An unforgettable lunch taught us how riveting wines heighten Filipino and Spanish ingredients.
The best wine and food partnerships are ones where each accentuates the other’s strengths. Selecting wines and food from the same region is a natural, if safe, choice but there too are cases when harmonious matches can be found in locales far away. The recent lunch hosted by Gallery by Chele, Txanton, and Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia (aka Macán) illustrated this beautifully, proving the sheer versatility of the wines from the Rioja bodega.
It was in 2004 that Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia was birthed, as a joint project between two magnates: Tempos Vega Sicilia and Barón Edmond of the Rothschild family. From their winery in Samaniego (in Spain’s Rioja Alavesa region), they produce their two flagship wines—Macán and Macán Clásico, both highly praised Rioja wines with Tempranillo grapes from their vineyards in Ábalos, Labastida, El Villar and San Vicente de la Sonsierra.
“Rioja is very old and traditional. We have the Tempranillo, which is a very interesting fruit,” says Ignacio Calvo de Mora, general director of Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia, who guides us through the tasting that day. “With all these elements, the idea [behind the partnership] was to produce one of the most important wines in Spain.” Produce it they did—it’s little wonder, then, that the Macán wines have received praise (and high scores) from the likes of Wine Enthusiast, The Wine Advocate, and the TEXSOM International Wine Awards.
To go with the wines, Gallery by Chele (holder of one Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star awardee) prepared a few of their signatures, many highlighting Filipino ingredients. Some were from their highly praised Rice tasting menu, while others were entirely new compositions that—in true Gallery by Chele fashion—married Filipino and Spanish traditions and ingredients.
Opening bites brought a taste of the local coast to the table: Abalone in chimichurri, adorned with glistening beads of ikura; Lobster Taro, tiny taro puffs with lobster hiding within their delicate, crackly crust; Scallop Tartlets holding sweet, succulent scallops with a cloud of mustasa foam; and Tuna Tostadas that were mini in size but big on flavor.
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Before diving into Macán itself, we’re first acquainted with wines from Vega Sicilia’s estate in Tokaj, Hungary. Oremus Furmint Mandolás makes use of hand-selected Furmint grapes, the half-sibling of Riesling and Chardonnay that is the pride of Tokaj. Two vintages—2021 and 2022—greet us at the table. Despite being the same wine made from the same grapes, differences in the climate the grapes were grown in between the two years translated into differences in the resulting wines.
2021 being a colder year made for a more mineral-forward wine to pair with the Gallery by Chele’s Mother of Pearl Crudo. The wine’s touch of acidity matched the equally light, bright pairing of sweet, juicy local scallops, crisp-tender ubod ng niyog, juicy lanzones, and coconut granita.
2022 being warmer brought about the sweeter side of Mandolás, with apple coming out as a dominant note. Its fuller body made it a fine companion to the Tapuey Grouper, which had delicate poached grouper in a silky beurre blanc infused with tapuey rice wine, adorned with “green caviar” (snow peas).
From there, the spotlight shifted to the Bodegas’ crown jewels—beginning with Macán Clasico Rioja 2021, which sported a deep crimson hue from within its sleek bottle. Per De Calvo, their approach has shifted in recent years to allow the freshness of the fruit to come through. And rightfully so—the year 2021 was a fantastic one for this wine’s grapes (largely Tempranillo with a small amount of Garnacha) as they were harvested during a period of stable weather. Perhaps owing to this, the wine delivered elegant sips with notes of plum and close-to-ripe lipote (to the author’s Filipino taste buds), underlined by oak.
The wine’s soft tannins and balance of brightness and structure were precisely the kind of profile that enlivened—not engulfed—Gallery by Chele’s Pulpo dish. Chele and his team have long had an excellent handle on octopus, and this time was no exception; each chunk had a lightly charred, subtly smoky exterior that gave way to a tender interior.
Not too long after, the very flagship bottles of Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia land on the table. We’re introduced to Macán Rioja 2019 and 2020, both starring Tempranillo grapes. It so happened to be a drier year in 2019, while optimal rainfall was seen in 2020. 2020 also had a small amount of Graciano grapes introduced, which contributed a fresher, if slightly more acidic character.
The 2020 vintage’s notes of plum, cloves, and spice mirrored the aromatic Quail dish that followed. The bird was presented in two ways, with the breast perched over a deeply savory adobo sauce and the leg tinged with the aromatics of inasal.
Its “big brother,” 2019, has a more substantial, silkier body and richness of flavor, bringing to mind dark cherries with a roundness evocative of chocolate. With it came Rubia Gallega, a slab of ribeye from the famed Rubia Gallega breed of cattle that’s indigenous to Spain. Rich and buttery with an intensely beefy taste that seemed to heighten as we chewed, the steak made a grand statement matched by the bold elegance of its partner-in-wine.
Asked about the key to successful wine and food pairings, Ignacio says it’s all about knowing your ingredients. “You know already which ingredients go with this wine, which one not. Based on that, you take the plunge.” And if the collaboration was anything to go by, surprising but seamless harmonies can be formed, however close or far away from each other the source materials might be.
Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macán wines are available at Gallery by Chele and Txanton. Gallery by Chele is located at Clipp Center 11th Avenue corner 39th Street, BGC. Call +63 917 546 1673.
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