Manila Machine Filipino Food With Domaine LA Wine Pairing

It was bound to happen. A food truck and wine pairing, the cuisine of the masses with the high-brow staple make it an intriguing combination. But what makes the Manila Machine and Domaine LA event this Sunday extra unique is that the wine shop's Whitney Adams and Jesse Brawner will be matching food from the popular Filipino food truck with Italian and French wine.

Apparently not such a crazy idea since, as noted by Manila Machine's Nastassia Johnson Filipino food possesses "a wide spectrum of flavors influenced by Malaysia, China, Spain, Mexico, and even the United States," and the truck's "contemporary take on traditional street and home-style Filipino dishes...can provide endless matches with a variety of wine styles."

For Domaine LA's Adams, who was charged with pairing Italian wines with the food, finding the perfect pairings wasn't too difficult. "The spices and other seasonings of Filipino food are ones you might find in other cuisines as well," she said. "Maybe just not all at the same time though! Ultimately Filipino food combines sweet/salty/sour."

For the lumpia, she chose Prosecco because "a sweet/sour (and slightly spicy) dipping sauce accompanies the eggrolls and the dry, crisp Prosecco I chose (by Sommariva) will balance all those flavors. And the bubbles lighten the little bit of fattiness of the pork and the crispy fried wrapper."

For the pork cheeks over rice, she looked for a slightly aromatic, fruity red. "The Rossese, a unique variety from Liguria in coastal northwest Italy, had all those qualities. Its bright red fruit is refreshing and not oppressive and will hopefully balance the spiciness of the pork without overwhelming any of the other elements of the dish."

The tasting and wine pairing menu:

• NV Sommariva Prosecco, a classic sparkling from the Valdobbiadene region paired with the Lumpiang Shanghai
• 2009 Pigeoulet en Provence Blanc paired with the Original Manila Dip slider
• 2009 BioVio Rossese, a lighter, biodynamic Ligurian red, paired with the sisig (pork cheeks over rice)
• 2009 Marionnet Touraine Gamay, Loire Valley high acid red, paired wtih the Tapsilog (beef with garlic fried rice and egg)
• 2007 Bera Moscato d’Asti, an Italian dessert wine, paired with the ube cupcakes

Presale tickets are $20, and $24 at the door. The event runs Sunday the 23rd from 2 to 5pm. Purchase tickets from Domaine LA's site.