monsoon books :: rice wine & dancing girls

Pairing Wine with Asian Food

by Edwin Soon

Dining out on dim sum and looking for the perfect wine to accompany your meal? Wondering which bottle to uncork when serving up Thai? In Pairing Wine with Asian Food, enologist, wine judge, and wine writer Edwin Soon explores the most important theories of matching wine and Asian cuisine. Discover hundreds of inspired food and wine marriages from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as from Burgher, Eurasian, and Nyonya cuisines. Also featured is a special section on matching wine by occasion, such as an Asian finger food party or barbecue, or by type, such as curries, vegetarian dishes or seafood.

Imagine serving a crisp, tangy aged Riesling with a steamed river fish with ginger, soy, and chili, or a peppery California Zinfandel with succulent Chinese barbecued pork ribs. For sheer indulgence, savor Hainanese chicken rice with lashings of chili, ginger, and sweet soy and a glass of Sauternes – surely a match made in heaven. Whether you’re a wine lover or new to the subject, this book encourages you to have fun and experiment for there is no reason why you can’t enjoy wine with all your favorite Asian dishes.

Pub Date: March 2009 | Price: S$27.50 | Hardback with dustjacket/flaps 64pp
Wine | ISBN: 978-981-05-9213-4 | Territory: World (all langauges)

Edwin Soon has picked grapes, worked as a cellar rat, and made wine in Australia, USA, and France. An enologist by training, he juggles many roles, including organizing wine competitions and sitting on several international wine judging panels. Edwin is also a wine educator and wine writer. He is the contributing wine editor of Appetite magazine, a wine columnist for Time Out Singapore and The Star (Malaysia), and has been featured on National Public Radio’s The Splendid Table in America. Edwin is the author of The Wines of France and co-author of Wine with Asian Food: New Frontiers in Taste.

“Well presented, well researched and well written … I strongly recommend this book”
–James Halliday, author of James Halliday Australian Wine Companion

“Millions of people will appreciate this book, which opens a new dimension to the enjoyment of wine. It marries cultures and cuisines with commonsense and experience.”
–Jeremy Oliver, author of The Australian Wine Annual

“You love wine. You love Asian food. But you have always been worried how to put the two together. This thoughtful, original and elegantly produced book shows you how. Thoroughly recommended.”
–Clive Coates MW, author of The Wines of Burgundy and Côte d’Or