Everyday Luxury: Good Food Paired with Affordable Wines

No joke my older brother enjoys rare to medium rare steak, and I have to admit perfectly cooked steak--even if just made at home--is awesome. When it comes to steak, though, the only thing that could be better than a nice perfect steak is steak and wine. Now serving steak and wine at the dinner table may be a luxury, but it doesn't mean it's something we cannot afford. We Filipinos know how to enjoy life with what we have. Experience luxury without breaking the bank with affordable quality wines! The latest wine brand to hit the Manila scene, Arrogant Frog Winery & Wines offers delicious red wines made of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carigan & Cinsault grape varieties, and white wines from Viognier, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. Currently, there are several wine options available in the Philippines, and their perfect matches are listed below! The Rule: Leaner = Lighter Indeed, when it comes to wine pairings, it is best to match lean red meats with lighter red wines. The rule of thumb? The leaner the red meat you are matching, the lighter the red wine you can use.  

Red Wine Choices for Red Meats:

Arrogant Frog Cabernet Merlot (55% Cabernet Suvignon, 45% Merlot) Best served cool with red meat, cheeses and barbecues. Elegant Frog Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) Best served cool with red meat, barbecue, baked beef, stews, pasta dishes, hard cheeses and rich chocolate desserts. Arrogant Frog Syrah Croak Baronne (100% Shiraz) Best served cool with meat pies, game, grilled red meat, beef stews and hard cheeses. Arrogant Frog Tutti Frutti Rouge (24% Syrah, 25% Merlot, 28% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre) Best served cool with pastas, barbecues, poultry, light meals and soft cheeses or fruity desserts.

White Wine Choices for White Meats:

Elegant Frog Viognier Best served at 10-12C with seafood, curry, sushi, white meat, blue cheese, tarts and fruit desserts. Arrogant Frog Tutti Frutti Blanc (25% Chardonnay, 20% Grenache Blanc, 10% Vermentino, 4% Viognier, 30% Colombard, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Muscat sec) Best served at 10-12C with seafood, curry, sushi, white meat, blue cheese, tarts and fruit desserts. Arrogant Frog Sauvignon Blanc (100% Sauvignon Blanc) Best served with shellfish, poached or grilled seafood, cold salads with lemon based dressings, as well as asparagus dishes. With all the nice wine pairings in mind, I can't wait to serve a cheese board like this at home:

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