512604 Thu Apr 24 10:51:25 -0700 2008 14 34 Wine 0 3626033 Kimchi, the quintessential Korean sidedish has really strong flavor and aroma. It is very spicy - though there are not-so-hot varieties -, and has strong smell due to the fermentation and the ingredients like garlics, fermented fishes and seafood, and chilli powder. It is quite challenging to pair a wine, especially red one with Korean food mainly thanks to Kimchi's strong flavor. A few months ago, a Japanese manga writer, Tadashi Agi paired Kimchi with Librandi Gravello 2001 from Calabria, Italy (a blend of 60% Gaglioppo and 40% CS). According to Tadashi Agi, Librandi Gravello matches well with spiciness of Kimchi, since Gaglioppo grapes are grown in Calabria, where red hot peppers are also cultivated. Well, which red wine would you pair with Kimchi? FYI, the manga series <Drops of God>, written by Tadashi Agi and drawn by Shu Okimoto, is soooo popular in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong that the wines mentioned in the manga were SOLD OUT and their prices soared at least 30% upward in these countries. Thu Apr 24 10:51:26 -0700 2008 184071 humble drinker 1 3626724 Not many red wines I'd want to drink with kimchee, but I think Lambrusco is one that might be interesting. Thu Apr 24 13:30:35 -0700 2008 3626033 97069 mengathon 1 3627631 riesling with some red food coloring in it :) Thu Apr 24 18:22:37 -0700 2008 3626033 42549 Chicago Mike 2 3632357 I think a really cheap riesling is about the only wine I'd even consider with kimchi. The operative word here is "cheap". I would not waste good money on wine for kimchi. I adore kimchi, and I adore wine, but not together. If I was trying to have wine with a Korean meal, I'd probably employ my Type A wine tasting sandwich technique, and drink the wine in between bites of the most wine friendly food in the meal (likely the meat: bulgogi or kalbi). Kimchi, rice, meat wine meat rice kimchi repeat cycle. Any cheap red you want. Don't open a very nice bottle... But I'd much rather swig back shots of soju, or straight vodka, or beer if you like beer. Sat Apr 26 15:20:03 -0700 2008 3627631 89969 moh 3 3644226 Totally agree. I would not waste any of my good bottles to drink with Kimchi. Wed Apr 30 13:36:49 -0700 2008 3632357 184071 humble drinker 1 3627905 I rather have a beer with Kimchi. :P If you reallly looking for red, some odd local varietals blend from Spain (e.g. bobal, or Rias Baixas red) or Italy (Trentino Alto region) might work. Thu Apr 24 20:42:34 -0700 2008 3626033 185684 WineAffairs 1 3677642 Why not go with a sparkling wine.. Why Red? Sun May 11 18:31:03 -0700 2008 3626033 97161 Foodandwine 1 3677721 beer would be my first choice. if pressed for a wine, i might consider an italian white. something like a tocai. i lived in south korea for three years and the place still puzzles me. Sun May 11 19:12:37 -0700 2008 3626033 10627 steve h. 1 3680984 I have actually met success with Kimchi and a zweigelt from Austria. I think the key here is acid and youth and no oak. The acid in the wine will combat the "pickled"/fermented flavors. You need the youth for more fruit to handle the chili and spices. And oak would wash away the "clean" nature of the kimchi. So the rare pinot noir from Alsace (hard to find here in the US) could work as well. I would think some Northern Italian reds could work but it is pretty tough to give a generalization for an Italian wine pairing. It would have to pair with a specific wine. If you wanted to experiment start with a Dolcetto. It is a real workhorse, the right amount of tannins... acid and fruit will vary making it a challenging pairing. Safe bets: beer, Alsatian Riesling or Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris Mon May 12 18:18:11 -0700 2008 3626033 180467 WineUnleashed 1 4961271 Recently I've tried Kimchi with South Austalian - Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Shiraz 2006. The strong aroma and taste of shiraz made a great pair with the spicy Korean dish. Wed Aug 19 22:04:07 -0700 2009 3626033 1103040 proptrade1 2 4964380 I'd go with a sparkling Shiraz....say Magella's Thu Aug 20 20:20:48 -0700 2009 4961271 104459 drumwine 1 5068652 lacrima di morro d'alba. or how about a hybrid like baco noir? both foxy and funky Wed Sep 30 01:45:21 -0700 2009 3626033 1109591 linalool 1 5071710 Sometimes wine is not the best pairing for a particular food. I would say that this best pairing is a lager. FYI, Consumption of TNT turns urine amber or deep red, which people often mistake for blood. Thu Oct 01 06:31:43 -0700 2009 3626033 53967 chrisinroch 1 5073741 Beer, soju, or makgeolli are my first choices. Personally, I can't wrap my mind around drinking a traditional wine with kimchi. My tongue is in spasms trying to imagine a wine with kimchi. :) Thu Oct 01 20:43:41 -0700 2009 3626033 64003 bulavinaka 1 5077313 I picked up a nice medoc today that I had at a tasting. I brought it to our local Korean BBQ for dinner tonight. It didn't work for us. All the wonderful earthy, mushroomy, slightly funky notes of the wine were virtually undetectable with the kimchi. Sat Oct 03 19:44:33 -0700 2009 3626033 26180 Chinon00