MANILA, Philippines?Born to Filipino parents and reared in the US, Tondi Navarrete-Bolkan left her hometown in Chicago to study at the University of California, Davis. She graduated in 1999 with a BS in Physiology and with the intent to enter the medical field.

During an internship at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, she passed out while standing in the operating room. After that fateful incident, she turned to her passion, winemaking. Using her science background, Tondi entered the world of wine and for a decade now, she has worked for prominent Napa and Sonoma wineries as a winemaker.

Her passion for wines evolved during her years at Rubicon Estate, formerly known as Niebaum Coppola Winery, when she started, she said, ?getting my hands dirty,? and where she learned the fundamentals of winemaking, like grape-growing, wine tasting, wines of the world and even cellar work.

?Walking the vineyards, tasting wines and working in the cellar helped me understand everyone?s role in a winery, from a production and business point of view,? Bolkan said.

?I am fortunate to have friends and mentors who are growers, winemakers and artists, they enabled me to create the 2005 Tondi Bolkan Napa Valley Merlot.?

The grapes for the merlot were sourced from a grower in the Oak Knoll district of Napa proper. She stressed that 2005 was considered a cool vintage, yet lengthy with record crop levels. The longer hang time allowed for flavors and sugars to develop in unison. After fermenting to dryness, the wine aged 26 months in a mix of American and French oak. The result, aromas lift of cherry blueberry with an underlying hint of sage. Soft and coated, the palate holds with ripe plums and dark cherries.

Pinoy palate

Meanwhile, the 2006 Pinay Muscato was inspired to suit the Pinoy?s palate, hence it?s aptly named Pinay.

?At Rubicon Estate, the flagship wine is the Rubicon. These wines are Bordeaux blend, made from all the best blocks of the 235-acre estate,? Bolkan said. ?It?s also a very expensive bottle of wine and I was mortified to see my mother putting maraschino cherries in the Rubicon to suit her taste!?

So Tondi created a wine from the memories of exotic sweet fruits from the Philippines. The grapes for the Pinay Muscato came from central California, where Muscat is allowed to thrive. She suggests to pair Pinay with shredded pork entrée or complement it with dried pineapple and shredded coconut dessert.

?As I?m exposed to more growers, I?m hoping to grow the brand into other varieties like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc and Port,? Bolkan said. She plans to continue winemaking as long as her passion exists. After all, for Tondi, ?winemaking is definitely a labor of love, because of the great work and capital involved.?

Contact Tondi Bolkan at: tondi@alejos-cellars.com or e-mail mingo@alejos-cellars.com.