“The wine is still arrogant,” legendary sommelier (and now Area Manager of Ramon Bilbao wines) Patrick Tabhan said as I arrived in El Cirkulo on the evening of 25 September for the Ramon Bilbao Wine Dinner, hosted by one of my favourite people, Edna Diaz of BestWorld Beverages.

Our mutual friend JP Migné of Blackbird offered me a glass. After I had a sip of the Mirto (the state of which, at that moment, required more time to aerate and open up), I said, “You say arrogant, I say it’s coy… Like a dalagang pilipina.” JP looked at me. “Well, I don’t know if dalagang pilipinas are like that anymore,” he said with a chuckle.

Maybe. But there was one thing I was sure of at that point: The evening would be full of great wine, good food (by renowned Chef J. Gamboa, of course), and the most irreverent statements pertaining to wine.