Planet Grapes
Address: Level 4 Rooftop Garden, Ayala Center Cebu
Operating Hours: 10AM-12Midnight everyday
Free WiFi: Yes
Mode of Payment: Cash / Card
Contact Number: 032-266-0526
Been to a several food and wine pairing sessions this year and the most recent one I attended at Planet Grapes is quite different. Planet Grapes is devoted to exposing a new side of wine that their branches serve street food to pair with the wine tastings.
We started the wine tasting with the White Plate Set. Nuevo Mundo Sauvignon Blanc 2011, L’escargot Chardonnay 2011 and Joel Got Riesling 2011 paired with some Filipino street food favorites like squid balls, isaw, chicharon bulaklak, quail eggs and danggit, and Thai-spiced Crab Cake. The experience is something new and never thought Riesling would be a good match with the isaw.
We then moved to the Red Plate where we sampled salted egg rice, BBQ pork spare ribs, rib-eye putanesca, beef tapa, BBQ garlic chicken wings paired with Ventura Pinot Noir 2011, Cartlidge & Brown Merlot 2009 and Nuev Mundo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. Personally, the Pinot Noir was a perfect pair with spare ribs.
Of course dinner is never complete without dessert. Ending the food tasting was the Sweet Plate Set where we indulged in creme brulee and bite-sized turon paired with Crane Lake Gewurztraminer 2011.
Intriguing right? And couldn’t agree more with Mr. Sia. 🙂
“Unlike the Western society, we don’t have wine at meal times. But wine can add so much pleasure!” Planet Grapes Owner Romy Sia said. “Fortunately, Filipinos love to eat so we believe the best way to get them to try and like wine is to serve them their favourite food. Food that is both familiar and good but which they never imagined to have with wine.”
“The serendipitous discovery of pairing food (food that we eat every day like rice toppings, noodles, grilled meat & fish, street food like chicken isaw, danggit, chorizo, etc.) with wine is what Planet Grapes is all about.”
“We remove the fear and the drama of wine enjoyment,” Sia said.
This brand is poised to take the next generation of wine drinkers to a new level and help them evolve into wine lovers.
The friendly wine associates, the welcoming atmosphere, and the company set up all encourage the discovery of wine for anyone from the novice amateur to the budding expert. In this new era of wine enjoyment, no one needs a degree to be welcomed to the wine revolution.
Visit Planet Grapes at the 4th level of the Rooftop Garden of Ayala Center Cebu.
