Asian Dinner (suggestions sought)

A wine group that I belong to is hosting a small, members only event featuring Asian food, and they've asked everyone to bring a bottle that we would recommend pairing with one of the following dishes:

Thai: Panang chicken curry and stir fry chicken
Vietnamese: Roast Pork, wonton soup and spring rolls
Chinese: Singapore Noodle and Shrimp dumplings in XO sauce
Indian: Vegetarian samosa, lamb korma and tandoori chicken

I have an Rosenberg Reisling (Alsace) from Dom. Barmes-Buecher whose profile sounds like it might work with several of these, although it could be a bit too dry if the food is spicy: Bright, pale yellow. Reticent but pure aromas of peach pit, pineapple candy and spices. Suppler than the Herrenweg, but with lovely harmonious acidity giving the wine excellent inner-mouth energy and penetration. Rather dry and classic riesling, with impressive intensity for a "village" wine and good stony spine.

Anyone have any favorites that just jump out as being perfect for one of these meals?

Bugey-Cerdon.

I think most of these dishes will be death to most wines, but something with bubbles is a Good Thing. I would, personally, favor Gouden Karolus.

Bugey-Cerdon.

I think most of these dishes will be death to most wines, but something with bubbles is a Good Thing. I would, personally, favor Gouden Karolus.

That's a great suggestion, Stuart. Now if I can just find some locally.

[Jenise]

A wine group that I belong to is hosting a small, members only event featuring Asian food, and they've asked everyone to bring a bottle that we would recommend pairing with one of the following dishes:

Thai: Panang chicken curry and stir fry chicken
Vietnamese: Roast Pork, wonton soup and spring rolls
Chinese: Singapore Noodle and Shrimp dumplings in XO sauce
Indian: Vegetarian samosa, lamb korma and tandoori chicken

I have an Rosenberg Reisling (Alsace) from Dom. Barmes-Buecher whose profile sounds like it might work with several of these, although it could be a bit too dry if the food is spicy: Bright, pale yellow. Reticent but pure aromas of peach pit, pineapple candy and spices. Suppler than the Herrenweg, but with lovely harmonious acidity giving the wine excellent inner-mouth energy and penetration. Rather dry and classic riesling, with impressive intensity for a "village" wine and good stony spine.

Anyone have any favorites that just jump out as being perfect for one of these meals?

K!!!!!!!!!! Girlfriend, where ya been? Besides away too long. A rich and spicy gewurz would be killer for that Indian course. And I'd look at riesling for the Panang, which will have coconut milk in it. Coconut and reisling are an excellent match. I'd do gruner veltliner with the Vietnamese.

Hey Jenise! Things have just been a bit carzy for me and I haven't had much time to post. Still drinking wine, though

Those are all good suggestions, and since I've already got the reisling I may end up bringing that as my contribution. Just FYI, I did have a pinot d'alsace w/ some red thai curry once that was a pretty nice match, too!

[Jenise]

Hey Jenise! Things have just been a bit carzy for me and I haven't had much time to post. Still drinking wine, though

Those are all good suggestions, and since I've already got the reisling I may end up bringing that as my contribution. Just FYI, I did have a pinot d'alsace w/ some red thai curry once that was a pretty nice match, too!

K, hope things calm down for you soon.

Hey...."a bit crazy", "K", "haven't had much time"...you're not acquainted with Eliot Spitzer, by any chance, are you?

Re the wine matches, except for the Vietnamese course, almost any white with both acidity and a slight residual sweetness will show fairly well. After that, it's just details.

Hey...."a bit crazy", "K", "haven't had much time"...you're not acquainted with Eliot Spitzer, by any chance, are you?

That's especially funny to me right now because I work in the securities and exchange industry, and everyone in our organization is just giddy with the irony of this news.

Hey...."a bit crazy", "K", "haven't had much time"...you're not acquainted with Eliot Spitzer, by any chance, are you?

That's especially funny to me right now because I work in the securities and exchange industry, and everyone in our organization is just giddy with the irony of this news.

I am also in the giddy camp. Especially after Spitzer yanked the rug out from under Strong Funds. This whole fiasco could not have happened to a more deserving guy.

They are probably casting the movie for the Lifetime Channel right now with Jennifer Anniston playing the role of Mona Spitzer.

