Welcome the new year with wine from around the world

CHEF Margarita Fores flanked by Sitio Pacenti owner Giancarlo Pacenti (left) and Christian Maddalena. Sitio Pacenti makes Brunello wines.

CAN YOU believe that Christmas is over? How fast time flies. I hope your Christmas was merry and bright.

Now it’s time to look for wine for the New Year’s Eve celebrations …

No judgments

Just last week, I noticed managers at an office I visited offering the boss a whole list of wines for his gift list but unable to recommend which ones to order. The good news is that sometimes the beneficiaries don’t really care what brand or vintage wine they receive. In this case, the gift may be determined by price and budget.

The better news is that sometimes those who claim to know their wines really don’t. Some people think all Margaux wines are expensive even if some are already accessibly priced. (Although as a general rule, all wines with the Margaux appellation—a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for the wine were grown —are recommendable.)

But the best news is unless you are gifting a snob (and you might want to rethink that), even if the giftees are legitimate connoisseurs, wine appreciation is now “to each his own,” i.e. there are no right or wrong answers anymore. Being judgmental, even in wine tasting, is so yesterday.

The perfect wine

I have a personal bias for French wines (my name is Margaux, after all). But in today’s internationally competitive wine industry, it is best to explore wines from other parts of the world as well.

Artisan Cellar and Fine Foods this year brought the owner of Tuscany’s Siro Pacenti winery, maker of Brunello di Montalcino wines, to Manila. Brunello Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino located about 120 kilometers south of Florence, in the Tuscany wine region. It is 100 percent made from Sangiovese grapes.

Giancarlo Pacenti, the owner of the winery, is especially proud of the Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2010, as it was chosen just last October by James Suckling—an American wine and cigar critic and former senior editor and European bureau chief of Wine Spectator—as Italian Wine of the Year.

This wine is described by Suckling as having “complex aromas of walnut, dark fruit, stone, oyster shell, chalk and dried fruits”. (Hmmm … that it is appreciated for an aroma of chalk tells me that this is a wine for the academically inclined.) Seriously, though, Suckling regards this wine as outstanding because, he explains in JamesSuckling.com, 2010 was the greatest vintage ever for Brunello di Montalcino and the Sira Pacenti is the “epitome of this unique vintage”. It shows “unrivaled aromatic complexity, richness, structure and freshness for a Brunello 2010. It’s a perfect wine.”

Everyday wine

If you aren’t after “perfect,” you might like to have Rosso di Montelcino by Altesino. This would be a great gift for someone who is just getting to know Italian wines because it is an accessible introduction to the “terroir of Montalcino” (in English: the characteristic flavors of the wine from this area). Like the Brunello, this is 100-percent Sangiovese grape as well. But unlike the “perfect” wine, this is being sold at Artisan Cellar for just P1,892. The difference is that it is sourced from younger vines. Nevertheless, it has been described as “well balanced on the palate, with delicately structured flavors of cherry, plum and berries.”

DIERBERG Pinot Noir Margaux Salcedo

“The Rosso is elegant but it is also an everyday wine that is affordable,” Lorenzo Gucci (not related to the fashion empire) of Altesino explained. “We want to share our culture in Italy of having wine with every meal … except breakfast. You can pair this easily with either white or red meat and a wide range of sauces.”

All American wines

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the United States is not allowing itself to be left behind in the world of wines.

At the Thanksgiving Dinner of Happy Living Wines (with US Ambassador Philip Goldberg as guest of honor) the sommelier of the City of Dreams’ Tasting Room paired every dish by Chef William Mahi with American wines, which I assume are worthy of being served to dignitaries. They started with a 2011 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs, pairing this with an amuse bouche of foie gras lollipops. This was followed by a 2014 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, also from Napa Valley, paired with a lobster consomme. For Mahi’s famous 52-degree egg starter, Kathy Yao Santos loved the pairing of Beringer’s 2013 Luminus Chardonnay, which she called a “dream pairing.”

The star of Thanksgiving, though was the 2012 Dierberg Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, also in California. At least this is what Kurt Joyer, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Manila and wine enthusiast, raved about. This vintage is warm, earthy with spicy qualities and has been described as seamless and elegant. He must know his wines because this ranked 90 in Wine Spectator.

Another hit was the 2011 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, which had a complex bouquet with scents of cedar, olive, dried sage, oak and even dark chocolate. If you like a more tannined wine, go for this.

Happy New Year

Whatever wine you choose for your New Year’s Eve festivities, remember that the season is still about The Miracle Worker who could turn water into wine. (Thank you, Jesus, for all your miracles!)

May your 2016 be filled with all the important F words: Faith, Family, Friendships, Food Fitness (good health), Fortune (wealth), maybe a little Fame and definitely a lot of Fine Wine.

Happy New Year!

Tuscan wines available at Artisan Cellars and Fine Foods, Inc. E-mail [email protected]. Call 5223920. Also served at the City of Dreams Tasting Room.

California wines available at Happy Living Phils Corp. Call landlines 895 6507, 899 4700 or 896 0336. Also served at Sofitel Manila.

Follow @margauxsalcedo on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Visit food and travel blog margauxlicious.com.