One might assume that Japanese food should be paired with sake, beer or whiskey—all beverages well entrenched in the island nation’s drinking scene. But the spectacular diversity of Japan’s culinary offerings opens the door to fantastic wine pairings, which can complement and enhance their complexity of flavor and texture. Whether you’re eating tonkatsu ramen on the island of Kyushu or going on a takoyaki crawl of Osaka, there’s a sensational wine to go with it.
We tapped wine experts with a deep love for Japanese food for their recommendations, which turned out to be just as varied as Japan’s cuisine. For example, Nobuhide Otsuka, a seasoned sommelier who oversees the beverage program at Sézanne in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, gravitates towards French wines, recommending softer, aged Pinot Noirs for dishes like agedashi tofu and flowery Alsatian Riesling for shrimp tempura. On the flip side, Kevin Reilly, director of wine and spirits at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, pairs umami-rich tonkatsu ramen with off-dry German Riesling or Spanish Rioja.
No matter what direction you choose—New or Old World, subtle or bold—these pairings prove that Japanese food is enhanced by a well-chosen pour. Here our suggested pairings, picked by the experts.
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This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
