Barely settled in at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila for the wine-appreciation class, and suddenly there was a gentleman walking into the room looking so dapper in his suite saying his hello and welcoming us.
I had to take a second look, because the Sofitel executive in front was such a dead ringer for actor Ryan Reynolds. It was a fact that I told him at the end of the class.
And no, I was not saying that because I was tipsy from all the wine intake to hallucinate or thankful enough to butter things up.
Yes, that was a wine-drinking record for me that day, and I very much appreciate Sofitel for inviting me to such an activity but Sofitel Food and Beverage Manager Tanguy Gras is really a lookalike of Ryan Reynolds.
It was just his voice and accent that gave him away. And, my apologies Mr. Gras, but you are also not as witty as Deadpool, yet.
Anyway, Gras told me that drinking wine was part of his job, which really placed a wide smile on my face. It is like having a cake and eating it, too. He is one lucky individual.
I never drink anything outside of water, milk, juices, tea and some soda here and there, so I might not really be able to relate. But this man loves wines so much, and he claims to have tasted over 1,000 different brands. In fact, he is on the top 10 list of Vivino wine reviewer here in the country. And he drinks wines as part of his job?
I downloaded the Vivino app on my mobile phone just as he suggested, and I am loving it a lot ever since. One of its many handy uses is that it shows me just how much stores overcharge for the wine they sell. And if you are wondering why I go to such places, it is because I collect wines. But I really do not drink them.
That might have to change at some point, because as Gras said during his lecture, wines have their own shelf life and they have to be consumed during their peak years. He also said that once opened, wines should be consumed within three days.
Gras also explained that proper storage is for the wine bottle to be tilted upward, as the cork might cause the wine to have a rotten aroma. Add to that, temperature should be 12°C to 16°C for red wines, and 8°C to 12°C for white wines.
Anyway, Sofitel patrons consume about 1,000 bottles of wines monthly from their rack. The hotel, just like its cheeses, has the most extensive wine collection in the country. I wonder how big a quantity of the consumption can be attributed to Gras? Just kidding.
But, hey, Sofitel also has Petrus 1989 and 1998 which, according to Gras, is valued at P1 million per bottle, or P400,000 per glass, inside the hotel. To put the extent of luxury contained in that bottle of wine in perspective, a Toyota Vios costs P991,000.
Another bottle of wine that is also literally screaming in its cost is Screaming Eagle, which is priced at P600,000 per bottle.
Gras said he got into wine at 12 years old, when he blended it with water. He claims to have imitated his parents. He said wines is about gathering people together and celebrating life’s many accomplishments.
During the class, I learned how to taste and appreciate wines through the 5S—see, swirl, smell, sip and savor.
The color of the wine tells the alcohol content. When you swirl the glass, the aroma expands and if the movement of the wine is slow, it means it has more sugar. When smelling it, go from your left to your right nostrils, as the nose will give signals to your brain.
I was told to sip wine with air in mouth, and to move the inside of my mouth like when gargling a mouthwash, as this would introduce all the ingredients used in making the wine. Afterward, savor it in full.
Gras also showed us the type of food that can be paired with different varieties of wines. Basically, sweet foods make wines dryer, bitter and more acidic; salty makes them smoother and richer; acidic makes them fruitier; fatty foods make them less acidic; and spicy increases the heat.
The class was also taught the proper way of opening the wine. Trust me, it was a bit complicated for me. There was also the fear factor in me that I might drop the bottle, and totally waste its content.
I was able to taste six different wines during the class, including the Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2013 from New Zealand; Hugel and Fils Riesling 2013 from France; Katnook Chardonnay Coonawarra 2013 from Australia; Kendall-Jackson Merlot 2012 from the United States, Terrazas Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 from Argentina; and Paul Jaboulet Les Jalets 2012 from France.
I know after the class that I had one glass of wine too many, because I was feeling light-headed. Still, I learned the process of winemaking, the history and culture associated with it, and the way to appreciate it better.
My bet is that I will never get to a thousand different wines tasted during my lifetime but I sure would like to join Gras again for an evening of dinner and good wine. He is such a nice guy, and I am pretty sure I could learn more from him.
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