Premium Wine Exchange invited us to lunch to try Napa Valley’s The Mascot and to meet the export director for Asia and wine expert Bearnice Cheng, schooling us on how a masterclass is expertly done
It was a gathering of industry professionals and enthusiasts, yet the vibe is noticeably lighter despite there being business to attend to. The “business,” after all, is wine. It was a select group just enough to fill two round tables in one of the private salons of No. 8 China House at the Grand Hyatt Manila. I initially thought that a Cantonese restaurant, despite it being arguably one of the finest in Metro Manila, was a rather eccentric choice for a venue involving a red wine from Napa Valley, California. Ira del Rosario, sales and marketing manager for our hosts Premium Wine Exchange (PWX), has a simple explanation: “At first, to be honest, [we chose No. 8 China House because it was] the only outlet in Grand Hyatt that was available when we were planning the masterclass. But, later on, we realized that it is a good venue to highlight the pairing potential of Napa wines with Chinese dishes. Not a regular pairing, but it is something that can surprise you.”
The wine that we are celebrating that day, after all, is The Mascot, the “small project” Domaine H. William Harlan managing director Bill Harlan began as a wine served in their homes for family and friends. Its label, which features a real-life English bull terrier named Prince, truly sets the vibe for what this cabernet sauvignon is trying to embody— approachability, generosity of spirit, and vigour, among other things. Napa wine aficionados would easily recognize the Harlan name, with Harlan Estate—along with its sister wineries Bond and Promontory—undoubtedly being one of the iconic winemakers in the region established by Bill’s father, William, in 1984. The Mascot is composed of grapes harvested from the replanted new vines of those established properties. Therefore, while some might mistakenly dismiss The Mascot as a second wine, it is actually a brand all its own given the same attention to detail as well as sharing the same pedigree with its highly-respected older relatives. Bill’s goal, truly, is to make “a wine to enjoy viscerally and without excessive reverence. In short, the wonderful wine to share among friends and family.”
See also: My Wine Epiphany: Chie Gatchalian Hunts Down Wines Off the Beaten Path (and You Should, Too)
