Pairing wine with Asian food&nbsp;is a common dilemma. Just what should you order with the Spicy Yellowtail Yu Sheng or the Mongolian Lamb Chops? How do we make palatable choices that cross cultures and bring out the best in each location&rsquo;s use of herbs and spices?

Buddakan is an Asian restaurant that has merged the best of East and West to create an inviting space with an adventurous edge. This restaurant is well-known for culinary creations that present the exotic and vivid flavors of the Far East. &nbsp;The menu offers pan-Asian fare inspired by multiple traditions and favorites such as Dim sum, noodle soups, seafood and whole Peking duck, but what is truly representative of our modern global culture is the meeting of Asian cuisine with European decor, which is reminiscent of the elegance of Paris in the 16th century. The wood panels, ornate chandeliers and renaissance paintings offer elegance and comfort. This melding of cultures is represented in the partnership of an Asian menu and a carefully curated wine list that provides a fine selection of old-world and new-world wines.

Asian food was not originally paired with wine. Traditionally, Asian food was accompanied by sake and soju, wine made out of fermented rice kernels. The notes and effect of the wine on the food were vastly different from that of wine made from grapes. So, as we discovered a love of Asian food in the west, we wanted to match our new love with our old love -- wine.

Let&rsquo;s release the genie from the bottle and find the best wines to pair with Asian food. First of all, we need to recognize the herbs and spices used in the meal, we also need to consider how sweet or sour the dish is. These two factors play an important role in the choice we make.

With spicy Asian dishes, consider a sweeter, demi-sec or off-dry wine with decent acidity. At Buddakan, there are several aromatic dry whites on the wine list. The Trimbach Riesling

&#39;Cuv&eacute;e Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Emile&#39;, from Alsace, France is a great choice.

If you&rsquo;re hot for the Tea Smoked Spare Ribs on the menu, consider choosing a Zinfandel, this red wine has tannins that help cut the fat and work with the char flavor of barbecued ribs and the fruitiness of this grape enhances the spices.

Generally, lighter, dry reds that are low on tannins and snappy, clean, high-acid wines that bring a refreshing quality to the mouth are your best bet. Gewurztraminers and rieslings are usually a good choice. However, if there is a diverse range of meals on the table, why not bring a little effervescence to the table with some bubbles, because, can you ever go wrong with bubbles?

Spicy foods are often said to pair well with sweeter, typically white wines like a demi-sec Chenin Blanc, an off-dry Riesling, or crowd-favorite Moscato d&rsquo;Asti. And that&rsquo;s not entirely unfair: as long as the residual sugar levels are modest, and there&rsquo;s a decent acidity cutting through it all, a slightly sweet wine can arguably make a great pairing for spicy Asian food.

Learn more about pairing wine with Asian food in <a href="https://uat.corkrules.com/buddakan/episodes/12">six minutes on the CorkRules wine review podcast</a>.

Cheers!

&nbsp;

About the CorkRules Podcast:&nbsp;Each week we pour a glass and share top restaurant wine list picks, providing you with the knowledge to confidently navigate the wine list through sommelier recommendations, suggested food pairings and expert insights

About CorkRules:&nbsp;CorkRules, the first digital wine app experience, makes it easier for you to navigate the restaurant wine list, and provides you with personalized wine recommendations from your favorite restaurants. Through CorkRules you can find the perfect wine for every occasion based on your preferences. Connect with friends and wine experts to discover new wines to try and learn about wine. CorkRules makes it easier to discover and drink what you love. &nbsp;

Pairing wine with Asian food is a common dilemma. Just what should you order with the Spicy Yellowtail Yu Sheng or the Mongolian Lamb Chops? How do we make palatable choices that cross cultures and bring out the best in each location’s use of herbs and spices?

Pairing Wine with Asian Food at Buddakan

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Portale

Grace Hood

RT: Hello and Welcome to CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where, in each episode,&nbsp;we will review a wine list from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grace Hood, Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Hello Grace,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you!

&nbsp;

GH: Bueno Serra Roberto!

&nbsp;

RT Bongiorno Grace! Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine lists because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

&nbsp;

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or value wines or that special bottle that will take your dining experience over the top.

&nbsp;

RT:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list. Alright, Grace - today we are tackling the fabulous New York Italian restaurant Portale, what are your initial thoughts on the list?

&nbsp;

GH: Well, I mean&hellip;. who doesn&rsquo;t love Italian food?? Just one look at this menu and I was craving pasta, haha and this is another big wine list so let&#39;s dive right into it! They have a nice mix of new and old world, with an emphasis on Italy naturally. To start we could go with The Sella &amp; Mosca Torbato Alghero Brut from Sardinia. Torbato is a rare and precious grape which sees little production outside of Sardinia, so it is definitely a special wine to try.

&nbsp;

RT: So cool - there are so many varietals I have never heard of.

&nbsp;

GH: Totally - and staying in Italy, on the white side I would go with the La Raia Gavi Riserva, which is a medium-bodied grape from the Piedmont region. Gavi is a great alternative to pinot grigio and goes with a ton of Italian classic dishes

&nbsp;

RT: Delicious. I love Gavi. Perfect for springtime.

&nbsp;

GH: Exactly. And then on the interesting Italian red side, let&#39;s go with the 2013 Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella. Now for those who don&rsquo;t know, Amarone is one of, if not, the most alcoholic red table wines on the market! Most red wines end up being around 13/14% alcohol, but Amarone is notorious for being around 15/16% - it&#39;s big bold heavy and boozy! Perfect pairing for a rich hearty meat dish.

&nbsp;

RT: Oooo yeah, those Amarones will get ya! Now, what about some Italian value wines?

MV: You got it - I noticed they have a very old and rare grape - Albana, from the Vini Marta Valpiani winery in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Albana can trace it&rsquo;s lineage back to the 4th century romans! Seriously amazing wine history there. And then on the red side I would go with the Barbera d&rsquo;Asti from Pico Maccario Lavignone, who is a legendary Barbera winemaker in the Piedmont region.

RT: Delicious. And how about what you call a Baller Bottle?

MV: haha! Gotta go with a classic super Tuscan - Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia!

RT: Incredible. Grace, thank you so much for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate the Portale wine list.

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.com">Info@corkrules.com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form available and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists. Follow us on social media @corkrules and @wineswithgrace

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

Thank you.

End

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BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

Gap Weekend: A Film Shoot in Wine Country

Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Marqués de Gelida is a family-owned winery located in the Penedès region of Spain. They specialize in producing high-quality Cava using traditional methods and modern technology. The Giro Ribot family has been in the wine business for over 250 years and is dedicated to producing exceptional wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region.

Outpost of upmarket steakhouse chain known for sizzling, butter-topped beef in an elegant setting

Krasi

Sazon

La Boca

Coppa

Helm Oyster Bar & Bistro

Helm Oyster Bar and Bistro

Ledger Restaurant & Bar

Ledger

Row 34

The Ordinary

The Fig

Harvest

homepage

CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

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