Château Palmer’s special dinner at Wine Story

Wine enthusiasts gathered at Wine Story in Serendra for an evening highlighted by fine vintages from Margaux, Bordeaux. At hand to share invaluable insights on the wine business was Château Palmer’s wine ambassador, marketing and communication director Bernard de Laage de Meux. Joining the special guest were Wine Story’s Romy Sia and Christian Tan.  

Bernard presented the Château Palmer and Alter Ego. Château Palmer stands out because of its subtle balance between aromatic richness and powerful yet always restrained tannins. Alter Ego de Palmer, a great “second wine,” has been produced since 1998.

The dinner included sumptuous dishes like terrine of duck liver and beef oxtail, which paired well with Alter Ego 2006 and 2009; tourte of duck breast and mushroom pie with foie gras, which were paired with Château Palmer 2007 and 1998; and roasted lamb loin wrapped with fine herbs farce, purée of squash, sautéed zucchini and eggplant, matched with Château Palmer 1989.

Bernard briefly talked about the interesting storied past of Château Palmer to an appreciative audience during the dinner. Château Palmer derived its name from British army general Charles Palmer. He acquired the Château de Gascq during the 19th century and invested to develop his property and contributed to the sterling reputation of his wines in England. Charles Palmer lived mainly in England, leaving the day-to-day running of his estate to a Bordeaux wine dealer and an estate manager. Meanwhile, he undertook to get his wine known and appreciated by his fashionable relations in society and at the English court. The wine estate’s ownership eventually went to the brothers Isaac and Emile Péreire, who made their fortune in finance and real estate. The Péreire brothers raised Château Palmer to the rank of one of the most prestigious Margaux wines. Four families of the Bordeaux traders bought the field in 1938 namely Sichel, Mähler-Besse, Gineste and Miailhe.  

The Péreire brothers set out to reorganize the vineyards. Because there was not enough time before the historic 1855 classification to raise Château Palmer to first growth status, the property was classified as a third growth in 1855. Nonetheless, it is widely recognized as ranking among the greatest Bordeaux wines. Today, Château Palmer performs mainly like a second growth, with bursts of genius at “first growth” level from time to time.

   Wine Story aims to raise the bar of wine experience — from learning, tasting and drinking to buying, storing, collecting and investing. It has stores located at the ground floor of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City (tel. no. 633-3556); ground floor of Serendra in Taguig City (tel. no. 846-6310) and at One Rockwell West Tower along Rockwell Drive, Makati City (tel. no. 869-0932).

  (Check out their website at www.winestory.com.ph.)

Of vision & fashion

Relentless dedication to superior service has been Ideal Vision Center’s main thrust through the years. It continues to deliver its promise in providing eye care services, cutting-edge testing facilities and top-class products to meet the various needs of its consumers while maintaining its goal to be recognized globally as a reliable top eyewear provider at par with the world’s best.

Ideal Vision Center is also home to the world’s top eyewear brands like Police, Cartier, Michael Kors, Givenchy, Diesel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Nike, bebe, Lacoste, Chloe, Calvin Klein, Ermenegildo Zegna, Viktor & Rolf, Furla, Escada and Dior.

The nationwide chain recently showcased these most fashionable brands where local personalities including SM’s Harley Sy, Pauline Juan, Divine Lee, Victor Basa, Suki Salvador, Patrick Galang, Andrew Wolff and Arnold Vegafria were spotted in the event eagerly viewing the Spring/Summer 2013 collections. Designers Vania Romoff, Eric de los Santos, Raoul Ramirez and Roland Lirio complemented the featured eyewear from Ideal Vision with their collections.

During the pre-show cocktails, Ideal Vision also showcased a gown designed by Puey Quiñones in collaboration with artist Ramon del Prado that incorporated eyewear parts in a long fluid dress, again, highlighting the very fashion-forward vision of the Filipino brand.