Wines for Asian Cuisine

Beer is the most likely beverage ordered with Asian food. It is the easy out when you don’t have a clue as to what to drink with hot and spicy cuisine. And it works. But for the wine lover, there are wines that make this complex cuisine even better. A quick rule is that low-acid wines, such as riesling and gewürztraminer, go with spicy food. The fruit and sweetness in the wine calm the heat in the mouth. High-acid big reds, such as cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel, have the same effect as drinking coffee after a bowl of chili—they fuel the fire. Try more fruit-forward wines, such as beaujolais and California pinot noir, with fruit or peanut sauces or more lightly spiced meat dishes.

TASTINGS
Food and wine pairings courtesy of Jon Provenzano of Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant & Bar (Calhoun Square, 3001 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-827-1606).

Berger Gruner Veltliner 2005 (Austria)
Crisp green apple flavors with a touch of lemon make this wine a refreshing start to a meal. It went great with fresh spring rolls, and, with spicy shrimp, lit up our mouths.

Paul Blanck Gewurztraminer 2001 (Altenbourg, France)
Ginger, honey, vanilla, nutmeg, and more! Good gewürztraminer is hard to beat and bad gewürztraminer is hard to drink. This could be the best grape that Thai food ever met. It complements every dish without dominating it.

Bloom Riesling 2005 (Germany)
At first, I found this wine a little on the thick and sweet side—very flowery with lush honey and peach notes. It’s not what I usually find pleasing to start off a meal, but did my opinion ever change! It’s great with spicy dishes and completely transforms when paired with food.

Orogeny Pinot Noir 2003 (Sonoma, CA)
Bright strawberry and blackberry fruit on the nose and in your mouth. This wine is complex with soft tannins and acids, which match up beautifully with the likes of beef curry. For unbending “red only” drinkers, it would be a great choice throughout an entire meal.

Bill Coy runs Vintage U, which organizes wine tastings, classes, and events for corporate groups, wine enthusiasts, and the general public. Reach him at vintageu@msn.com.