Delicacies
Wines to enjoy, others that are good to share
(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-08 07:36
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Here are a few wines you can enjoy with family and friends, both at the table or in the lounge. They'll also look very good in a hamper or gift basket.
Add a festive shine:
Sparkling Shiraz
This is an excellent wine for celebrations, ignore the snobs who only insist on fine champagne. Sparkling Shiraz is Australian-produced, and has become a festive tipple that goes very well with Asian cuisine. My personal favorite comes from the McGuigan vineyards in Hunter Valley in New South Wales, where the warmer weather pampers the Shiraz grapes and ripens it to delicious depths when it is stored in oak.
Make no mistake. This is still very much a full-bodied red. The bubbles just make it very easy to go down, especially since it should be drunk chilled. All the usual characteristics are there including the first fruity, chocolate flavors on the tongue, followed by faint oak and slight tannin at the back of the throat and cheeks. It goes very well with hearty meat dishes, but the bubbles sparkle on the tongue and then leave a palate-cleansing fragrance in the mouth.
Recommendation: McGuigan Black Label Sparkling Shiraz
Best bottle in the hamper:
Shiraz
What makes this red wine so popular are its friendly flavors. It's a good wine to drink on its own, having nice fruity and spicy tones variously described as those of violets, dark berries, coffee, chocolate and, of course, very characteristic pepper. Even an older vintage aged in oak barrels develops stronger, more robust flavors but seldom becomes too tannic or pucker-inducing.
It is, however, rarely sweet, not even when it is made into the popular Australian sparkling Shiraz.
Now, Shiraz is an important varietal not only in the South Australian and Victorian vineyards, but also in the idyllic Margaret River in West Australia. Some major names that have successfully promoted Shiraz are Lindeman's, Jacob's Creek, Rosemont and Penfolds Grange.
The Penfolds Grange Shiraz is still one of Australia's most collectible - and valuable - wines, especially if you have a vintage that dates before 1989 when it was still known as Penfolds Grange Hermitage.
Pair Shiraz with hearty flavors at the table, such as roast lamb, roast duck or any spicy dishes. However, I like to enjoy it on its own. Try it as a single varietal, or try the GSM blend - Shiraz, Grenache and Merlot.
Like I said, it's a friendly wine that loves company.
Recommendations: Penfold Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz/Peter Lehman Barossa Shiraz
Palate pleasing floral white:
New World Riesling
I am often asked to pair Chinese food with Western wines, and one of my favorite bottles is a Riesling. This is a much-maligned white, dismissed for its light bouquet and "feminine" flavors in a country used to robust alcohol that burns more than caresses the palate.
What a shame. There are so many delicately flavored Chinese dishes that will benefit from the company of a floral Riesling. It is a sophisticated union that should please the most discerning taste buds. Imagine a fresh fish, lightly steamed and scented with the herbal accents of spring onions, coriander and thinly shredded ginger, with a final sprinkling of aromatic sesame oil. Pair it with a buttery yellow green glass of Riesling and it's a marriage made in culinary heaven.
Riesling is normally drunk quite young to take advantage of its aromatic nose. Another reason is that older vintages laid down longer often develop a kerosene flavor that is rather off-putting, so this is one wine you should buy young rather than old.
If you prefer a wine that is noticeably drier, the Australian and New Zealand vintages are good choices, especially those from the Marlborough region in New Zealand.
Riesling is a good match for anything that comes from the sea, from oysters to lobsters to shellfish such as mussels or abalone, and even plain old fish.
Recommendation: Kim Crawford Noble Reka Marlborough NZ Riesling 2007
China Daily
(China Daily 02/08/2011 page8)
