food and wine pairings yield different experiences. That sounds pretty basic but you HAVE to experience it to believe it! I did try different wines with that goulash, but that Sangiovese was the best for me. While other red wines may have brought out the sweetness in the soup, I liked how the red wine I chose suited my love for dishes with a kick and some sizzle.

Sangiovese, Gancia Asti, Chardonnay, and Classic H20

I also realized is that there is no right or wrong wine and food pairing. While some wines just really taste better with certain foods than others, it all comes down to what suits YOUR palate. I could feel the intimidation wearing off slowly.

I still enjoyed my Sangiovese with my veal. And because our dessert of Tarte Tatin was so sinfully sweet, I enjoyed it best with good ol’ water.

6. Learn from the experts. While discovering the different facets of wine is a very sensual and personal experience, you can pick up a lot of tips from those who are passionate about wine. I’m very grateful to Mr. Ralph Joseph and Mr. Robi Joseph for making time to chat with us and delight us with their different wine stories. I had a lot of fun listening to their tips and advice.

Ralph Joseph (President of the International Wine & Spirits Association), Charisse Chuidian (Director of Communications, Mandarin Oriental Manila), Mr. Oscar Garcia de Serdio (President, La Gitana), Mr. Robi Joseph (wine connoisseur); My photo op with the warm and witty Ralph Joseph

7. If food and wine pairing intimidates you, begin by pairing wine with dishes that you love. I really enjoyed this tip because I’ve always imagined wine was best paired with gourmet dishes. But wine can go with anything. A hamburger, a pizza, chips and fries — these are casual comfort foods that are great to pair with wine too, we were taught. Pair the unfamiliar with the familiar. Pour yourself a glass of red wine instead of a soda, and prepare yourself for a whole new experience.

8. “Would you consider a workshop on pairing wine with different Filipino dishes?” The lesson in that question was “Don’t be afraid to ask.” I shared this idea with Robi as this really interested me. What wine goes best with Sinigang? What wine goes best with adobo, lechon, nilagang baka, kare-kare? While I have pointed out earlier that the choice of the best wine for dishes could be very individual, I would still like to learn some more about it. Who knows? Maybe a workshop could be in the works. I’d go for that!

The EuroWine Festival is on June 5, 2008 at the Mandarin Oriental ballroom. I understand that it will be a culinary delight as well because the evening will offer wine AND food from Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Germany. There also will be an auction for some kickass prizes like round-trip tickets to Geneva, to Munich, to El Nido… The proceeds will go to the GeoChris Foundation Inc., an NGO committed to the sustainable development of various indigenous cultures. Entrance ticket is P3,000. Contact Mandarin Oriental Manila at (632) 750-8888 for more details.

So will I go to the festival? Perhaps. 😉 What I know for sure is that I have a stronger appreciation for wine now — European wine no less! Gone is the feeling of being intimidated. I’m having some salad in a little while. Bring on the Chardonnay!

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.