How to pair Riesling wine with food: A masterclass at Le Khwam Luck

For those who love Riesling wine, but don’t know what food to pair it with, here is a 101 guide for your next wine and dine. 

Selecting the perfect wine to enhance your meal can only make the dish taste better. But, if the wrong wine is chosen, the dining experience could be diminished. That’s why many people are excited about wine and food pairings. Once there is that excellent combination, the food’s flavours, textures, scent, and quality are amplified. However, getting that flawless pairing can be tricky. We’ve all been there. Unless you spend loads of time with sommeliers and gastronomers, you may get confused. We’ve got you covered. We took some notes during the food and Riesling wine pairing masterclass hosted by Le Khwam Luck Cafe Bar and Restaurant and Enoteca Thailand. Here’s what we learned.

[Hero & Feature Image Credit: Jay Wennington / Unsplash]

How to pair Thai food with Riesling wine: A masterclass at Le Khwam Luck

First things first: What is Riesling? 

Riesling is a white grape from the Rhine region, native to Germany. It is very aromatic with crisp, fruity notes like peaches, apples, and pears. Despite the misconception that Riesling is sweet, the wine has a diverse flavour profile, depending on the selection. Riesling’s versatility allows it to be paired with 99% of food— making it the chameleon of wines. 

Food and Riesling wine pairing with Le Khwam Luck 

During this masterclass, we were introduced to the winemaker and manager director of Schloss Vollrads, Dr Rowald Hepp. With over 25 years of experience, Hepp introduced us to four of Schloss’ Rieslings, where four different types of dishes were paired.

Starters

We started with Schloss Vollrads Volratz Rheingau Riesling Trocken 2021, served with tuna tataki. This lovely dry Riesling had a fruity aroma with citrusy notes and was super easy to drink. When paired with seafood, the bottle complemented the subtle flavour of the fish, giving an exquisite balance.

Second course

As we moved on to the second course, som tum, aka Thai papaya salad, we were served SV Winkel Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2020. This selection was much sweeter than the first, making it an ideal pairing with chili and spicy foods like papaya salad. The slight sweetness of this bottle helped cool down the palette and gave a subtle buttery essence.

Main course

Moving over to the main course, tiger prawns were paired with SV Schlossberg Riesling GG 2019. Before trying the dish, this wine had more texture and structure, yet softness to the palette. But once ingested after indulging in the delicious prawns, the Schlossberg Riesling acted like a squeeze of lemon. It was indeed a match made in heaven.  

Dessert and Cheese

Last but not least, we had a glass of SV Riesling Auslese 2016. Just from the smell, there was an aromatic floral explosion in the glass— almost like a perfume. With this wine being the sweeter type of Riesling, it could be enjoyed as a dessert. However, it was paired with an ‘apple crystal,’ sort of like a candied apple, which went well together. Due to its high sugar concentration, this type of wine is perfect with citrus fruits, strawberries, and green apples. But if you’re a cheese lover, Auslese is also great with blue cheeses like Roquefort or Gorgonzola.