Thai beef salad and off-dry Riesling

It’s easy to get stuck in the trap of thinking red wine is the only accompaniment for meat, especially red meat but in these days of multi-cultural eating that’s not necessarily true. And a good case in point is a Thai beef salad with its zingy, hot/sour flavours which influence the match much more than the beef does.

An off-dry Riesling is a much better bet than a red, adding a freshness and vibrancy to the pairing instead of a jarring note. Surprisingly even mature Rieslings can hold their own. We once paired a nine year old Von Hovel Oberemmeler Hutte Riesling Spätlese with a Thai beef salad at a Decanter tasting and it was the star of the show. New Zealand Rieslings, which tend to be slightly more floral than South Australian ones, also make a good pairing.

If you’re not a Riesling fan a good zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will hit the spot as will the ever-flexible weissbier or witbier.

Image © jnie - Fotolia.com

Which wines - or beers - do you like best with Thai food? Do let me know what you think.