The time & date in Clark, Philippines is

Clark Philippines what wines are people drinking in Angeles City Clark Freeport these days

I scratched my head and wondered why a magazine all about poker would want a column about wine. I went though the May issue of the magazine and – yes – all about poker! Lots of expressions like “pot size manipulation”, “check raise and re-raise” and “Q3 off-suit” – meaningless to someone who thinks a “suit” is to be worn an “ace” is a tennis shot and a “hand” is that thing at the end of your arm you use to lift a wine glass!

Then I took a wider consideration and thought of lifestyle. Of course! People have been relaxing with packs of cards for centuries and generally with a little drop of alcohol to complete the tranquil setting. Aha! A connection!

Put the cards and the alcohol together and what have you got? Answer: people enjoying themselves in a quiet civilized manner.

So yes! It maybe appropriate to have a wine column in a poker magazine, after all!

No … wait! A WINE column?

Beer or whisky maybe … but wine?

I wracked my brains and tried to remember all the movies I’d seen featuring poker. Most of the images I conjured up were of old westerns where whisky definitely ruled the tables … not even beer to be seen. I tried to recall expensive holidays in Las Vegas and conventions in the South of France … no good, I couldn’t manage one image of someone at any gaming table sipping vino.

Now maybe a bridge four might share a bottle of wine, especially after dinner. But even then, it would be more likely to be a bottle of port.

So I decided to do a little research. I took myself off to the poker room of the International and watched what the 40 or so players were drinking. Well, there were a few beers and a few spirits; three or four players were sticking to soft drinks and even a couple of coffees. No-one was drinking wine.

Then I noticed something else that, frankly, was a little disturbing: most of the players were more than a little overweight! But, of course. If your favourite pastime requires you to sit more or less motionless for 4 hours or more at a go – and if that sedentary activity is compounded by sugar filled refreshments, the inches are bound to increase.

So now we have it – the perfect logical reason for including a wine column in a magazine promoting poker. A genuine concern for our readers’ health!

We’ll take a closer look at the health benefits of drinking wine in future columns but for now, here are a few wines that you can sip all night without impairing your poker-playing judgment.

How about a nice Riesling? The 2006 Rheingau is sweet, refreshing and relatively low on alcohol. Priced at around PhP 1,600/-.

If you think white wine is a bit wimpy, maybe you’d prefer some red wine from France. 2005 was the best year in 40 seasons for Bordeaux wines. Try a 2005 Chateau Hyot – nice and fruity and, again, low on alcohol with a peppery aftertaste which makes it a real man’s drink! You can find a bottle at around PhP 1,500/-

Or if your taste is more towards American wines, try a young Pinod Noir from California. Parducci, priced at about PhP 1,500, is a full-bodied red wine with a blackberry fruit flavour that goes very well with savoury bar snacks.

If you’d prefer some red at a price that cuts less into your winnings, try a Chilean Pinod Noir. The 2009 Cono Sur, around PhP 900, has a taste of cherries, plums and strawberries and, again, goes well with bar snacks.

And to complete our full-house of healthy beverages, how about a Spanish Rioja? The 2007 Gran Familia is an easy-going, medium-bodied and mellow red wine, priced around Php 1,000/-.

All these wines are available at Yats Wine Shop, on the M.A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport, Angeles.

Enjoy!

Chris the Voice
(Writer and publisher of internet based restaurant and bar reviews of Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Philippines)

---

If this article about Clark is useful to you, please click here to contact us to tell us what more you wish to know about this article or Clark Philippines, which can be something about Clark investment, about Clark resorts, about Clark Swimming and Leisure or simply general news about Clark.

---

Please send questions to Editor@ClarkPhilippines.com. Leave your name, email address, contact numbers and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Information received will not be disclosed.

---