Palate-pleasing floral white

I am often asked to pair Chinese food with Western wines and one of my favorite bottles is always, inevitably, a Riesling. This is an often maligned white, dismissed for its light bouquet and "feminine" flavors in a country used to more robust alcohol that burns rather 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.