Not your typical glug-glug event

What Spanish wine goes best with sisig?

For that matter, what goes well with paella? Or chorizo?

And while we’re at it, how do you pair a Spanish vino with a Vietnamese spring roll?

The folks from Wines From Spain and the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain had such questions in mind when they held a Spanish Wines Exhibition recently in Makati.

With 130 wines to sample, the event interested me because my family is planning a trip to Spain next year, so a few vineyard trips might be on the menu.

It shouldn’t have surprised me that Rizal Ballroom at Shangri-La Makati would be overflowing with journalists and serious tipplers. They were giving away free wine, for God’s sake! In the morning!

Well, you know how Europeans are with their wine. A glass at lunch, a glass at merienda, a few glasses before dinner, a few glasses with dinner…

This wasn’t a typical glug-glug event, though. Two seminars were presented to “orientate” the palette. We heard about up-and-coming “Spanish Grape Varietals” from Sherwin Lao, a wine connoisseur and writer. As the glasses were poured, Lao explained that the Old World is making a comeback in Spain. While mixing grape varietals has been a success for New World growers in the US and Australia, many in Spain — as in France — want to keep the integrity of their centuries-old vineyards. Lao says it’s purely indigenous varietals that are the big sellers now.

Our tables were quickly littered with half-drunk glasses as Lao took us through some exceptional Spanish grapes. There were the white Verdejo wines, often mixed with Sauvignon Blanc (“The undertaste is leafy, earthy, with lychee, grapefruit and apple notes,” according to Lao). Whites are still virgin territory for me, but Lao says the Verdejo’s low acidity pairs well with most food dishes. We tried a lusher Albarino, with its pungent peach and apricot notes. The Albarinos are typically found near the Portugal border, and while not cheap (P1,000 and up per bottle), they have a “creamy viscosity,” and a lot of texture on swallowing.

I could feel my empty stomach kick up a fuss as we switched to reds; I reached for a bread roll and tossed back a Garnacha, a varietal that has long been mixed with Southern Rhone and Chateau Neuf-du-Papes grapes in France.

This one really made its case: the pure Garnacha grape come from 100-year-old vines, so production is low, but more concentrated. Said Lao: “The nose is plummy, tangy, with an herbal, spicy presence.” Be wary, though: now that Spanish growers are rediscovering this classic grape, they’re transplanting Garnacha vines “with impunity.”

We had a nice little Mencia, a grape that has long played a “supporting actor” role in Spanish blends but definitely has its own character. Lao said it resembles a Bordeaux Cabernet, with a “meaty quality, and leather notes,” but I found it curiously flat. Maybe my stomach would have preferred some meat instead.

Finally, the Tempranillo grape is probably the most popular, grown all over Spain. Known as “the king of Spanish varietals,” it’s usually blended with up to 25 percent Cabernet, but the purer the better. Oak aging gives it a long, woody finish. And though it’s a dry wine, it has a lot of sweet elements in the flavor: cherry, raisins.

At this point, there was no room left for any food on our tables; empty glasses made it look like a Spanish wine bar. So we adjourned upstairs to the Rizal Ballroom, where some 30 importers made their case for Spanish grape. It was nice to sample the aged sherries and Brandy de Jerez of Bodegas Tradicion — some of them 30 years old and wonderfully smooth. We checked in with the reservas from Altos de Tamaron, and found that the crianzas of Bilbao — not surprisingly — pair best with chirozo from that region.

Speaking of pairing, the general idea is that Old World wines tend to go well with dishes from the same country, while New World wines are more mix and match. Still, there are no hard rules, and Cabarrus hipped us to some general tips on what goes with what. First, consider weight of the food: heavy wines with heavy foods, light with light. Also take into account the food’s acidity: with a vinegary salad, for example, you might want to sip a gin and tonic or cocktail instead of a sour wine. Greasy foods cry out for a white wine — something crisp and dry to cleanse the palette.

Generally, wine pairing breaks down by regions, with foods the Spanish have loved for centuries still matching perfectly with certain wines. Galicia wines are best with fresh seafood, something it’s known for. Asturian wines pair well with bean dishes. Basque country wines go best with seafoods, such as bacalao. When in Valencia, the wine goes best with rice dishes like paella. Cabarrus had a further tip on that: the seafood in paella makes white wines a safe match for pairing. And Andalucian wines cry out for a cold but flavorful gazpacho. Tapas is a little trickier. It can range from breads and cheeses to meat and fish foods, so try a little of anything.

Cabarrus also had tips for pairing Spanish wines with Asian food. This flies in the face of local customs, where anything Chinese or pika-pika seems to cry out for beer. Sure, beer’s great with sisig, but why not try a young red wine? Most Filipino foods, she claims, pair well with fruitier reds like Garnacha — not surprising considered the Pinoy love of sweet dishes. Something elegant and fresh, with silky, robust flavor should be strong enough to cut the pork and grease in our typical bar foods.

For Japanese foods, you can break away from sake and try a Spanish Cava: Xarello, Macabeo or a Parellada y Chardonnay will cut the greasiness of fried foods such as tempura, while a yellow straw or light bubbly wine matches with sushi or sashimi.

For Vietnamese spring rolls, pickled ceviche or most Asian seafoods, go with a Verdejo: something fresh and fruity with light citrus or flower notes brings out the flavor.

Urp. After sampling about 12 wines before lunch, I’m not sure I became an expert on Spanish wines, but I was definitely ready for that most welcoming of Spanish customs: siesta.