U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Holds USDA Agribusiness Trade Mission Reception
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service recently held its U.S.-Philippines Agribusiness Trade Mission Reception last July 19, 2022 at the Diplomatic Hall of the Marriott Grand Ballroom. It had been quite a while since I last attended a U.S. Embassy event due to the lockdowns and restrictions, but now that things are going back to normal, I’m happy to once again be a part of these activities held by the USDA to promote American food products and increase trade and imports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Trade Mission to Manila last July 18 was the largest trade mission sent by the United States to the Philippines in recent years. Led by U.S. Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley, representatives from 29 U.S. agribusinesses and farm organizations and 10 state departments of agriculture explored trade opportunities in the Philippines. The Diplomatic Hall inside the Marriott Manila Grand Ballroom served as a fitting venue for the evening as U.S. food and beverage suppliers, importers, trade associates and partners got a chance to meet and socialize with each other in a less formal setting.
I was happy to see some of my friends from the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines once again including Ramona Singian, USDA Agricultural Marketing Specialist. Aside from striking beneficial deals which improves Philippine agricultural competitiveness, the trade mission also spearheaded programs to improve different sectors of the agribusiness industry in the Philippines.
The charming banquet hall opened to reveal a medley of appetizing items prepared by Marriott Manila for the guests. They had a fresh seafood station filled with a variety of US oysters like Fiddler’s Cove Oysters, Pemaquid Oysters, Pink Moon Oysters, and Duxbury Standard Oysters.
There was also a grand Charcuterie board that showcased different cheeses and cold cuts for the guests to try. I enjoyed nibbling on the Beef Pastrami and the ham sausage with some servings of Smoked Jack Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Sierra Nevada Cheese, and more.
I made my way towards the carving station where they were serving these juicy Baby Back Ribs with homemade BBQ sauce. The ribs were smoky and tender with a generous slather of barbecue sauce. This is how I imagined those backyard barbecues in the US would be like.
Just beside it was the Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork served together with slider buns. I placed some pork onto my buns then poured some more barbecue sauce on top.
They also had a Chicken Fajitas and Tacos station where you could customize your serving with their toppings and condiments.
The Diplomatic Hall also had its own bar station with unlimited servings of Gin & Tonic, wines and beers. I had a few glasses of this Strawberry Ginger G&T for myself.
The dessert table was full of American pies such as Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Strawberry Pie. These really gave us a sweet taste of America.
Cake goes so well with ice cream so Marriott Manila offered its Vanilla Ice Cream topped with strawberry, blueberry, or mango syrup. We really enjoyed having these desserts while sipping our cocktail glasses.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley welcomed the participants and guests as he reiterated the history and close ties between our two countries. Philippines Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez also gave a short speech regarding our agricultural trade and how it is being given much importance by President Bongbong Marcos.
Congratulations to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service for a successful agribusiness trade mission. Three memoranda of understanding were signed in the succeeding days, with one aimed at combating African Swine Fever in the Philippines, another formalizing deeper trade ties between the Province of Batangas and U.S. state departments of agriculture, and a third between Mariano Marcos State University and the U.S. Grains Council in support of biofuel solutions and climate smart practices. Let’s continue improving our agriculture and trade with our close ally for the betterment of our country.
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Discover California Wines Masterclass and Wine Tasting
It was an afternoon full of new discoveries as the California Wine Institute, together with the US Department of Agriculture and the US Embassy in the Philippines, organized the Discover California Wines at Shangri-La at the Fort. This exclusive event was held last October 21, 2019 and featured over 40 wineries and more than 60 wine labels from all across the state of California, USA. Guests were treated to a sampling of different brands and wine varieties, a few of which I had not even known before.
Before the wine tasting event, there was also a special Wine Masterclass for selected guests with Elaine Chukan Brown. In 2019, the Wine Industry Network named Brown as one of the 9 Most Inspiring People in Wine and she was also named by the International Wines & Spirits Competition as one of the top 5 Wine Communicators in the World. She serves as the American Specialist for JancisRobinson.com and as Contributing Writer to Wines & Spirits Magazine. Her writing has been featured in Decanter, the Robb Report, World of Fine Wine, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and others.
Ms. Brown shared her vast knowledge about the California region and its different climates and topography with the class. Each area has its own specific characteristics which effects the types of grapes that can be grown and their quality.
A selection of some of the finest California wines were provided for guests to sample during the class. These were produced from grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah, and a few more which I had just discovered for myself that afternoon.
We tasted each sample which the class tried to describe and differentiate from one another. It was a bit challenging at first but with the help of Ms. Brown, I was eventually able to detect the subtle notes and flavors attached to each variety from the particular wine regions.
After Ms. Brown finished her very informative class, Acting US Ambassador to the Philippines John C. Law welcomed the participants and invited them next door for the main event of Discover California Wines.
All the different wineries were stationed at the Bonifacio Hall of Shangri-La at the Fort for the California Wine Tasting which featured over 60 various wine labels.
Discover California Wines is meant to be a display of the different California wine brands which can be imported and distributed in the Philippines. Distributors, suppliers, restaurateurs, and businessmen were invited to the event to showcase all the high quality labels that are available for the Philippine market.
With all the different brands available at the booths, it was difficult to choose the best and finest. It would also be impossible to taste all of the wines myself, so here are some of the brands that I tried and found interesting.
Francis Ford Coppola and his family has their own winery in Sonoma Country so I took a sip of the Director’s Cut, a limited production label sourced from Sonoma’s diverse and distinctive microclimates.
The Freakshow had several colorful circus-themed labels to go with its very interesting line.
I would like to thank Ramona Singian from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture for inviting me to join this afternoon. Visit www.discovercaliforniawines or www.fas.usda.gov to learn more about the diverse wine regions in California and the many wine labels which are available for distribution.
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