What do France’s Alsace region and Korea have in common? I don’t know all the shared commonalities, if any, but I can tell you, they make for a kick ass food and wine pairing. My latest wine sample shipment contained three wines from the Alsace region. I paired a 2008 Helfrich Vin D’ Alsace Gewurztraminer with spicy Korean BBQ and it was a match made in heaven.A classic Alsatian grape, the color is straw yellow in the glass. Rose petal aromas and spice intermingle with flavors of honey, floral, cream and a hint of perfume. Full bodied and creamy, the finish is long with a touch of acidity.
With six generations of growers behind him, Frederick Helfrich is now at the head of the Helfrich family and on the forefront of the Alsatian revival. In Alsace the grape and vineyard location are of the utmost importance. The flavor of the grape and the terroir must come through in the wine. Helfrich’s wines represent the past and the future. The past being the centuries old vineyards and the future referrting to the Nobel Varieties line of wines. The Nobel Varieties are light in style, easy to drink and topped with a screw cap versus cork, it’s old school versus new school. Just 5,000 cases of the Gewurztraminer were produced.
Back to the food and wine pairing, the star combo was the Kimchi with the Gewurztraminer. Wow, flavor explosion from the spicy Kimchi and the creamy sweet feel of the wine, was like a tango in my mouth.
The wine is available around the country and is priced at $14.99. If you haven’t tried Gewurztraminer this is a nice one to cut your teeth on. It’s not overly sweet nor is it too acidic.
2010© Kellie Stargaard. All Rights Reserved.
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