Wine 101 at Muruve

MANILA, Philippines - It can be daunting for the beginner, this business of learning to define and appreciate the fine nuances of wine. But starting with some basic knowledge, a certain degree of interest, and a keen sense of adventure, one can eventually discern the subtleties and unique qualities of different vintages.

“Pick a wine that you love and stick with it so you have a benchmark,” counsels 28-year-old chef Edward “Ed” Bugia. He tells us that his interest in wines started in high school, when, supervised by his father, he was first initiated into the intricacies of wine appreciation. Nowadays, he is spurred by the conviction that “wine is not a luxury; it is an everyday thing,” so that he and business partners PJ Lanot and Star Jose have embarked on a “Wine All You Can” buffet concept at their Muruve by Pino restaurant and bar to encourage education and enjoyment of the lively spirits.

The affordable P500 per person tab for choice wines from 7-9 p.m. until June 30 is certainly attractive. Muruve by Pino stocks up on Australian, Chilean, South African and European (particularly French, Spanish and Italian) vintages, and a sampling from several bottles is a good way to find a brew that you like. Should you decide that you prefer one particular drink—enough to score a whole bottle however, the prices are very reasonable. The lowest priced bottle is an Italian Banfi Primavera Trebiano varietal at P445, while the most costly wine in the inventory is Arzuaga Crianza from Spain at P 2,200.

Then again, serious oenophiles will not find their rare vintages here. The young, adventurous and upbeat crowd at Muruve by Pino consists generally of folks who are just starting their friendship with wine. For savvy, health-conscious customers, organic wines (or those made from grapes grown without insecticides and without sulfites added during the fermentation process) are available.

On the day of our visit, we sampled three award-winning red wines: Vin de Pays d’Oc, a 2007 Yves Merlot that won a bronze medal at the Concours de Grand Vins du Languedoc-Roussilon; Cotes du Rhone, 2006 Les Merites de l’Enclave that won a gold medal in Foire aux Vins d’Orange 2007 plus an award of excellence at Vinalies National Competition 2008; and Corbieres, 2006 Domaine la Baquiere, a syrah bronze medal winner at Challenge International du Vin 2008.

The 2007 merlot was certainly a good wine for beginners especially as the flavors are not too complicated and it is affordably priced. Vin de pays simply means “country wine”—a step above what is known as table wine. The merlot was fruity, fragrant and mellow. On the other hand, Cotes du Rhone, a wine made from the Grenache variety of grapes that ripens late in hot and dry conditions, is noticeably sweeter. It is described as “bright cherry red with plenty of fruit aromas, medium- bodied with supple tannins.” Although the novices in the group found it difficult to distinguish the aromas, the buzz caused by its higher alcohol content was enjoyed by all.

Corbieres Domaine la Baquiere made with syrah and grenache grapes equally proved to be a favorite with fruit and herb nuances infused in the palate leading to a harmonious finish. Syrah is a dark-skinned grape, so that this wine has more tannins, and in comparison to the previous wines, this was bolder and had fuller body.  

Undoubtedly, good food goes well with good wines. For us, chef Edward prepared what he called “sloppy tapas” or fun, unconventional finger food. Canapes came in three variants: crabstick and cream cheese, chorizo ham with Gouda cheese topped with fried quail egg and chorizo with aioli sauce. The Jalapeno cheese sticks with chili guava sauce were mild enough so that the heat of the chilies did not interfere with the flavor of the wines, and a delicious tinapa lumpia of smoked milkfish was served crisp and warm. The latter came with a dipping sauce of sinamak vinegar, but we thought it prudent to forgo this so as not to compromise our taste buds for the wines.

We were happy with the hors d’ oeuvres but wine is a good prelude to whet up a big appetite. Fortunately for hearty eaters, more substantial choices can be had. We perused the menu with its Spanish-inspired Filipino fare and were especially intrigued with entrees like kare-kareng bagnet or Ilocano pork belly served with annatto-peanut sauce (P275); goat kaldereta( P 260); lonnganisa and bagnet paella (P380) and paella negra topped with fried calamari (P380.) The list of food choices is attractive enough to merit another visit to Muruve by Pino solely for the food. 

The verdict? This initial foray to scope out this restaurant cum bar seems well worth it. We remember Andre Simon, the English gourmand and wine connoisseur who once said, “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners.” With good company, good wines and good food, there seem to be only happy spirits at Muruve by Pino.

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Muruve By Pino Restaurant and Wine Bar is located at Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig is open Mondays to Sundays from 5pm onwards. Call 706 4617 or log on to muruvebypino.com.