Sunday, January 21, 2007
Ok here to bring a small guide on wines & how to enjoy them properly
Chardonnay (say shar-dhon-nay):
1) Light, semi-dry, citrusy
2) Goes well with Hokkien prawn mee, cereal prawns
3) Main grape in the tipple Chablis, Chardonnay is also one of the 3 grapes used to make champagne, the other two being Pinot Noir & Pinot Neuniere
Chenin Blanc (say shu-nahn blonk)
1) Crisp, dry, melony (if French), grapefruit-like (if South African)
2) Goes well with Thai food, grilled mackerel stuffed with sambal belacan (but go easy on the chilli)
3) If this wine is too young, it can sometimes taste of vomit (good lord...)
Riesling (ree-zling)
1) Sweet, honey, musk
2) Goes well with sweet & sour fish, chicken rice (with not too much chilli sauce)
3) If the Riesling comes from Aslac in France, its bouquet may be redolent of melons. If it's from Germany, it may smell more like grapefruit.
Sauvignon Blanc (so-vee-nee-ohn blonk)
1) Medium-bodied, grassy, hints of tropical fruit such as guava
2) Goes well with chicken rice (without chilli sauce), barbecued chicken wings, Teochew cold crab
3) New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc wines are particularly delectable, with the bouquet of exotic fruit such as custard apple
Semillon (sair-mee-yohn)
1) Rich, tangy, grassy
2) Goes well with Nonya laksa (without chilli paste), claypot chicken & Chinese sausage rice, cockles with lime-chilli dip
3) It is used to make Sauternes, a classic French dessert wine
Gewurztraminer (gare-vertz-trah-mee-ner)
1) Sweet-spicy, lychees, roses
2) Goes well with Chicken buah keluak, nasi lemak
3) A very ripe & rich style known as Vendage Tardives from Alsace in France exudes heady tropical aromas such as pomelo & goes well with coconut laced glutinous rice & jackfruit
Cabernet Sauvignon (care-bare-nat so-vee-nee-nohn)
1) Supple, blackcurranty, minty
2) Goes well with Roast duck, lor ark (stewed duck), lamb stewed with Chinese herbs
Merlot (mare-low)
1) Mellow, plummy, orangey
2) Goes well with Ngau Lam (Cantonese-style stewed beef), char kway teow & beef hor fun
Pinot Noir (pee-noh nu-wah)
1) Elegant-light, red berries, leather
2) Goes well with most red meat except game, although it may work well with quail. Vegetarians may also note that it goes well with grilled porcini mushrooms
Syrah or Shiraz (sir-rah or sher-rahz)
1) Very robust, peppery, plummy
2) Goes well with Fish head curry & most Indian curries
3) Not to be confused with Petit Sirah of California, which is another red grape varietal altogether & is less assertive than Syrah or Shiraz.
JUST DON't DRINK & DRIVE! =)Labels: Wines
yOU aRE iN mY wORLD @ 3:30 PM
