Taste with Confidence: Wine Tasting for Beginners

The second of the two articles I wrote on wines.

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TASTE WITH CONFIDENCE: WINE TASTING FOR BEGINNERS
Conquer your fear of tasting wine with easy-to-follow tips from Filipina winemaker Tondi Bolkan of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.

“There is no right or wrong when tasting wine. Just be open and trust your own opinion. The person’s palate is the final answer.” A neophyte wine taster cannot ask for more comforting words. This is how Tondi Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery (FFCW) in California, welcomed her guests in a wine tasting event held last January to showcase her own wine concoctions.

Admittedly, wine tasting is still a relatively new concept for Filipinos. Most people choose not to attend a tasting out of fear or not knowing what to do. But what is a better way to start exploring wine than with blends specifically created for the Filipino palate.

Six different wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California from Allejos Cellars and FFCW were uncorked for tasting, including the former’s Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine).

Cast your fear aside and apply these easy-to-follow tips from Tondi:

Uncorking the Pinay

For the next two pieces, Hanna assigned me to cover a wine-tasting event at Pacific Place, Ortigas featuring Filipina winemaker, Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan. This is my first wine tasting ever! Who am I to talk about wines, or even write how I think of them and how to enjoy them? I had to do a lot of research for my questions to be on-point. Thanks to Tondi and her family for being so hospitable.

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Uncorking the Pinay
Meet Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina winemaker from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery whose mission is to uncork the Filipino’s love for wine.

Lechon, pansit, cheese, crackers and cold cuts; a serenade of love songs; friends and family abound—a classic picture of a Filipino get-together. In this feast, the centerpiece are six fine wines vintaged in Napa Valley and Sonoma, California by Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan, a Filipina associate winemaker of the Francis Ford Coppola Winery and part-owner of Alejos Cellars.

The gathering is a wine tasting for Tondi’s wine creations which includes the Pinay Muscato (white), Tondi Bolkan Merlot (red) and Pinay Pastel (port-style wine), flagship wines of the Alejos Cellars; and Francis Ford Coppola Winery concoctions including Coppola’s Diamond Series Claret (red), Su Yuen (Riesling) and Sofia (a sparkling wine named after Sofia Coppola).

“My mom is my inspiration for the Pinay. I was mortified to see her drinking the Rubicon, a 145-dollar bottle of wine, and topping it with Maraschino cherries to adjust its sweetness. I promised her I’d make her a sweet wine.”

With a degree on Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis California, Tondi initially planned to take up medicine to follow her father and sister’s path. “During my senior year in college, I had my internship at the University Medical Center. Once I saw blood, I immediately passed out.” Luckily UC Davis is also known for viniculture and grape growing. She turned to her true passion and studied winemaking, and since 2001 has been working at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Napa Valley known as the Rubicon Estate.

“My family was surprised because they wanted me to be a doctor. They did not speak to me from September to November—my first harvest season. After the holidays, I sent them a case of my first wine, and they knew they have a winemaker in the family.”