LINEUP FOR WINE-FOOD TASTING AT Family Resto Bar The London Pub in Clark Pampanga
Friday, 14th December, 2012

Flight no. 1: 
NV Cava Artelatino
Along with Italy’s Prosecco, Cava has been characterized as a poor man’s Champagne. One can protest relentless if one really wishes to do so but there is obviously a lot of truth in this allegation. The good news is that the prices of Cava have remained within the grasp of the less well-heeled wine drinkers.

The good Cava sparkling wines are all made via the method used in Champagne called ‘Méthode Champenoise’. On the labels of Cava, it reads Metodo Tradicional. Cava sparkling wine is often not as lean, aggressive and explosive as Champagne. They are usually a little fruitier, although not as much as a typical Prosecco perhaps. Cava pairs well with hearty starters. It is also a great choice for brunch too.

Food Paired with Cava Sparking Wine: Tortilla Espanola
The Tortilla Espanola or Spanish Omelet is the most commonly served dish in Spain. It is also called Tortilla de Patata or Potato Omelet. Bars and cafés serve it as a tapa or appetizer, but it is often served as a light dinner in Spanish homes.

Tortilla, Spain’s most famous tapa, is made from the simplest of ingredients – eggs, onions and potatoes – cooked like a flat omelette and served warm or cold, cut into wedges.

Colourful and packed with flavours, this thick, flat omelette, called a tortilla in Spanish, tastes good served at any temperature.

Flight no. 2: 
2011 Tempranillo Don Luciano La Mancha
La Mancha has received very little attention in the past despite the fact that it produces the largest quantity of wine in Spain. In fact, it is the largest wine region in the world. For a very long time, La Mancha had produced very little quality wine. Most of the wines were sold as bulk. Famous also as the land of Don Quixote, La Mancha has in recent decades come very far in upgrading the quality of its wine. Although bulk wine is still the core business of most wine producers here, there are very good quality wines to be found, like this Tempranillo that will be enjoyed during the tasting.

Food Paired with Tempranillo La Mancha red wine: Spanish Paella
Paella (Valencian and Spanish): is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.[1] Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols.

There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (Spanish: paella valenciana), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco) and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta), but there are many others as well. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans. Most paella chefs use calasparra[2][3] or bomba[3] rices for this dish. Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil.

Paella is currently an internationally-known rice dish from Spain. It originated in the fields of a region called Valencia in eastern Spain. Today paella is made in every region of Spain, using just about any kind of ingredient that goes well with rice. There are as many versions of paella as there are cooks. It may contain chicken, pork, shellfish, fish, eel, squid, beans, peas, artichokes or peppers. Saffron, the spice that also turns the rice a wonderful golden color is an essential part of the dish.

The next two flights involve more hearty food. Wines selected to match not only with their flavors but the weight of the food. 

Flight no. 3: 
2004 Rioja Crianza

There are several classifications of Rioja, starting with the basic Rioja designation to the Gran Reserva crossing a Crianza and a Reserva along the way. For a Rioja red wine to earn the designation of Crianza it has to be aged for at least two years, at least one of which was in oak. Many fans and connoisseurs prefer this type of Rioja over the Reserva and Gran Reserva even though the latter, due mainly to the requirements for more ageing time, are usually pricier. Except for very robust vintages, Reserva and especially Gran Reserva wines often come across as a tad fragile having been ageing for so long in oak rather than in bottle.

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Food Paired with Rioja Crianza Wine: Callos

Beef tripe, “callos” in Spanish is a very traditional dish in Madrid. “Callos” have been served in taverns and family dining tables for centuries. Like all traditional dishes, there are many variations. Our recipe includes Serrano ham and morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), while others might use ox cheek and a splash of white wine. We’ve also included the option of adding garbanzo beans, though not traditional in this tripe dish, thickens the broth a bit. It is a hearty dish for cold winter days.

Although it’s a fairly simple recipe, callos a la madrileña requires a very long cooking time, which makes it suitable mostly for restaurants or large families. The ingredients are cooked in a meat broth with paprika, tomato sauce and garlic.

Flight no. 4:
2009 Mencia Godelia Bierzo

Arguably one of wine’s best kept secrets, the wines of Bierzo is not only remarkably unknown in the world but even in Spain it is completely overshadowed by Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Those who have tasted the great Mencia-based red wines of Bierzo are often frustrated by the difficulties in finding any decent selections of their wines in local wine shops, not to mention in restaurants.

The red wines of Bierzo are often compared to the classic red wines of Medoc. They are structured, age-worthy and have the uncanny ability to let power and elegance reside inside the same bottle without reaping havoc. It is this harmony that often results in greatness.

Food Paired with Bierzo Wine: Beef-Salpicado

Beef Salpicado or “beef salpicao” as it is called in the Philippines is widely accepted in these parts as a Filipino recipe. However Filipino chefs are quick to point out that it really is a Spanish/Portuguese dish whose recipe was adopted and possibly tweaked a little before becoming wildly popular in the Philippines.

It can also be conceded that most salpicados are washed down by beer. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In face beer might not do a classic salpicado any favors since it usually dilutes the otherwise aggressive and bold flavors that this dish has always been intended to be. However when wine is enjoyed with a hearty salpicado, the trick here is to select a wine that has enough weight to not let the food overwhelm it. A more delicate wine might feel insignificant and irrelevant.

Many participants also enjoy meeting new friends during these wine-tasting events. Some find it a great pleasure to talk to people with similar interests but different experiences in wine. Interesting stories are exchanged and opinions are shared during the tasting.

Please click here to contact Yats Wine Cellars for inquiries and tickets

To purchase your tickets, please call

Daniel Mereweather at 0915-794-6077.

Clark Wine Center (045) 841-4006 Kristine or Marissa

London Pub 0917-524-0999 Glennda

Yats Restaurant 0926-122-5385 Cosh or Lito

The London Pub
Mimosa Drive past Yats Restaurant, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
(045) 499-1177 0922-870-5176 0917-524-0999
Just ask for Glennda or Cosh

Getting to this family gastro pub in Clark Pampanga

How to get to this charming London Pub in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) and the London Pub is on your left.

For tickets and inquiries for the upcoming wine tasting event from Yats Wine Cellars , please call (632) 637-5019 or 0917-826-8790 or (045) 841-4006 or email us at Wine@Yats-International.com