Casillero Del Diablo wines at Tosca

Last October 20, 2010 my HS classmate, Evelyn invited me and a few wine lover friends to a dinner at Tosca at the Dusit Hotel to celebrate Casillero del Diablo wines.

moi, Rochelle, Evelyn, Janet and Deb

Casillerio del Diablo, one of the most well know brands of premium wines from Chile is distributed in the Philippines by Fly Ace Corporation. For that night they asked Chef Stephanie Zubiri to prepare a special menu to showcase different wines.

I must confess I don’t know much about wines except the color. The body, aroma, acidity and all that escapes me. All I know is if I like it or not. I was hoping they would explain why each wine was served with each course but alas it didn’t happen.

The first wine served with our scallop ceviche was a Chardonnay which was light and fruity.

Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay 2008

The scallops ceviche was very bland. I did enjoy the corn and the vibrant chili lime dressing.

scallop ceviche w/ bean & corn salad in
chili & lime dressing

This was the first time for me to try a Carmenere and I loved it! It was very smooth and fruity. It’s now one of my favorites.

Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2008

The Carmenere was served with the al dente mushroom ravioli. I couldn’t really taste the chocolate shavings and the demiglace was too overpowering for the pasta.

parmesan & portobello mushroom ravioli in
demiglace w/ dark chocolate shavings

sorbet

Casillero del Diablo Shiraz 2008

My favorite was the deconstructed empanada. A big, round piece of super crisp and flaky crust almost covered the entire plate.

Underneath the crust was the most, tender and flavorful pieces of beef. I cut up the crust and dipped it in the rich, scrumptious gravy.

deconstructed gourmet empanada

Unfortunately the panna cotta was very stiff. There was too much gelatin used and it tasted almost rubbery. I didn’t care for the cardamom flavor either. What I did like was the fruits, honey and nuts on the plate. I wanted to lick the plate clean.

cardamom, pistachio & honey panna cotta

We were given Malongo espresso made from coffee pods. I was pleasantly surprised at the full bodied, smooth coffee that was strong yet not acidic. Too bad the price of the machines or pods wasn’t in my budget.

Malongo espresso

Thanks again Evelyn and Lucio Cochanco Jr. of Fly Ace Corporation for inviting us for dinner.

Casillero del Diablo wines are available in supermarkets and wine stores in Manila. Trust me and try the Carmenere. For about P500 a bottle you won’t go wrong.

Casillero del Diablo is distributed in the Philippines by:

FLY ACE CORPORATION MAIN OFFICE
607 Elcano St., Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Tel. No.: (632) 244-4247
Fax No.: (632) 243-3147 / 247-3236
E-mail: info@flyacecorp.com

FLY ACE CORPORATION MARKETING OFFICE
Unit G- 17 Chinatown Steel Tower
531 Asuncion St., Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Tel No.: (632) 245-5126 to 28
Fax No.: (632) 245-5129
E-mail: marketing@flyacecorp.com

Dusit Thani Manila Hotel 
Edsa cor. Pasay Rd.
Ayala Center Makati City 
telephone: (632) 867-3333