There was a time, and it was not that long ago, when the only Asian restaurants in town were Chinese.
Back then, if you wanted wine with a Chinese meal, the choice was simple: wan fu. The ubiquitous wan fu was a French sauvignon blanc emblazoned with a Chinese looking label and Chinese characters. Wan fu was touted as the “only wine to perfectly compliment oriental food.” If you believe that, I own a bridge in Brooklyn you may be interested in buying.
Times changed and the cuisine of other Asian nations has landed here in full force. Today, every type and style of Asian food is readily available, with specialized restaurants on almost every street corner. Along with this explosion of Asian restaurants came their national beverages, which were developed to best accompany their particular style of food.
While the traditional wine of China is a complete mystery to me, there are two western wine varieties that can prove to be perfect as an accompaniment to a Chinese style meal: viognier and pinot grigio. Both of these wines meld perfectly with the Chinese style of dishes and do not overpower the foods being served.
The cuisine of Japan also has become popular. With Japanese food comes Japan’s national drink, sake. Did you know one out of every five glasses of wine consumed in the world is sake? Actually, while sake is almost always associated with Japan, it is believed to have originated in China in about 4800 B.C., a time when our European ancestors were still wearing bear skin clothes, living in caves and dining on filet de mastodon.
Sake, which falls into the same category as wine, is made by fermenting rice and has about 15 percent alcohol. It is traditional to serve sake at body temperature or just slightly above but not, as some self-anointed experts tout, hot. The warming of the wine amplifies all of the flavors encased in the sake and smoothes it out. Sake also can be served cold with no major effect on the flavor or aroma. Sake also could be considered the perfect wine accompaniment to vegetarian and vegan dishes. Cold or warm, sake has been the Japanese favorite mealtime beverage for over 5,000 years. The real fun is finding new nonAsian combinations of food and sake.
Gekkeikan ($9)
This is a very popular sake and is a great accompaniment to sushi and sashimi. Gekkeikan is a crystal clear wine with the aroma of anise and the impression of chocolate. None of these aromas are very obvious but, as with all sake, it can be enjoyed warm, to accentuate the flavors and aroma, or cold. If you have never experienced sake, Gekkeikan is an affordable way to introduce yourself.
TY KU Sake ($16)
Hot or cold, TY KU Sake works well with all styles of Japanese food. The most obvious flavor and aroma is pear, which is amplified when served at the traditional 110 F. This sake can rise to many occasions and pairs beautifully with any seafood dish. It also will pair well with meat dishes, specifically those prepared with spicy sauces.
Tozai Living Jewel Sake ($20)
Tozai Living Jewel Sake presents a perfumed and fruity aroma, highlighting the essence of white grape, licorice and a hint of sweet rice which then trails off to a creamy finish of fresh herbs and a hint of pepper. This sake shines as a before-the-meal aperitif, a mealtime beverage and as the end of a meal.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at ben@articlesonwine.com.
