Asian Food Pairings

Asian food gets much less consideration when it comes to wine pairings, but a lot of cuisine from the East goes wonderfully with wine.  It can be as narrow minded as to commonly suggest Riesling or Syrah with Indian food.  This is just plain silly for an entire culture’s cuisine, or many styles of it as is the case in India, to be expected to pair well with a single type of wine.  Obviously more thought is needed here. 

                A good way to find a wine pairing for an Asian food is to think what is normally drunk with the food.  Take sushi and sashimi for example, they are naturally paired with the yeasty, dry, and mildly sweet flavors of sake.  Now find a wine that mimics sake in character, like extra dry or brut champagne. For a more casual pairing though try a crisp, dry chardonnay.  Thinking more about the traditional drink for these exotic foods will equal great and unusual but splendid pairings that will be remembered.  In fact putting a little thought into wine enjoyment really can transform the experience, for example having the right decanter accessories can really change a good bottle of wine and some dinner into a sensory experience.

via Rhino Wino