Our workforce are stuffed with scrumptious suggestions with regards to pairing Asian flavours with wine. We requested our colleagues throughout our 4 Asia places of work (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore) to share a few of their favorite regional dishes and the bottles they’ll be uncorking alongside them. Warning: their suggestions will make you hungry.
Jun Shibata, Advertising and marketing Government, Tokyo
Izakaya pub favourites with Personal Choice Pessac-Léognan
Japan, whereas considerable in daylight, can also be a particularly water-rich nation. As its snow-capped peaks steadily soften from spring to summer time, this water not solely feeds the rice fields, but in addition nourishes an array of mountain herbs and spices distinctive to this terrain. Sansho (Japanese pepper) and shiso leaves (generally known as perilla within the west), all play an necessary half in seasoning the dishes that grace the tables of Japan’s izakayas by night time. It’s exhausting to consider that beef was solely dropped at Japan from the West a mere 150 years in the past, with it now being a fixture of the nationwide delicacies.
A extra strong minimize of beef, seasoned with these Japanese herbs, goes very effectively with the herbaceous character of sure Bordeaux wines. One among my favourites is shigureni, a beef dish simmered in sweetened soy sauce and ginger. You slowly simmer the meat, sufficient for the ginger and soy sauce to soak into it, whereas taking care to not overcook it so the meat retains its chunk and texture. Season it with sansho, one shiso leaf and a touch of freshly minimize spring onions. It’ll steadiness fantastically with the plum and cassis notes in our Personal Choice Pessac-Léognan.
Joey Luo, Account Supervisor, Bangkok
Sichuan delicacies with Moscato, Lambrusco and Riesling
As somebody from Sichuan, I’m usually requested whether or not the area’s famously spicy meals can pair effectively with wine. With its fiery warmth and numbing sensation, the advanced mixture of flavours, textures, and aromas in Sichuan dishes could make wine pairing a problem. Nonetheless, I at all times encourage individuals to mess around, particularly with a multi-course meal, as a result of there are literally loads of nice wine choices.
Let’s begin with certainly one of my favourite dishes: Sichuan boiled fish (shui zhu yu) or Sichuan boiled beef (shui zhu niu). This common Sichuan dish can also be my go-to alternative after I’m overseas and craving one thing spicy. Whereas hotpot usually requires a gaggle to get pleasure from, these two dishes can simply be savoured solo.
Shui zhu-style dishes are wealthy in chillies and Sichuan peppercorns, which, in my view, are the center of any genuine Sichuan dish. The peppercorns have a singular, virtually addictive perfume and create that signature numbing sensation.
When pairing wine, it’s necessary to recollect a number of ideas: sweetness will help mood the warmth, whereas youthful, fruity wines work effectively as a result of their dryness and delicate sweetness complement the fragrant complexity of Sichuan flavors. Wines with bubbles or good acidity may also refresh your palate between bites.
Given these tips, there are many nice choices. Moscato or Lambrusco, with their frivolously candy bubbles, will help calm the spice. German Riesling, reminiscent of our off-dry Mosel Riesling or Weingut Robert Weil’s dry Trocken, could be my go-to bottles for an off-the-cuff Sichuan meals night time. Should you desire crimson wine, go for a younger, fruity wine like a Chilean Merlot.
Darren Lee, Account Supervisor, Singapore
Eva Fricke Riesling with Cantonese dim sum
Followers of German Rieslings could also be acquainted with Eva Fricke, a celebrity producer of dry Rieslings in Rheingau. I had the chance to style her 2023 launch of Rheingau, Kiedrich and Schlossberg in our Singapore workplace simply final month and was notably keen on the Kiedrich, a village-level dry Riesling. It has advanced tropical fruits on the nostril, citrus peel on the palate and a contact of salinity on the end – a really well-balanced expression.
This might be a pleasant match for the fragile flavours and textures of dim sum. Think about your self in a bustling Cantonese restaurant having fun with a wide range of dim sum paired with a refreshing glass of dry Riesling – an ideal afternoon for me.
Har gow (steamed prawn dumplings) first involves thoughts. The wine’s crisp acidity cuts by the richness of the shrimp filling, whereas its citrus notes and minerality improve the pure sweetness and delicate umami notes of the shrimp.
Take into account additionally pairing it with siu mai (steamed dumplings with pork and shrimp filling). The acidity of the wine balances the savoury richness of the pork and shrimp filling, whereas its citrus notes complement the ginger and spring onion accents.
My favorite pairing is with char siu bao (steamed bun stuffed with barbecued pork), a Singapore workplace favorite {that a} colleague at all times buys for the workforce for breakfast. With its wealthy, sweet-savoury flavours, char siu bao are greatest complemented by a refreshing dry Riesling for a wonderfully balanced gastronomic expertise.
Jonathan Leung, Account Supervisor, Hong Kong
Chaozhou delicacies with Champagne, Burgundy and extra
Chaozhou delicacies actually stands out within the Guangdong culinary scene, and as somebody who’s half Chaozhou, I can’t get sufficient of it. Situated alongside the coast, Chaozhou in Guangdong is thought not only for its mountain delicacies but in addition for its unimaginable seafood.
First up is the Chaozhou oyster omelette, a real native basic that I at all times order. The crispy base is produced from a mixture of tapioca and wheat flour, and it’s filled with spring onions, coriander, pepper, fish sauce, and naturally, the star of the present: contemporary mini oysters. Fried to perfection, the omelette is each crispy and chewy, whereas the half-cooked oysters are candy and briny with an exquisite minerality. For this dish, I’d advocate the 2017 Leclerc Briant Abyss Brut Zero, which has a refreshing acidity and bubbles that minimize by the richness of the fried dish. Its minerality enhances the oysters fantastically, making it a unbelievable pairing.
Subsequent, we’ve Chaozhou braised foie gras. Not like the French pan-seared model, Chaozhou foie gras is thought for its delicate texture with a pink hue. Soaked in a flavourful braising liquid with spices like Sichuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon, licorice, and dried tangerine peel, it’s fragrant with out being heavy. To match such wealthy flavors, I counsel a multi-layered wine like a Burgundy Premier Cru, notably the 2018 Camille Giroud Chambolle-Musigny Les Borniques, which boasts loads of fruit and candy spices. One other nice choice is the spice-forward 2010 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino: with its balanced tannins and acidity, it reveals dried fruit, tangerine peel and olive notes – an distinctive pairing.
For a contemporary twist, some up to date Chaozhou dishes soak the foie gras in whisky, leading to a young and easy texture with a pleasant malt aroma. Pair it with the wealthy, fruity 2008 Berry Bros. & Rudd Balmenach from Speyside for a really distinctive mixture.
