California wine tasting: Wine tastings at The Tinder Box

CEBU, Philippines - Oftentimes we make our wine selections based on  recommen-dations of close friends and associates. This is fine; however, each individual’s taste varies with circumstances and food flavors.

Billy Mondoñedo, wine connoisseur and proprietor of The Tinder Box, together with his bubbly wife Marlene and Swiss educated daughter, Aziza, recently hosted an intimate gathering of friends to launch the deli’s newest wine dispensing machine.

The temperature-controlled apparatus dispenses wine directly from the bottle using a revolutionary inert gas preservation technique. This will enable wine lovers to taste not just one or two but twenty different wines from a variety of wineries. The characteristics and flavors of the wine remain intact for more than three weeks, as if the bottle has just been newly opened.

With portion control technology, it allows you to enjoy and savor different wines in three approximate volumes, tasting (25 ml), half a glass (75ml) and full glass (150ml) without having to open an entire bottle.

The machine is operated by a custom-made electronic card “The Tinder Box Wine Card” that can be availed of at the counter or from the waiter, should you wish to dine with the wine of your choice. The card will record all your tasting pleasure and shall be billed accordingly when you are done.  

Kathy Santos, marketing director of Happy Living Fine Wines, a local wine distributor and importer known for its portfolio of California wines was the evening’s host. She graciously delivered a brief but comprehensive description of the different wines available that night.

Among the early favorites were the Beringer Founder’s Estate Riesling, with its ripe peach and apricot flavors balanced by a touch of lemon-lime and refreshing acidity and the Beringer Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, a rich, full-bodied and deep with silky tannin and loads of length and concentration. Also dominating the tasting was the Cabernet Sauvignon mostly from the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, California. 

A fabulous spread of specially prepared hors d’oeuvres was set on the antique wooden table. The cheeses came in assorted sizes and shapes. From soft-textured such as fromage blanc and mascarpone to blue veined cheeses that included Roquefort, stilton and gongonzola.

Of special interest were the assorted sweets and desserts. The pastry crust lemon curd filling popularly known as lemon meringue tarts specially baked by Aziza for the occasion was easily everyone’s favorite.