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An Update on Wine & Hawaii Regional Cuisine
By Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya Published: 07/02/2007
It is so wonderful to see the incredible increase in diners who are really interested in wine and food pairing. To keep the ball rolling and the interest growing, here are a few more thoughts on the subject that I hope you will find to be very simple and understandable.
My first recommendation on wine pairing is to understand the food. Many of Hawai‘i’s finest restaurants feature their own unique interpretation of Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine. Generally speaking, Hawai‘i’s fusion cuisine can be characterized as new age and contemporary – featuring ingredients, techniques and culinary accents from many different ethnic cultures. All in all, it really makes wine pairing quite challenging.
One general thought to keep in mind is that spicy, salty or sweet foods DO NOT LIKE wines with considerable levels of oak, alcohol or bitterness. In fact, any of these qualities in a wine will clash and actually become intensified when paired with these foods. For example, let’s consider the Japanese Calamari Salad, a signature appetizer at Sansei Restaurant & Sushi Bar. The crisp-fried calamari is tossed in a sweet, tangy and Korean Kochujang chili pepper spiced vinaigrette. An oaky California Chardonnay would not fare too well with the sweet and spicy character of this dish. Tasted together, the wine’s oak becomes unbearably bitter and the wine’s 14 percent plus alcohol content is perceived more like a wine with over 18 percent alcohol.
Consider instead a slightly sweet to medium-dry, aromatic, fruit-driven white wine. The wine’s lighter body and alcohol really pair well with spicy, salty or sweet foods. Great examples are a German Riesling, a Muller Thurgau or a Silvaner. A French semi-sweet Vouvray or one of the hard-to-find dry, effortlessly crisp white wines of Italy’s cool mountain winegrowing regions of the northeast also make a terrific match. Try Cantina Terlan’s Pinot Bianco or Bolognani’s Moscato Giallo. California offers some interesting and viable choices, too. Look for Palmina’s Malvasia Bianco or the more worldly and readily available Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling. These wines were essentially crafted with contemporary fusion foods in mind.
For red wines, two grape varieties immediately come to mind – Pinot Noir and Gamay. As noted before, watch out for wines with prominent levels of oak, alcohol or bitterness, especially when pairing with spicy, salty or sweet foods.
Some of the prettiest, lovely, silky and well-textured Pinot Noirs are now coming out of the Santa Barbara region of California. Here, we have found quite a few of these UN-heavy and UN-alcoholic Pinots, such as those from Au Bon Climat and Costa de Oro. These are much more finesse-oriented and feminine in style and particularly well-suited to assertive and flavorful Asian-inspired foods.
We would also suggest some slightly-aged, artisan “boutique” Beaujolais producers who specialize in the Gamay grape. I know most people will be shocked that I am suggesting a Beaujolais, as they seem out of fashion right now. Interestingly, while they may be NON-chic, the really good ones, served slightly chilled, can work wonders at the Pacific Rim/Asian dinner table. Look for Domaine Dupeuble or Jean Foillard and see for yourself.
Hopefully, you will find these suggestions helpful. More importantly, I hope these suggestions will open a whole new world of food and wine for you during your time with us in Hawai‘i. Please enjoy.
Locations
Maui, West Maui
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