Over a few days at Terry’s, Pagos Los Balancines wasn’t just poured, it was shared.
From Cebu to Manila, the wines showed up where they belong at the table, with food, and somewhere between the first glass and “okay, one more.”
No formalities. No overthinking. Just good bottles, good company, and conversations that didn’t need much help to keep going.
These are the kind of wines that get better the longer they’re in your glass, so staying for another one isn’t a bad idea.
Cebu: A Dinner That Set the Tone
The visit began in Cebu with Tapas de Mayo, a pairing dinner built around the menu designed to let each wine shine.
The evening started with cochinillo croquetas and smoked blue marlin pintxos enough to get glasses moving before anyone had to think too much about it.
The Viura & Viura Sobre Líascame in with Ortiz tuna torrija, piquillo pepper, and anchovy mayo. Rich, slightly crisp, and the wine kept everything from feeling too heavy. It’s an easy first glass, and the kind you keep coming back to.
Then the Gold Crianza with Galician octopus, smoked paprika potato cream, and garbanzos. This one got attention. Not the usual pairing, but once you try it, it makes sense.
For the mains, things slowed down a bit.
Huno Reserva came with a slow-roasted rack of lamb, charred leek, and black garlic jus.
Barbas de Gata followed with dry-aged beef, morels, and truffle potato mille-feuille.
By then, people weren’t really thinking about pairings anymore. Glasses were being refilled, conversations had picked up, and most had already decided which wine they were sticking with.
Dessert Manchego cheese and tocino del cielo closed it out, with no one in a hurry to leave.
A live band brought energy into the room—loud, lively, and very much part of the experience. It added to the rhythm of the night, matching the pace of the wines and the conversations at the table.
Manila: Where It Opened Up
In Manila, the format shifted completely.
At Terry’s Pasong Tamo, the experience became more relaxed: free-flow wines and pintxos, no fixed order, no pressure to follow a sequence. Guests moved freely between wines, pairing what they liked and returning to favorites.
With a live band in the background, the room felt easy and inviting. Conversations flowed without effort, and the wines showed a different side. Less structured, more relaxed, and easier to enjoy.
Pagos Los Balancines felt right at home—an easy, natural setting where the wines spoke for themselves.
Understanding the Wines, Sharing Them Better
Beyond the events, there was also time spent with the team going through the wines, how they’re made, and how to talk about them in a way that actually connects at the table.
We also held trade tastings with partners exploring new regions and grape varieties. While Pagos Los Balancines is Spanish and rooted in its own expression of terroir, its proximity to Portugal brings a familiar thread: many of the grape varieties share similarities, which made the wines both distinctive and approachable for guests.
Because at the end of the day, a wine only goes as far as it’s shared. And the goal is always the same: to make it easier for someone to enjoy it, not harder to understand it.
The Terry’s Takeaway
What stayed with us wasn’t just the wines themselves, but how they worked across the different settings. At a full dinner in Cebu, then again in a more relaxed, free-flow setup in Manila, they held their own without needing much explanation.
Some guests found a favorite early and stuck with it. Others kept going back to compare. Either way, the wines did what they’re meant to do: easy to enjoy, easy to come back to, and better when shared.
Salud.
