Wine bottles chill at Foxley.

Two of my finest wine pairing experiences in the last year have occurred at Tom Thai’s Ossington Street restaurant, Foxley. Both involved two of my favourite things: German Riesling and spicy Asian food. My affair with German Riesling has been a long term, and entirely satisfying, relationship. I first began drinking these whites when I worked in the wine trade in London about 18 years ago and haven’t been able to get them out of my system since. Like most people, I had the impression that all Rieslings were sweet and, as a Canadian, came in a tall blue bottle or a black one – Blue Nun and Black Tower. Those sugar water connections which were exported en mass from Europe in the 1970s and 80s gave German Riesling a bad reputation which it still struggles to overcome. Also, the Riesling name has been taken and applied in some countries to some much less noble grapes like for instance; Welschriesling. Although this grape can make relatively decent wines (particularly in Austria) it has nothing in common with the great Rieslings of Germany.

True Rhine Riesling, as it is sometimes called outside of Germany, is a fussy grape to grow - it thrives best in cooler climates where it can’t ripen too quickly and, then, it likes a good site where it can ripen well. All this finicky business pays off though, because two of Riesling’s finest qualities are its extraordinary ability to express its terroir (the characteristics of the specific vineyard in which it is grown) and it’s wonderful ability to age well. There is nothing finer than an older Riesling that has turned a deep golden colour and started to take on enticing complex flavours beyond the fruitiness and floweriness of its younger self – petrol, mineral and evolved fruit with some nutty notes. As it gets older, the acidity remains while the sweetness fades. The steely acidity, the purity of fruit and low alcohol in these wines make it very food–friendly.

Now to that meal at Foxley the other night: Tom Thai is an inspired chef whose past gigs include Canoe, Youki and Tempo. In my opinion, he doesn’t get the press he deserves for his highly sophisticated (and reasonably priced) cuisine, but he does have a very loyal following and it is often difficult to get a table at his newish restaurant on Ossington Street called Foxley. The menu is “Asian-fusion”, for lack of a better term, and it truly does encompass tastes from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan. So what to drink? In my mind, there was only one choice and it probably won’t surprise you to learn that I ordered the Balthazar Hess Riesling Kabinett 1995, Rhiengau from Germany. It subtly tripped its way through the wild sea scallop/kumquat and grilled jalapeño ceviche and took on the very spicy green element in the dish with great aplomb, going on to gently accompany the grilled spiced venison wrapped in la lot leaf, whilst totally rocking a grilled flank steak and baby arugula salad and making the rich dish of yellow perch with chili black bean sauce and enoki mushrooms sing. (The low alcohol of 9% in this wine ensures it does not fight with the spice and it means that you easily can have a second bottle without feeling plastered.) We left the restaurant feeling totally sated; having tasted heaven in a glass and on a plate.

There are some excellent Rieslings being produced in Niagara now too. (After all, we are a cool climate region!) Some of my local faves come from: Cave Spring Cellars, Hidden Bench, Vineland Estates, Charles Baker, Flat Rock and one that I fell completely in love with from Hilldebrand from their Showcase series at a tasting this spring: Hilldebrand Showcase Series Ghost Creek Riesling 2008. It’s only available from the winery, click here to check it out.

Anne Martin is a Toronto-based sommelier, writer and wine consultant. Learn more about Anne, including her cellar and tasting services at www.annemartinwine.com.