Pairing Wine with Asian Cuisine

Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have access to some of the best Asian foods, whether it be Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese – you name it, we’ve got it. Even here in Gig Harbor, two more Asian restaurants have opened in the past couple of years:  and . When it comes to cuisine, we are clearly a nonpartisan community.

There is just one little challenge with Asian food: It can be difficult to pair with wine. Soy sauce and ginger are assertive flavors and don’t particularly taste good with classic favorites like Cabernet and Chardonnay. I confess, I’ve even shot down a friend’s suggestion to go for Thai because I was in the mood for red wine. So what’s a wine lover to do when he or she is faced with this dilemma? Can Asian and wine coexist? Happily, the answer is “yes!"

The trick to enjoying a glass of wine with distinctive Asian dishes is thinking outside the box. A little knowledge about basic wine and food pairing helps too. There are a couple basic rules to remember, including the spice level, and weight of the dish.

Let’s take spice first. Ginger, garlic, curry, peppers… these are common ingredients found in Asian cooking and though delicious, can overpower many wines. Fruity wines such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and even Zinfandel have the ability to tame heat. Think of salsas that combine jalapeno and mango. Fruit and spice are a good combination and show up in many cuisines. Hence, it’s usually best to stay away from very dry and/or tannic wines. Also, high alcohol wines and heat are a fatal combination.

Next to consider is the weight of a dish. Chicken Pho is a delicate, light soup with lovely aromatics. Try a wine that matches the delicacy of the dish, such as an Italian Vermentino or Gruner Veltliner from Austria. In contrast, Sichuan Spicy Beef is heartier and lavish, calling for something heavier, like a rustic Mourvedre or red Zinfandel blend. Both wines have sweet blackberry fruit to complement the piquant beef.

A while back I learned a wonderful little lesson from the wine writer, Lettie Teague: ‘Anything that goes well with beer, goes well with Champagne’, and it’s true. Sparkling wine is my ace in the hole for Chinese food. It’s also fabulous with sushi. I believe it’s the acidity of Champagne that makes it such a winning combination.

Of course, there can be no discussion of Asian wine and food pairing without mention of sake. Made from steamed, fermented rice, sake is finally picking up momentum in the United States. Though most people drink inexpensive sake warm, good sake should be served chilled and pairs with everything from raw fish to gyoza to seared beef.

Asian and wine lovers fear not! There are plenty of choices to please your palate. But beware, there is no suitable wine for bad Chinese takeout.