Overall, the South African wines complemented well with delicious Filipino food served with Planet Grapes
It was only Thursday but I already took a break just to chill out even in a span of two hours on that night.
What I did was to whisked off some South African wines at Planet Grapes, Shangrila Mall branch to savor the best known grape varieties.
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With us was Alex Dale who led the food pairing activity and introduced to us different wines. He is also special guest wine-maker who founded The Wine of Good Hope and instrumental in the company’s ascent to the internationally recognized label it is today.
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It was a relaxing moment as Mr. Dale oriented us one by one – its history, concept behind it and from there, we started to taste the different variations of South African wines.
“Radford Dale is a winery that aims to produce natural and balanced wines that reflect the originality of their own terroirs. Radford Dale wines are grown, matured and blended on the Winery of Good Hope property, one of the bigger wine farms in Stellenbosch, and home to Land of Hope, Vinum Africa and The Winery of Good Hope labels.
The Radford Dale takes pride in using traditional, natural viticulture and wine-making methods at their cellar on the Helderberg Mountain.”
We were able to sip:
- The Renaissance of Chenin Blanc 2012 – a wine that combines freshness, minerality and pear & apple fruit flavors
- The Winery of Good Hope Unoaked Chardonnay 213 – an easy to drink yet classy wine w/ nice citrus zest and mineral tang
- The Winery of Good Hope Bush Vine Pinotage 2012 – with red cherries, violets and juicy palate that finishes with balance, length, minerality and some funky spice
- The Winery of Good Hope Mountainside Shiraz 2012 – bold flavor, varietal spiciness, balance, individuality and freshness
- Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – deep and dark aromas, earthy tones and spicy notes
Among the five wines, Chardonnay, the white wine would always be my favorite. For the red wine, Sauvignon would be the preferred one.
Overall, I may say that the South African wines complemented well with delicious Filipino food served with Planet Grapes – from dimsum, tenderloin salpicao, squid balls, BBQ pork spare ribs with adobo rice on the side.
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Usually, we have desserts and fruits around. When I asked Mr. Dale about it, the South African Wine doesn’t blend well with sweets.
As a wine lover like me, their wines have not escaped the attention of discerning wine drinkers in Manila, who find that the wines pair well with local cuisines.
Truly, the aromatic, fresh and innovative wines are highly suitable to the Filipino palate.
Again, thanks Planet Grapes for initiating this wine tasting event. This activity served as confirmation that some of the most elegant and magnificent wines are produced in that part of the world.
Like me, you too can experience those unwind moments w/ Planet Grapes.
Tickets are priced at P1,000 per person and covers entry to the event, five Planet Grapes dishes and samplings of five wines from The Winery of Good Hope. Seats are limited, please reserve yours today by calling Planet Grapes Shangri-la at (02) 531 8207.
For more information, please email info@planetgrapes.com.ph or visit http://planetgrapes.com.ph.
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