deVine Table

Thai Food Served On the Patio

We recently did a great food and wine pairing experiment with Thai food. While I had the best intentions of preparing some homemade dishes with recipes from our friend Naomi of NuCulinary, my plan derailed. Not to worry, my local Thai carryout restaurant saved the day.

On the Menu

• Phad Thai
• Swimming Rama Chicken
• Cashew Chicken
• Red Curry Shrimp
• Green Curry Eggplant and Green Curry Mussels (these were homemade by Bean)

All of these dishes were prepared with medium spiciness.

The Wine List

The varieties of wine we tasted with the food included Chenin Blanc (one from France and another from Washington state), Gewürztraminer, Viognier, and Torrontes. There were also a couple of white blends and a rosé. Here are the wines that our group of 5 tasters felt paired best with the food.

• Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Gewürztraminer
• Coyote Canyon 2008 Viognier
• Domaine Pichot 2007 Vouvray
• Northwest Totem Cellars 2008 Salish (a Riesling/Viognier blend)
• Del Rio Vineyards 2008 Rose Jolee (produced with 80% Early Muscat, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec)

Food Pairings at Riesling Rendezvous

Earlier in July I was fortunate to receive a media pass to cover the Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle. In the Grand Tasting Catalog handed out at the event, there is an eye catching ad sponsored by Destination Riesling that reads,

“If your food could speak, it would ask for a glass of Riesling.”

Riesling truly is a very food friendly wine. Selecting the right Riesling can be a little confusing, however, because it is made in so many styles ranging from bone dry to sweet. The drier styles are good for pairing with creamy sauces. It’s great with shellfish, too. Last winter our friend Bean served us crab paired with a variety of brands of Riesling including Hudson Shah from Woodhouse Family Cellars. The crisp clean finish of the wine lets the crab shine through. Fantastic! The sweeter off-dry styles complement spicy food such as Thai or Mexican dishes.

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