When going out for Sushi or Sashimi, typically one thinks of Saki or beer. I am here to tell you, think white wine. I like a nice, crisp white such as Chablis or Muscadet. I would not recommend Sauvginon Blanc or any other overly citrusy white. But I dircovered a whole new class of whites that work well with Sushi and Sashimi.
First, let’s think about Sushi. Extremely fresh, raw fish cut against the grain. Made to melt in your mouth. Dipped into a salty blend of soy and wasabi. Wasabi coomes with a bit of heat. Add to that the tastes of Ponzu, chili sauce and hot dakon radish, and you have a dish that contains the delicate fish and the spice/heat notes. Last night we had some elft over GErman wihites which we tried with our dinner.
At first I thought, big fruity and slightly sweet wines with Sushi and Sashimi? But what a revelation.Tjhe Extra dry Reisling Sekt was a perfect match to the spicy crab handroll. The chili sauce goives the roll a bit of a kick,but the wine tempured the heat and brought greater nuances of shrimp amnd crab. And yes, have yet to find a crab that I have not liked.
With things liek the volcanoe roll, we sipped a 2002 Reisling Spatlese. This wine really made a harmonius whole of that dish. Our chef, Ryu really liked the hint of sweetenss. One of the other wines that really worked well was the off dry Kerner. Kerner is not a very well known or popular grape in the United states. But if you have a chance to try one, you should. Kerner goes very well with blue viened cheeses as well.
Now I still enjoy the dry crisp whites with Sushi and Sashimi, but I wil not turn my back on German whites when havoiing a meal like this. The wines were left over from a tasting a California Taste Fine Wine. Many people have said that German wine is almost always perfect with all food. I think I am getting the picture.
As for Saki, the best onbes are always served cold. Much like Sashimi, Saki’s are delicate wines with subtle nuances. We will talk about that more at a later time. I suggest that you try a Reisling or Kerenr when havingSushi and see if you have not just Uncorked Happiness.
