CleverRoot

6 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t ike any great operatic singer, Côtes du Rhône wines have range. They can possess a muscular profundity with a black-fruited core that ripples through a percussive background of pitch-perfect acidity, and their earthy, smoky, and feral nature proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're drinking something Old World: something with history and roots thrust deep into French soil. On the flip side, they can be charming and convivial, with soft, welcoming tan- nins and generous layers of red fruit and spice rendered more complex by the warm touch of rusticity the region's Grenache-dominant blends are known for. They are, quite simply, wines of pleasure—a bushel basket of ripe strawberries and cherries tempered by more serious notes of garrigue and pepper. Because Côtes du Rhône wines are so widely distributed and affordable, this ancient region is, for many, a trustworthy point of entry into French wine. As the Southern Rhône's largest appellation, two-thirds of the Rhône Valley's wines are issued under the Côtes du Rhône AOC. The vast majority of these wines, roughly 87 percent, are red, with production stretching across 32,036 hectares (approxi- mately 79,163 acres). And yet, for all their ubiquity, Côtes du Rhône wines are accompanied by ingrained perceptions about how to properly match them with food. We've chosen to focus on Asian cuisine, which can be notoriously challenging when it comes to pairing due to its bold flavors and frequent use of strong spices; after inviting som- meliers and chefs to come up with a series of unconventional culinary matchups, we found that, much to our delight, the dishes they conceived were as inspired and spirited as the wines themselves. Wild Ginger Plays to Its Strengths Our first stop, Seattle's iconic Wild Ginger, opened its doors in 1989 and prides itself on being one of the first establishments in the nation to incorporate Pa- cific Rim cuisine into a fine-dining experience. "Cer- tainly, back then, no one thought traditional dishes from Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and China could be compatible with fine wine," explains Beverage Direc- tor Robert Labuda, who oversees the restaurant's Bellevue outpost. With its impressive wine list, Wild Ginger has been a recipient of Wine Spectator's Grand Award ten years running. "We love Côtes du Rhône wines— they're part of the strength of our list," Labuda continues. "The whites from the region are trickier than the reds. Full-bodied varieties like Viognier and Roussanne tend to behave more like a red than a white—but reds in general are perfect with Asian food because you have the right amount of acid, tannin, and structure to complement dishes without overpowering them. Côtes du Rhône wines, espe- cially aged ones, are well-suited for many of our more delicate Cantonese dishes. Sichuan and Thai dishes tend to conflict with tannins and new oak." We challenged two chef/ sommelier teams to present their best Asian food pairings for two Côtes du Rhône wines: Côtes du Rhône Villages Laundun Chusclan Vignerons Les Dolia 2015 and Côtes du Rhône Les Dauphins Réserve 2015. L

• Cover