This month’s Wine Pairing Weekend group is exploring pairings with Oregon wine, and for my contribution, I’m pairing the 2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon with hearty Beef Nilaga. Why this pairing? It all started when we took a day trip from our home in Lodi to Lake Tahoe, hoping to escape the scorching ‘Hot-Tober’ heatwave. While Lodi was sweltering at over 100 degrees, Tahoe greeted us with a refreshing 74 degrees. On the way back, we stopped by a local butcher, where my wife spotted some beautiful cross-cut beef shanks. Immediately, she thought of making Beef Nilaga—a comforting Filipino dish, more stew than soup, made with tender beef shank and vegetables simmered in a rich, savory broth.

Given its beef-forward profile and savory richness, Cabernet Sauvignon was the first wine that came to mind for the pairing. I had recently written about Potter’s Vineyard/Vino Vasai, located in Newberg, Oregon, and although I later remembered the fruit for this wine was sourced from Washington’s Columbia Valley, the pairing worked so well that I decided to go with it for this month’s theme. After all, the wine was crafted in Oregon, and the combination of flavors was too delicious not to share!

What is Beef Nilaga?

Beef Nilaga, or Nilagang Baka, literally translates to ‘Boiled Beef.’ This simple yet hearty soup is the ultimate comfort food, especially on rainy or cold days. But for my wife, it’s a year-round favorite—whether it’s a chilly evening or a hot summer day (much to my occasional chagrin), she loves indulging in soup or stew-based dishes from any cuisine, no matter the season.

Like many traditional soups and stews, Beef Nilaga is highly adaptable, and my wife is great at making use of whatever ingredients are on hand. In this case, instead of the usual carrots and potatoes, she opted for sweet potatoes and eggplant, along with the traditional bok choy. While she doesn’t follow a set recipe, If you’re looking for a place to start here’s a recipe a recipe to guide you.

About Vino Vasai

An all-too-familiar trope about winemaking is that it blends science and art. Nowadays, winemaking appears to be more science-driven, which is undoubtedly beneficial. But what about the art of winemaking?

Winemakers make hundreds of decisions informed by science, yet art can manifest as intuition in many of those choices.

Bill Sanchez, who, along with his wife Sandy, founded Potter’s Vineyard in 2012, understands this well. Leveraging his 30 years as a PhD Nutritionist and 15 years as a professional potter, Bill has created a winegrowing business that merges a limited production family winery, vineyard, and clay art gallery.

The Sanchez’s purchased their 3.5-acre estate vineyard in 2012 from Laura
Volkman. Laura planted the vineyard in 2001. New pursuits led her to sell and partner with Bill and Sandy on the 1,000 steps of growing and making premium Oregon Pinot Noir. The couple was attracted to the artisan feel of the tasting room Laura created and have since transformed it into a Clay Art Gallery featuring Bill’s art along with other local artists.

An organic, LIVE and Salmon Safe certified winery, Potter’s Vineyard intentionally limits its production to about 1,000 cases annually. In addition to crafting wine from their estate, they source fruit from Washington State’s Columbia Valley for Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah. They also craft White Pinot Noir and Sparkling Rosé of Pinot Noir.

The family does tractor work, vineyard management, and grape sampling along with help from several friends. The family and wine club pick fruit for their Rose’ each year. Potter’s Vineyard is truly a “Grower-Producer”.

Potter’s Vineyard/Vino Vasai Wines (with “Vino Vasai” translating to “potter’s wine” in Italian) was honored as Great Northwest Wine Magazine’s Oregon Winery to Watch for 2022. This prestigious award recognizes emerging wineries whose exceptional wines have caught the attention of the media and received outstanding reviews from critics.

2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon

Fruit for this wine was sourced from the Konnowac Vinyeard, a high elevation site in the Rattlesnake Hills Ava in Washington State

Tasting note:

• 2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon 
  Garnet color with black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry jam, cedar and a kiss of menthol aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with supple tannins and good acidity and packed with ripe fruit flavors that echo it’s aromas. Medium finish Aged in neutral French oak for 18 months 124 cases produced|15.3% abv| SRP – $45 (88 pts.)

The pairing was absolutely delicious—the wine’s tannins beautifully cut through the richness of the marrow and beef, while its acidity provided a perfect balance to the savory broth and the vegetables.

Pairing Filipino food with wines can be challenging, but over the years I’ve found some go-to pairings with some of my favorite Filipino dishes like Kare Kare (a rich and peanut buttery oxtail and beef stew), Chicken Afritada, Adobo, Chicken Estofado, and Dinuguan. If you’re looking for something new, I highly recommend trying Beef Nilaga with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot—it’s a delicious combination that really brings out the flavors of the dish!

Hungry for more delectable food pairing with Oregon wines? Here are more from my fellow Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers!

Be sure to check out these articles from the Wine Pairing Weekend writers about pairings with Oregon wines!

• Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm is sharing “A Fall Celebration of Oregon Food and Wine“
• Culinary Cam is “Circling Back to Our Favorite Oregonian Pinot Noirs“.
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass writes about “Beyond Willamette: Oregon’s other wine regions“.
• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is “Pairing 2020 Vino Vasai Cabernet Sauvignon with Hearty Beef Nilaga“.
• On Crushed Grape Chronicles, Robin is sharing “Rogue Valley Amphora Grenache from Upper Five and Grilled London Broil with chocolate BBQ Sauce“
• Deanna from Wineivore talks about “Pairing Organic Ken Wright Pinot Noirs from Williamette Valley, Oregon“
• On Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley you will find “Fall 4 Biodynamic Oregon Wines: Brooks Riesling, Cowhorn Viognier, Troon Rose, Montinore PN + Menu“
• David from Cooking Chat is pairing “Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Willamette Pinot Noir“.
• Terri from Our Good Life shares “Unveiling the Perfect Pairing: Exploring the Flavors of Oregon Pinot Noir and Salmon“