I don't pretend to know my wines at the level of everyone here but what about a muscat in place of a Reisling?

None of those dishes really go with wine. Which doesn't prevent me from drinking a pinot noir with all of them.

Seriously, though, they're more enjoyable with a Thai beer, an Indian beer, or an IPA.

-Paul W.

What about a pinot gris with the pork? An off-dry or medium-sweet, Alsace style.

Sauvignon Blanc could go quite well with spring rolls. It's surprising how well Sauv blanc and cabbage work.

Try a Gewurz with the Thai chicken dishes.

None of those dishes really go with wine. Which doesn't prevent me from drinking a pinot noir with all of them.

Seriously, though, they're more enjoyable with a Thai beer, an Indian beer, or an IPA.

-Paul W.

Paul: If I must have a beer with spicy food it will have to be a low hop wheat beer. I'm not keen on bitter hops with spicy food. So I avoid IPA and Pilsner. Weissbeer is great

And most beers are open vat fermented and then have gas injected into them so the bubbles are large. Better to have a naturally sparkling or semi-sparkling wine with finer gentler bubbles.

But beer cold is good.

And Champagne is over gassy despite the finer bubbles. Some Champagne producers create food wines with 4 bar as opposed to the regular 6 bar of CO2. So I'd go for a frizzante.

High mouth-watering acidity is good.

No mouth-drying tannin.

No oak as it clashes with cumin and coriander leading to bitterness.

Moderate but not low alcohol. Some alcohol is required but excess alcohol with chilli is like vodka on a fire.

And sweetness rising with chilli heat. The sweetness balances out the chilli calming the palate and allowing another mouthful of hot stuff; then calming the palate again and so on creating tsunamis of fire and calm in the mouth.

So borrowing from beer, Champagne/Cava and Alsace I experimented by blending a Cava and a Muscat in the glass to produce a blueprint. Mt favourite wine is a 50/50 blend of Muscat and Macabeo and then second fermented in tank to give 2.5 bar natural gas and 19 grams/litre residual sugar.

Paul: If I must have a beer with spicy food it will have to be a low hop wheat beer. I'm not keen on bitter hops with spicy food. So I avoid IPA and Pilsner. Weissbeer is great

I don't know what it is in wheat beer that I'm allergic to, but every time I've tried a weissbier I've not enjoyed something about the taste from the get-go, and ended up with a splitting headache within 15 minutes. I've given up on them for good at this point.

I like an IPA with a curry, or one of the Indian or Thai import beers. But I can see your point about the hops.

-Paul W.

I just had dinner at Lotus of Siam a few nights ago. I had stellar Kabinett and Spatlese from Emrich-Schönleber. They went perfectly with a range of moderately spicy food. The German rieslings go better with spicy than Alsatian do.

By the way, Stuart is wrong about these foods being wine killers. As long as the wine has good acid, slight residual sugar, and verve, it should be fine. You may even find that a modest zinfandel (under 14.5% alcohol) will go with the Indian dishes.

Paul: If I must have a beer with spicy food it will have to be a low hop wheat beer. I'm not keen on bitter hops with spicy food. So I avoid IPA and Pilsner. Weissbeer is great

I don't know what it is in wheat beer that I'm allergic to, but every time I've tried a weissbier I've not enjoyed something about the taste from the get-go, and ended up with a splitting headache within 15 minutes. I've given up on them for good at this point.

I like an IPA with a curry, or one of the Indian or Thai import beers. But I can see your point about the hops.

-Paul W.

Shame about your allergy to Weissbier, Paul. I find that people either love or hate Weissbier.

Could you please explain what it is about IPA or indeed Indian or Thai beers that you like with a curry? As opposed to Mexican, New Zealand or Polish beers?

As it happens the best selling "Indian" beer used to be made in England and now In Poland and until recently had never been made in India. It is nice enough as a beer but I regard it as inappropriate with a curry. (bitter hops, injected gas)

(Interest Declaration: I don't sell beer but sell wine to drink with a curry. For a beer with a curry I drink and recommend a low hop beer such as Weissbier)

I AM keen on bitter hops with spicy food, which is why I like those styles with curries.

-Paul W.

Great article by Robin

Bubbles and fire

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvis ... 100226.php