THE Marriott Hotel Manila, in partnership with Wine Depot, hosts on October 7 the second leg of its wine dinner pairing series at the hotel’s Cru Steakhouse, which highlights the 2010 vintage of varieties of the Les Vins de Vienne winery from Cotes du Rhone, France.

For P2,500 per head, guests can match the four premium full-flavoured “Rhone-style” wines made by Les Vins de Vienne, known for their earthy and delicious notes, with a three-course dinner personally chosen by Executive Chef Meik Brammer.

To start the dinner, try the Cotes du Rhone Les Laurelles 2010—the only white wine in the list—which is a blend of Viognier, Grenache and Mourvedre grapes. This not-too-dry wine is easy to drink but with good concentration and depth of fruit, as well as freshness. Les Laurelles is best served with pica-picas, such as chives and cream cheese wonton, spicy pulled pork canapé, and tofu ceviche.

From white, switch to the reds, initially with Saint Joseph 2009 made purely of Syrah grapes. This wine is dark, delivering pastis-soaked black currant fruit packed with briar, dark tobacco and spice notes. The nice thing about this Cotes du Rhone variant is that although it’s a bit spicy and peppery, it’s not overpowering. Thus it goes well with the crunchy duck confit croquette served with a citrus frisee salad and mango garlic glaze.

The main course is paired with the Saint Joseph L’Arzelle 2008, also made of 100 percent Syrah. This estate wine is clear and light in color with a spicy-fruity flavor with a hint of dark cherry. It has many layers, so the more you drink the more you discover its complexity, especially when paired with one of Cru’s signature steaks—the grilled Australian grain-fed Angus rib-eye served with creamy brussels sprouts, garlic whipped potato, herbed roasted tomato and pink peppercorn sauce.

For a dessert, the AOC Crozes-Hermitage Les Palignons 2005 is pared with a rich flavored dark mango passion fruit chocolate, Maracaibo ice cream with raspberry coulis.

The dessert red wine displays meaty and smoky aromas and flavors, plenty of black fruit and is well balanced with hints of spice.