When I began planning out my fourth pairing primer, on Asian pairs, I decided to turn to a few expert Asian food bloggers for their thoughts—and I’m so glad I did. My friends Todd and Diane at White on Rice Couple went all out (all the photos you see in this post, save that of my Persimmon Pepper Stir-fry, are theirs . . . they’re amazing). Days, weeks, MONTHS of cooking and drinking and tasting and drinking and writing and drinking (yes . . . there’s a bit of loving ribbing going on here) went into their post. Kian Kho from the blog Red Cook: Adventures from a Chinese Home Kitchen also pitched in, with a venerable Chinese banquet served up to a bevy of wine pros for pairing . . . thanks to Jacqueline Church from the Leather District Gourmet for the introduction. And thanks to you all for your input! 

Photo: White on Rice Couple

Todd and Diane (herein referred to as T&D) opened their post by saying that grape wine is actually not the traditional beverage for many Asian cuisines, which are often accompanied instead by sake, tea, beer or iced coffee; a comment echoed by both Jacqueline and Kian. That said, they’re also quick to note that our favorite elixir waltzes wondrously with the complexities of Asian food. Asian foods are notoriously challenging to pair with wine because of their riotous, bold flavors. As T&D note, there’s spicy, salty, sweet, sour, bitter and more to contend with. But I think they also produce some of the most serendipitous possibilities for pairing . . . which we’ll try to open the door to here. 

The Big Picture
As a rule (and you know I’m not partial to rules), there are certain varietals that tend to pair better with Asian foods than others. Gewurtztraminer is a big winner, as are dry Rieslings, Pinot Blancs and crisp Sauvignon Blancs. These wines have enough fruit to soothe the heat while providing a crisp finish that cleanses the palate without overpowering the food. And, as T&D point out, these varietals “still have the character to not get lost in the abundance of flavor that the dishes have.” On the red side, I find wines with a bit of spice but without a whopping amount of tannins to be the best match and T&D agree, echoing my choices of Syrah and other Rhone varietals, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel as some of their favorite picks.

Photo: White on Rice Couple

Focus on Flavors
So now that we’ve narrowed the playing field, how do you know just which wine to choose? Kian, at Red Cook, is right on in recommending that “you look at flavors rather than ingredients” when searching for a pair. Diane, for instance, breaks with the ‘white-with-fish’ canon and finds Zinfandel a good match for her grilled snapper for its smoky, spicy qualities. Kian, on the opposite end of the spectrum, found the usual reds paired with duck and lamb ill-suited to the smoky tones of tea-smoked duck and the grassy notes of stir-fried lamb with leeks and, indeed, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc might well be better matches.

If all this has your mouth watering, good. Get thee to T&D’s site and see what they’ve got cooking. Spring Rolls with Rose, Mizuna and Shrimp Salad with Sauvignon Blanc and (sigh) Banh-Mi with Riesling or Rhones for starters.

For my part? I leave you with my New Favorite Stir-fry . . . paired with a bottle of heady, floral dry Riesling.

{  Persimmon and Pepper Stir-Fry  with Rice Noodles  }

Use plump fuyu persimmons for this dish, which caramelize into a smoky sweet lusciousness under heat.

3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon chile paste
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Salt and pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2–inch pieces
2 fuyu persimmons, sliced into 8 wedges
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 scallions, chopped on a bias into 2–inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced crosswise
2 cups soaked and drained rice noodles
3 tablespoons chopped Asian basil

Mix together fish sauce, sugar, water and chile paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown in wok, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Turn into a medium bowl. Add persimmons, onion, scallions, garlic and jalapeno to the wok and stir fry for 2 minutes, until charred in places. Scrape them into the bowl with the chicken.

Swirl the remaining tablespoon oil around the wok and add the noodles, turning frequently with tongs for 1 minute until they soften and begin to brown. Pour in sauce and toss to coat the noodles, letting them char in places before turning and repeating until noodles are soft. Add persimmon mixture back to the wok with the Asian basil and toss well to incorporate.

Serves 4