On November 4th, 2011, the German Wine Institute unveiled their new book on pairing German wines with eight different Asian cuisines. The book, written by award-winning author and Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee, is the culmination of a year long collaboration that aims to provide a better understanding of how authentic Asian flavours can be enjoyed with the refreshing array of wines from Germany.

Perfect Pairings: German Wines and Asian Flavours provides a fresh new Asian perspective on how the flavours and styles of German wines impact eight different major Asian cuisines. Lee uses her wealth of wine knowledge and deep appreciation of Asian cuisine to introduce German wines to the Asian table. Lee’s perspective is from the view of preserving local, authentic flavours and always being mindful of keeping the integrity of the flavours as intended by the chef. With her background as a Cordon Bleu graduate and her love for cooking Asian food, Lee uses her understanding of wine to guide people towards ‘perfect pairings’.

Perfect Pairings is a celebration of how compatible Asian flavours can be with wine. Lee says, “Germany is a country filled with a wide variety of wine options from red wines, which make up more than one-third of their production, to white wines which range from dry to sweet. But two characteristics that make German wines so compatible with Asian flavours are their wonderful, refreshing acidity and vibrant flavours – a result of their favourable cool climate geographical location.” Lee adds, “Two of the most important German grape varieties, Riesling and Pinot Noir, are perfect companions to many Asian cuisines so this book was a joy to write.”

The book launch lunch reflected the union of Asian cuisine and German wines, with a carefully selected menu from Chinese restaurant Golden Bauhinia and a special range of German wines provided by the German Wine Institute . Guten Appetit!

Menu

Golden Bauhinia Dim Sum
Deep-fried Spring Roll with Duck
Steamed Jade Shrimp Dumpling
Steamed Barbecued Pork Bun
Steamed Assorted Vegetable Dumpling
2009 Domäne Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Erstes Gewächs, Rheingau, Germany

Stir-fried Garoupa Fillet with dill and Asparagus
2009 Weingut Van Volxem Riesling, Mosel, Germany

Sautéed Scallop and Snow Pea, Ginger and Spring Onion
2009 Weingut Erbeldinger Gewürztraminer feinherb Bechtheimer Heilig-Kreuz, Rheinhessen, Germany

Sautéed Beef Fillet with Shallot and Black Fungus
2009 Weingut Zähringer Spätburgunder Vierling, Baden, Germany

Chilled Sago Cream with Pomelo and Mango
2009 Weingut Reinhold Haart Riesling Spätlese Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Mosel, Germany