Side-Stepping Eurocentrism in Wine Tasting

A new generation of wine lover: Faelnar, de Leon + Cailan

What if you want to be a wine expert but you don't have the eurocentric flavor references necessary to impress The Court of Master Sommeliers?

This article takes a look at three guys with ties to the Philippines who are making a big impression in the U.S. Jhonel Faelnar, Miguel de Leon + Anthony Cailan are forging a new path by approaching wine with a distinctly Southeast Asian palate.

"They had jackfruit, fish sauce and hibiscus seared into their memories from a young age, but no honeysuckle, pear or blueberry."

Miguel de Leon laments never grasping the proper notes of gooseberry while working at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. He goes on to say he now detects tamarind seed in a Loire Valley Chenin Blanc. As I read, I'm imagining the sticky seed of a tamarind after it has been scraped across your front teeth.

This article takes us from the first taste of wine for many Filipinos and Fil-Ams (first communion in the Catholic church) to a modern age of descriptors including hints of dried mango, ensaymada cheese buns, turon, champoy, bitter melon, and Milo. Yes Milo, the powdered drink mix.

As a Latina, I learned about expensive European ingredients from my exposure in French restaurant kitchens starting at the age of 17. With a Chilean mother there was always wine around, but the colonial history of Latin America meant that even Chilean wine was treated with classism and eurocentrism. I've never heard of a wine from Valle de Colchagua described as having hints of chirimoya or lúcuma. Have you?

The way the guys in the article describe wine is immediately accessible. Check out the full article at Wine Enthusiast. Sommeliers that shun eurocentrism by using references native to a formerly colonized country? How refreshing. #hereforit