This Restaurant Has a Wine Vending Machine So You Can Taste Test Before You Buy

(SPOT.ph) Wine isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking of casual drinks. In pop culture, it’s usually the realm of the social elite—or at the very least of sosyal titas. The rituals we see in wine-tasting make it seem like one needs a certain level of eloquence to really enjoy it.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

We don’t need to know how a Merlot from South Africa differs in acidity from one grown in Spain. We don't even need to know how to pronounce or spell Cabernet Sauvignon or Gewürztraminer. All that’s required is finding which wines tickle our taste buds. With the wine vending machines at Planet Grapes in Shangri-La Plaza and Shangri-La at the Fort, you can discover your favorite grape varietals without any of the drama.

The casual wine restaurant’s vending machine serves a rotating selection of wines that you can try by the glass, which means you don’t have to spend on a whole bottle to sample each type. The machine also keeps things airtight, allowing you to taste the wines at their freshest. And because it’s so easy to get a different wine with each glass, you can find your favorites in the most satisfying way there is—by pairing them with the food on Planet Grapes’ new menu.

Chef Chris Leaning is one of a handful of World Master Chefs currently working in the Philippines, and his extensive experience working in some of the country’s most prestigious establishments played a key role in developing the new menu.

“I looked at the menu and saw a lot of Filipino dishes—there’s nothing wrong with a lot of Filipino dishes—and only a few Western dishes; a few Italian dishes. So I thought, ‘The wines are all international, so we should have a few more international dishes as well.’ But I also wanted to use local ingredients as much as possible,” he shares. “That’s why I came up with the menu: I wanted to showcase local ingredients, but giving an international flair. We have so many selections of wines from Australia, from South Africa, from Chile, from France—you name it. So we should showcase some of these wines with some of these foods.”

The chef previewed some of the dishes that’ll be available when Planet Grapes’ menu launches at the end of September and offered a few suggestions on how to pair each with wine:

Grilled Prawn Salad (Solo P450, Sharing P760)

The salad’s zesty balsamic vinaigrette and garlicky prawns are best complemented by a dry white wine. Try it with the Hugel Gentil 2016, a blend of several whites that has a nice sharpness to it, to liven up your palate.

Prime US Rib-Eye Steak with Yorkshire Pudding (P2,150)

Chef Chris’ spin on a traditional English roast beef platter is full of bold flavors. Pair it with a red wine that’s well-balanced to complement the richness of the steak and pudding, while still being able to match the tanginess of the au jus it’s served with. The Chateau Paul Mas Clos de Mures 2016, which blends several strong red grapes together, is a good match.

Sausage Platter (P1,150)

Germany, France, Italy, and England are well-represented in this assortment of sausages from across the globe. A bold red wine, like the Bad Boy 2016 Bordeaux, works as a pairing because it isn't overpowered by the sausages; rather, it works hand-in-hand with the dish as its delicious partner.

Fish & Chips (P645)

Chef Chris serves the UK’s most famous dish with its traditional flavors and textures intact—and that means malt vinegar is the preferred dipping sauce. Because both the vinegar and tartar sauce are on the tart side, it’s best to pair the Fish & Chips with an aromatic white wine, like the Intrepid Sauvignon Blanc 2018.

Flourless Chocolate & Almond Cake (P300)

This decadent dessert is made with almond powder instead of flour, resulting in a dense slice of chocolaty goodness smoothened out with a spoonful of cream. Pair it with a red dessert wine like the Chateau Lauriga Rivesaltes Grenat 2016 for an extra-indulgent experience.

While these pairings are good recommendations, they are also only suggestions. Chef Chris doesn’t think that there are any hard and fast rules when it comes to enjoying wine with food. In fact, he loves having bouillabaisse—a traditional fish stew—with a dry red wine, even though seafood is conventionally paired with whites.

”You can drink wine with anything, even street food!” he says. Recently, he even paired the restaurant’s popular sisig with a spicy Grenache—a combination that most people wouldn’t think of, but definitely worked.

As simple as that, you can enjoy #WineWithoutTheDrama. Head on over to Planet Grapes’ wine vending machine at either Shangri-La EDSA or Shangri-La Fort and start exploring; finding your favorite wine is a lot less intimidating as it seems.

For more information, follow Planet Grapes on Facebook or visit their website.