My Wine Appreciation Experience At SPIRAL

When I started working for an international company it was then I got to meet people from different walks of life. Blogging gave me more opportunity to socialize. From simple to special gatherings as well as romantic events. 

Seats-For-Two Wine Tasting at Spiral
Wine Appreciation Night at Spiral


I've attended several wine tasting events in the past. The most recent was at the Titania Wine Cellar along Makati where the owner gladly taught us basic information about wine. Last year, we were at Planet Grapes where interesting quirky wine vending machine and the "wine meets street food" was the concept.

Hidden: Spiral's Private Dining Room
Hidden, one of Spiral's Private Dining Room
The long table inside the Hidden Room
The long table inside the Hidden Room
The most recent wine tasting session was held in one of the six lovely private dining rooms of Spiral in Sofitel Manila. If you read my blog, you know I'm friends with Sofitel (click here and read my Sofitel Honeymoon Staycation). We were welcomed by Damien Marchenay, Director of Food and Beverage and Matthieu Chapius, Assistant F&B Manager. Next thing, we were given a list of wines for tasting - 10 wines to be exact.


I have practically no experience with French wines so I would just share few information I learned during this session. They set-up tables lined with clean wine glasses at selected dining ateliers making it more easy for us to understand wine and food pairing.

Sofitel-Manila-Wine-Tasting
Sofitel-Manila-Wine-Tasting
Japanese-Wine at SPIRAL Manila
Japanese-Wine at SPIRAL Manila
Led by Tanguy Gras, the tour started at the Japanese atelier, where Sake or Japanese wines were displayed and ready for tasting. Japanese wine goes well with sushi and sashimi. He said it's also great when paired with bluecheese from Davao.

Sushi and Sashimi at SPIRAL
Sushi and Sashimi at SPIRAL
At the Western Ateliers: William Fevre, Bouchard Pere & Fils, Dourthe No. 1

SPIRAL: Western Ateliers
SPIRAL: Western Ateliers
William Fevre Chablis has a very light yellow color. This wine has fruity taste and very light.  It's pure and nicely balanced. This wine goes well with fish and other seafood, white meat and pan-seared Foie Gras.

SPIRAL: Bouchard Pere, Fils "La Vignee" Pinot Noir
SPIRAL: Bouchard Pere, Fils "La Vignee" Pinot Noir
Next stage was the Bouchard Pere and Fils "La Vignee" Pinot Noir.  The wine has a pale ruby color with ripe cherry and strawberry aromas. It's quite nice too and has good balance of structure and fruit. This wine is best paired with pizza, red meat and light flavored cheeses.

L' Epicerie or Spiral's Cheese Room
Here's the famous Cheese Room at Spiral, the biggest cheeseroom inside a hotel in the Philippines.
SPIRAL: French Stove
From the French Stove
SPIRAL: Italian Pizza
SPIRAL: Italian Pizza

We went to taste the Dourthe No.1A.O.C, Rouge, BordeauxBordeaux is famous in France.  The wine is deep red in appearance with intense aroma of red berry fruits. I find it more acidic and has long flavourful finish. Bordeaux is best with any red meat, lamb, Spiral burger, cold cuts, potatoes and full flavored cheeses.

The famous Cheese Room in Spiral
The famous Cheese Room in Spiral
Spiral Wine Appreciation Night, by LivingMarjorney
Bread, Cheese and Cold Cuts

Asian Ateliers: Craggy Range, AIX Rose and Madfish Shiraz


Craggy Range: Sauvignon Blanc, by LivingMarjorney
Craggy Range: Sauvignon Blanc
Next in line: Craggy Range: Sauvignon Blanc which are really nice, drinkable! It has a pale straw color with green hues. It has a fresh aroma of jasmine, nectarine and lime and gives a rich flavor with a little acidity.

Meanwhile, AIX Rose has a pale salmon color and fruity flavors of watermelon with medium acidity. This wine is great when paired with garden vegetable and grilled meat.

