Sense and Sensibility

Sense

and Sensibility

Wine enjoyment is not designed to be an academic exercise, but there is science behind what in uences our tasting experiences. People's palates are persuaded by all the senses—not just taste and smell, but also sound, sight, and touch. Imagine lounging on a comfy sofa in a VIP lounge, P-Diddy blasting through the speakers, everyone bathed in sexy red lighting. Is it just you, or does this pinot taste more plummy than usual? The mind absorbs all sorts of cues from the environment, and these inform your tastebuds.

In 2014, cognitive neuroscientist Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University conducted a psychological experiment that discovered colour and sound could a ect people's taste of wine by 10%. The Campo Viejo Colour Lab revealed that red lighting brings out wine's fruitier notes, whereas green light brings out its freshness.

Sound and music can also in uence people's wine tasting enjoyment. Studies have found that classical music can make people rate a wine as more expensive, and ethnically appropriate music can help bring out wine's typicity. Chilled-out music motivates people to eat and drink more by encouraging customers to linger longer, whereas loud music increases chewing speed and makes us eat faster—a trick some restaurants use to encourage higher table turnover during busy lunch sittings.

The lesson is that wine enjoyment is a total sensory experience—and a subjective one at that—which is not driven by taste alone.

Food and wine pairing encountered controversy recently when Tim Hanni MW, a professionally-trained chef and US-based Master of Wine, called the idea of a perfect wine pairing nonsense, claiming it is "arrogant" and makes many consumers "feel stupid". Hanni also argued that food and wine pairing has no potential in China.

Wine experts and sommeliers weighed in, commenting online at The Drinks Business (https://www.thedrinksbusiness. com/2019/02/tim-hanni-mw-food-and-winepairing-is-bullsht/) that it is possible to elevate the food and wine experience with the right combination. Most sommeliers acknowledge that Asian cuisines, with their myriad spices, seasonings, sauces and condiments, pose an added layer of challenge, but insist that good pairings do exist and are a critical part of the suite of tools used to convert and educate consumers. Eleven years' experience in judging the food pairing category of the Cathay Paci c Hong Kong Wine & Spirit Competition (HK IWSC) has progressively shifted preconceived notions about what wines match best with Asian cuisines. Undeniably, it is the sauce— not the protein—that is the guiding factor in many Asian pairings.

"The challenge, for the most part, has always been that since wine is relatively new to many Asians, they are afraid to experiment. I rmly believe that to increase wine culture in Asia we must educate people on how to pair the local cuisine with wine," said Nikhil Agarwal, an India-based sommelier and CEO of marketing and consulting agency All Things Nice.

One of Agarwal's favourite pairings is vada pao—a deep-fried spiced potato dumpling enclosed in bread—with a viognier chardonnay from Languedoc. "I love pairing Indian food with wines from all over the world. The cuisine has so much to o er. I especially enjoy pairing hyperlocal cuisines with overseas wines."

Agarwal also had success with a wine dinner that paired Thai food, a notoriously tricky cuisine to pair due to its complex avour combinations, with Indian wines. He recommends making wine pairing events relatable by serving street food or regional delicacies. Aromatic biryani with a slightly o -dry rosé, or charred kebabs with medium to full-bodied tannic reds both work well, he said.

Marie-Paule Herman believes another approach when introducing new wines to a previously unfamiliar market is to create ethnic associations between wine, food, culture, music and art.

Herman is group sommelier at Maximal Concepts, which operates some of Hong Kong's most popular and exclusive restaurants, including Chinese ne-dining restaurant Mott 32. "Countries like Portugal and Georgia would bene t from showing, not only their country's wines, but also the lifestyles of their citizens through music, food, and the arts," she said.

Herman said riesling is the most food-friendly wine to pair with Asian cuisine. "I love riesling. For me, all Asian food pairs well with riesling—dry styles with salty dishes and o -dry styles with spicy ones. Riesling makes such interesting combinations with food."

She concedes, however, that Asia's shared banquet-style meals make pairing di cult, although she doesn't think sommeliers should give up on pairing altogether. "There are certain types of wines and foods that guests would never guess pair well. For example, a food-sherry pairing can alter the tasting experience altogether. I've had a mushroom dish with celeriac and tru e paired with oloroso that was fantastic, and manzanilla goes nicely with fried crab and garlic."

Despite its challenges, Herman said tasting menus, wine pairing, and wine dinners are great ways to teach guests about new wines, grapes, and styles. "They learn and enjoy at the same time. For a sommelier, it is the best feeling ever if guests come back and ask especially for you because you taught them something new."

James Teng, head sommelier at The Middle House Shanghai, agrees that umami-rich food (savoury avour) pairs well with sherry, sake, and Chinese rice wine, and says food that has a "cooling e ect" on the body, like hairy crab, traditionally needs the "heating e ect" of alcohol to balance the body's yin-yang. Overall, though, he feels food-wine pairing is a "western-imported" idea that doesn't ring true in Asia.

"For many locals, food and wine pairing is a gimmick. Tasting menus work better in restaurants that serve European cuisine or places where dishes are served course by course, such as French restaurants, but I don't think people care in Chinese restaurants."

One pairing trend that Teng says works in China is to serve wellknown labels at business dinners where hosts are seeking to gain "face" by serving guests and clients expensive wines.

Paul Eun, wine manager at South Korea's May eld Hotel and Nakwon restaurant, said wine culture there is developing on multiple levels: Champagne and sparkling wine are gaining ground from whisky at dance clubs, while everyday wine culture is encouraged by sales of a ordable supermarket wines. Eun believes that in Korea, wine can be paired with the seasons, weather, and gender by branding something as a "gentleman's wine," for instance. Another pairing trend taking hold in South Korea is celebrity endorsements, with wines associated with businessmen and sportspeople gaining celebrity status, such as Samsung Group's Chairman Lee, or famous golfer Se-ri Park.

But food-wine pairing has the potential to expand South Korea's wine market further, Eun said. "Koreans are meat lovers. Charcoaled meat and Korean barbecue go with tannic red wine and pairs well with varieties such as touriga nacional." Marinated meat needs structured red wine to stand up to the protein and avour of Korea's soy-sauce heavy dishes, he added.

"The launch of the MICHELIN Guide Seoul has increased people's interest in gastronomic pleasures, and I believe tasting menus with paired wines will become increasingly popular in South Korea," he said.

Eun suggests o ering mixed pairing menus that include both wines and soju (Korea's popular high-alcohol drink) to introduce wine to South Koreans who are not yet familiar with it.

As Asian food and wine lovers become more sophisticated in their demands, the promise of a food-wine pairing expert alone is no longer enough to lure them to events or dinners. Now, they seek bundled experiences that combine food, wine, décor, entertainment, arts and culture that they can share with friends and post on social media.

The trick in Asia is not to get stuck on pairing rules and conventions. Instead, forget constraints, stimulate all the senses, and round out the experience with complementary elements.

The lesson is that wine enjoyment is a total sensory experience—and a subjective one at that—which is not driven by taste alone.

Wine pairing should be seen as part of people's lifestyles. I was once served Champagne during a shopping experience at a luxury brand store in Hong Kong, which I think is such a fresh idea.