Rickesh Kishnani makes pairing summer dishes with white wine dead easy thanks to a few golden rules.
With summer now in full force, wine preferences start to shift towards nicely chilled white wines that are fresh, light, and easy to enjoy with food. But for those of us used to generally grabbing that bottle of Bordeaux or Brunello, what are the best white wines to try and what’s the best way to match them with bold Asian food flavours?
The general idea of pairing is that the food and wine should complement or balance one another, with neither overpowering the other’s flavours and characteristics. While wine pairing can be subjective, there are some general rules to follow:
Salty dishes work well with wine on the sweeter side. The saltiness and sweetness balance each other out.
Sour dishes work well with drier wines. The flavours in these foods bring out the fruit flavours in the wine, making it taste less dry than normal.
Deep-fried or spicy foods call for something on the crisp side. Sparkling wines work well in this case.
Many Asian dishes have a lot of texture to begin with, so best to avoid wines that are very high in texture.
The more versatile the wine the better, and this is why Riesling is the top choice to pair with Asian food. The Riesling grape maintains its acidity and can develop high sugar levels, making it a great complement for Asian cuisine. Its flavours are delicate enough to handle even the spiciest dishes too. As Riesling varies from dry to sweet, you can choose different varieties to pair with your meal.
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Gewürztraminer (also known as Gewürz) — meaning spice grapes — has a lot of complex spice notes, making it another great pair with Asian food. For dishes with a lot of texture, like thick rice noodles or tofu-packed meals, Gewürz from Alsace has a softer acidity and texture to complement the dish.
Champagnes and sparkling wines are also great accompaniments. The carbonation works well with salty and fried dishes in particular, acting as a palate cleanser to wash away the flavour and oil between bites.
For sweeter dishes like pork or chicken, or with spicy food, bubbles accentuate the spices in a dish while also cleansing the mouth.
While some of the more delicate reds can work well (like Pinot Noir), generally avoid red wines with serious
tannins and heavier bolder flavours when pairing with Asian dishes.
Don’t worry about making an “ideal pair” like in western cuisine; while some things do work well, try new wines, new combinations, and enjoy some experimentation.
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