AIX Rose, by LivingMarjorneyTanguy Gras of SPIRAL

Blogger Manila Jonel Uy at SPIRAL
Blogger Manila Jonel Uy at SPIRAL
Hubby holds three different sizes of AIX wines. This wine is very good with fish and dim sum, wanton soup and seafood.

Madfish Shiraz Wine at SPIRAL
Madfish Shiraz
Madfish Shiraz from Australia has a lot of characteristics. It has a rich, dark, cherry red wine. It's a full-bodied wine with a smoky flavor. We where told it can be paired with kare-kare and adobo. Also with Hokien Mee, grilled pork or any red meat.

Dessert Ateliers: Hugel & Fils, Champagne Henriot

Gewurztraminer has an attractive color, dry on the palate with rich aromatic finish. It's best paired with puto bumbong. 


Spiral Wine Appreciation Night
Spiral Wine Appreciation Night
Champagne Henriot has light straw-gold appearance. It has fine, regular bubbles and gives a refreshingly finish marked by citrus fruity aromas. Champagne can be enjoyed with chocolate dessert.

Champagne Tasting at SPIRAL
Champagne
Finally, I have come to the wine I was looking forward to all night! For me, New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc was the star of the night. I like the fresh fruity flavor on it. It was very nice, fruity and rich. Next is the Champagne, perhaps because it's easy to drink and goes well with dessert chocolates. 

Local Wines, photo by LivingMarjorney
Local Wines
The local wines were all good especially the Honey Fruit wine with a taste and aroma of Guyabano fruit. It's sweet and has a white appearance. I like it and I recommend that you should try it!

Honey Fruit wine

The Dragon Fruit has a floral scent and pinkish in color. It has 5% alcohol. It goes well with dessert and blue cheese. Unlike other wine, it's easy to drink like fruit juice.

A treasure chest full of chocolates


A treasure chest full of chocolates
A treasure chest full of chocolates at Spiral Manila
A treasure chest full of chocolates - truffles!
A treasure chest full of chocolates at Spiral Manila
A treasure chest full of chocolates
Before the night ended, we give in to our own favorites from each of Spiral 21 Ateliers. Here are what I got that evening - sorbet, ice cream, nuts, dried fruits, variety of cakes and pastries and bibingka.

Spiral's Ice Cream and Sorbet
Spiral's Ice Cream and Sorbet sprinkled with nuts
SPIRAL's heavenly dessert section
heavenly dessert section
SPIRAL's heavenly dessert section
Chocolates, cake, pichi-pichi and bibingka on my plate
Spiral Makes Yummy Bibingka
Tasty Bibingka
Of course, I wouldn't want to miss our favorite bibingka! It's the best bibingka we ever had! I'm so delighted that it never change, I mean the taste and consistency. Still, the softest and delicious bibingka for us!

SPIRAL foie gras

For the first time, I had buttery, soft, lip-smacking foie gras.

That night, I had a lot from the French stove. I had the ever delicious, creamy potato gratin. Some slices of salmon and lobster.

Salmon, lobster, pizza

As always, Spiral's buffet spread and wine collection did not disappoint. The buffet section remains spotless clean and spacious, guest comfortably move to get food from one section to another. 


Post by Stonibert Lim.

Photo from The Food Alphabet
SeatsForTwo
The Couple Blogger: SeatsForTwo (Thanks Azrael Colladila for the photo)

End of the day, it was a wonderful night of tasting, food and great stories also an intimate acquaintance with wine connoisseurs at Spiral. Cheers! 


Dine at Spiral/Operating Hours and Rates:
  • Breakfast (Daily) 6:30 am - 10:30 am
  • Lunch (Mon-Sat) 12 noon - 2:30 pm
  • Brunch (Sunday) 12 noon - 3:00 pm
  • Dinner Sunday-Thursday) 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm
  • Dinner (Friday & Saturday) – 6pm – 10:30pm
  • Supper at La Veranda: 11 pm to 3 am
Visit Sofitel Manila's website, www.sofitelmanila.com and Spiral Manila 



Read my review of Spiral's 21 Dining Atelier
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