| While
all but one of these wines are white, the idea that red wine goes with
Asian food is far from far fetched. Just witness the ordering in any
Asian restaurant amongst the Asians themselves, and you will be surprised
to see that red wine wins hands down. (Admittedly, Johnnie Walker scotch
still bests all, but...) It seems the conservative Westerners are the
only hold outs in the white wine brigade. Moreover, gone are the days
when white wine with Asian foods had to be sweet. Fruity, yes -- and
an absence of wood definitely. But sweet, no way. |
 |
One of
my favorite white blends these days is semillon-sauvignon blanc, and
Brayne's McWilliam's offering proved a hit with the fiery tastes of
Thai appetizers: fish cakes with sweet chili relish, gai yang grilled
chicken, green beans in red curry, beef satay, and various dipping
sauces. The verdehlo less so, while the Clare Valley riesling, as with
so many of delicious rieslings from this part of the world, rose to
the challenge. |
| |
| The velvety
softness of merlot was an unexpected success, as well. Too often wine
aficionados go overboard in their rules for red wines with Asian foods.
No tannin as in shiraz/syrah/hermitage, caution some, yet this rule
clearly conflicts with the Chinese marriage of food with tannic tea.
One Hanoi-based French chef cautioned me against Spanish rioja with
Vietnamese cooking, then immediately suggested a hearty Cotes du Rhone
(a tannic syrah) as his preferred choice. The moneyed will choose a
fine cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir, while lesser mortals will find
solace in an inexpensive grenache. |
| |
