Filipino cuisine isn’t often the first you’d think of when you’re trying to pair wine with food, but make no mistake: Filipino food does go with wine, and there are fantastic pairings out there that will prove it—especially when you start exploring the world of natural wine!

Here, we asked (Super)Natural head sommelier and WSET-certified wine educator Chie Gaerlan for the best wine pairings with Filipino food she’s encountered so far, and which bottles she’d recommend you get to try them for yourself:

Pork Adobo

With it widely considered the Philippines’ national dish, there’s simply no such thing as a Filipino household without its own version of adobo. But despite all the inevitable differences in each recipe across the archipelago, its umami heart of soy sauce and vinegar will always remain the same—and these are what one ought to be thinking about when trying to find a good wine pairing with adobo.

“The vinegar and soy sauce in adobo, as well as the umami of the dish, will find a match in the savory edge of skin-contact or orange wines,” says Chie.

Must-try Wine Pairing for Pork Adobo: Milan Osterec OKR or Domaine Matassa Marguerite Blanc

Kinilaw

Move over, ceviche: the Philippines has its own brighter, zingier take on curing seafood with vinegar, citrus, and other tasty aromatics—”cooking” it with no heat, essentially, and locking in lots of tangy flavor. It’s right at home at a family meal, but is also a crowd favorite pulutan to be enjoyed with drinks.

“The traditional pairing would be beer, but there’s really no stopping you from enjoying it with wine,” says Chie. “You would just need something with plenty of acid, and ideally lots of fruit flavor, to bring out the best in the kinilaw, like a Verdejo.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Kinilaw: Microbio Wines Correcaminos and Microbio White

Kare-Kare

Descended from curry but evolved to something else entirely, kare-kare is impossible to mistake for anything else with its mix of oxtail and vegetables swimming in a rich, thick, and savory peanut sauce. Its creaminess can make it a challenge to pair a wine with, but Chie suggests pairing congruently: find a wine that mirrors some of the flavors you find in kare-kare.

“Same flavors amplify each other,” she explains. “I’d recommend finding an oxidative or nutty white, like Jura-style Savagnin or even a natural Chardonnay with some age to really create that ultimate congruent pairing.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Kare-Kare: Philippe Chatillon Arbois Les Nouvelles Savignin Ouille or Coco Farm & Winery Cantata di Montagna

Sisig

There are few dishes as strongly destined to be enjoyed with a good drink as sisig. Originally from Pampanga, this popular Filipino dish is traditionally made of chopped pork (usually including the jowls and ears), before being put on a sizzling plate with onions and chilis for a party in the mouth.

“When I pair wine with food, I sometimes like to think of the wine as the sawsawan or sauce that goes with the dish,” says Chie. “With sisig, you would normally squeeze calamansi over it—so similar to that, I look for something with good acidity like a good Sauvignon Blanc.” 

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Sisig: Maria & Sepp Muster Sauvignon vom Opok

Chicken Inasal

Some might be tempted to think of a wine that goes with your average plate of grilled chicken, but Negros-style chicken inasal definitely isn’t ordinary. It’s supercharged with more than just smoky flavor (though it already has plenty of that), complimented by a blend of coconut vinegar, annatto, calamansi, and lemongrass—meaning that not just the usual white wine will do.

“Grilled light meats need something with a bit more character,” explains Chie, “but nothing too heavily tannic, or the dish will get overwhelmed. I’d recommend a light aromatic white like Muscat and Vermentino, or even a Pet Nat Rosé.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Chicken Inasal: Fruita Analogica Little Fluffy Clouds or Henri Milan Pet Nat Rosé

Pancit Palabok

At every birthday or family reunion, one dish you’ll almost always find is a good pancit, and many people’s favorite is Pancit Palabok. Topped with an umami gravy of shrimp, pork, and annatto, Palabok is a gift that keeps giving when it’s served with chicharon, eggs, and more shrimp and pork—definitely a flavor bomb that needs a wine that can keep up.

“Palabok is heavier than other pancit options like bihon and canton,” explains Chie, “so a wine with a little more body would do well. I would personally pick one of our Tannat rosés, which have both body and slightly higher acidity to cut through all that richness.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Palabok: Coco Farm & Winery Tannat Rosé

Lechon (with liver sauce)

In the Philippines, you know a celebration is the real deal when you have a succulent roast lechon at the center of it all—complete with super crispy skin and liver sauce to go with it, of course! And where there’s celebration, there must be wine. But which one would take that juicy pork to new heights? White wine and light rosés may not be able to handle the richness, while a bolder red could overpower it.

The answer, according to Chie, is a chilled light red. She explains, “The crunchy skin and rich meat needs something juicy and slightly funky.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Lechon: La Sorga Rouge or Cyril Alonso VDF Art Brut

Bicol Express

The Bicol region is home to one of the Philippines’ most distinctly and immediately recognizable local cuisines. It’s known for its generous use of gata (coconut milk) and chilis, giving dishes from here a distinctive heat. Bicol Express, with those same ingredients and shrimp paste, is the quickest way to get acquainted with that spicy kick—and it can be made even better with the right wine to go with it.

“The spice and coconut milk pair best with wines that have residual sugar, acidity, and some tropical notes,” Chie says. “I’d recommend an off-dry or just a very fruity white like a natural Chenin Blanc or Gewurztraminer.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing with Bicol Express: O2Y Fidji Maceration or Sylvie Augereau Pulpes

Sinigang

Though adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines, you’ll find that sinigang has both a following and a distinctive taste that makes it a worthy contender for the title. Although this soup also has an infinite number of variations—using different souring agents like tamarind, guava, or mango or switching up proteins from pork to fish and shrimp—its hearty sour and savory broth will always remain the same, which is what one ought to match when thinking of a wine pairing.

“No matter what the protein is, the sour broth in sinigang really needs a wine with equally high acid to shine,” says Chie. “So a high-acid white like a Riesling Pet Nat would be a great match.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing with Sinigang: Milan Nestarec Moje 

Where to buy natural wine in Manila

Whether you’re looking to drink at home or take a bottle to your next meal out at a Filipino restaurant, (Super)Natural is the best place to buy natural wines from all over the world in Metro Manila. We feature food-friendly natural wines for every occasion, ranging from approachable to funky to adventurous bottles for every wine lover out there.

Shop natural wines at supernaturalwine.ph online, and enjoy same-day delivery in Metro Manila when you place your order before 3 p.m.