Riesling: A possible darling for Asian food

Over the last 10 years, this wine-and-dine-struck city has seen its hospitality industry trying to introduce a suitor to Asian food: Wine.

Because Asian food is usually perceived as a spicy, hot, richly flavored lady, the proposing side needs to be equally strong, cool enough to tame, and yet not to be overpowered by her spiciness, richness and complexity.

Vibrant, fresh and powerful Champagne has been named as the best suitor. Lively, elegant white wines from Alsace, France, have also been recommended.

A special light sweet red wine has even been crafted in France to go with this difficult-to-please lady. And German Riesling, too, has been suggested.

A couple of years ago, a high-profile Egon-Mueller Riesling wine dinner was held at a Chinese restaurant in Jakarta's Chinatown. And recently, four different glasses of Riesling wines from Schlossgut Diel paired with four dishes in addition to the full buffet were offered (for around Rp 490,000 or US$41.5) in a promotion at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta's Signatures restaurant.

The Diel wine promotion, which concluded on Monday, was held in conjunction with a visit of Victor Diel, the son of Schlossgut Diel wines owner Armin Diel, in Jakarta.

Victor is in charge of sales and exports, and the wines offered in the promotion were sourced from Jaya Sukamto, a wine exporter and distributor.

The first wine in the promotion, Nahestein 2006 (12 percent alcohol), is a strong palate cleanser and (at the right temperature) is delicious on its own.

The full-body wine has a wonderful discreet smell of orange, sweet ripe white fruit and new wooden furniture, with raciness kept under the lid. Its crisp dryness and acidity nicely neutralize oiliness and saltiness.

I had it with light-tasting sushi and sashimi as suggested by the hotel's German assistant director of food and beverages, Bj*rn N*ldner, who also serves as the hotel's sommelier.

The Nahestein handles a dash of horseradish paste mixed with ginger and soy sauce very well, but tastes strange with a sweet sushi; it goes well with hummus and Chinese minced chicken with coriander leaves.

The second wine, Dorsheimer Pitterm*nnchen Grosses Gew*chs 2006 (13 percent alcohol), is a stunning, complex, smooth, elegant Riesling. Bj*rn's pairing of this with a chunk of medium-fried salmon, scallop in a lemongrass stick and broccoli in soy sauce and garlic was just as stunning.

This savory soft-tasting Chinese-inspired dish is a play of different textures and fine tastes that the wine tackles with its delicate, sparkling-like acidity and subtle spiciness, minerality, a dash of subtle sweet sensation, a journey along a continuum of flavors that ranges from a freshly lit matchstick to flintiness to fruitiness.

Bj*rn told me he was thinking of putting this wonderful wine into a Bordeaux glass because it needed more room to express itself. It's certainly an idea worth trying, but even in a standard white wine glass this wine (at a certain point) managed to present me with moments in which an awesome layer of expression suddenly struck me, stopped me, and put me in a certain mood and frame of mind.

It was a revealing experience that was difficult to describe.

Of the third wine, Riesling Kabinett 2004 (8.5 percent alcohol), I cannot say much because it was served after I tasted the fourth wine, which is sweeter, and another wine (not part of the offer), Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Auslese 2005 (7.5 percent alcohol), which is an intense and wonderful combination of honey sweetness, fruitiness and good acidity.

However, after cleansing my palate with water and tasting it again (regretfully at a temperature that had become warmer by then), I got the impression that the Kabinett is a middle-ground wine that would go well with most Asian food in the buffet as its slight sweetness is well balanced with good acidity, a light structure and a freshness reminiscent of refreshing sweet iced tea.

For the fourth wine, Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Sp*tlese 2005 (8.5 percent alcohol), Bj*rn prepared chili mango salad with saut*ed prawns, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, salt and pepper.

Even though this wine is sweet, fruity and flavorful enough to counter the strong flavors of the dish's ingredients, it was, in my opinion, unable to fully conquer the fieriness of the chili.

Likewise, I found that the fifth wine, a deeply concentrated, delightful dessert wine, the Goldloch Auslese 2005, was better enjoyed by itself (without any desserts), with blue cheese or with a reasonably sweet tasting dessert, but not with a chocolate dessert.

I tried it with great tasting chocolate mousse and black forest cake and my palate longed for very cold water. And of course, never try the expensive wine, priced at Rp 1,590,000 per bottle or Rp 225,000 per glass, with ice cream.

If you do that, you will create a Gaza conflict in your mouth at the terrible expense of your pocket.

And remember, the wines are so good that you might be tempted to drink more than just one glass.