If Portuguese Vinho Verde wines had a celebrity spokesperson of the moment, it might be Alvarinho. Grown in many parts of northwest Portugal and Spain (where it goes by the name Albariño), this popular white varietal produces wines with clean and crisp, fruit and minerality on the nose and on the sip. “Cleansing” would be a great descriptor. The grape’s appeal has spread to California and Australia, but no one has quite the finesse and finishing touch like the home country of Portugal. In our previous two posts, we asked Korean-American chef Esther Choi to pair her heritage on a plate with two very different, but very drinkable Vinho Verde wines. What we thought would be a new challenge turned out to be an extension of something she already loves to do. “At home, I always drink wine when I’m cooking, and I’m always cooking Korean,” offers Choi. “My sisters and I have been pairing wines with Korean food for years now.” New York chef Esther Choi puts the finishing touches on her bibimbap.

A big fan of white and rosé wines, Choi admitted she was relatively new to Vinho Verde specifically before we popped up in her kitchen at the Chelsea Market hot spot Mokbar, where the menu features cool, Korean-styled ramen bowls. But Vinho Verde wines are proving to have quite the affinity for this cuisine. Her third wine of the challenge was Pouco Comum Alvarinho 2014 (Quinta da Lixa). Given that Alvarinho is making a case for being the face of this emerging category, Choi decided to pair it with South Korea’s own culinary ambassador, bibimbap. “I think it’s fair to say that bibimbap and kimchee are the two Korean dishes people in America know,” laughs Choi, who has worked hard to change that since opening Mokbar in 2014. “Bibimbap is known already to go well with white wine. Instead of doing this the traditional way, with all the different roots and veggies and spicy bulgogi beef, I used sashimi. This version has fresh veggies, nori and raw fish and is more like a rice salad.

This particular wine is very fruit-forward. This dish is a bit spicy. The rounder, fruit-forward wine cools your palate.” She also splashed the wine into the dressing, lowering her normal recipe’s sugar and vinegar to keep the balance. “In the dressing, I usually use fresh, pureed apples. But this time I subbed out apple [cider] vinegar for two tablespoons of the Alvarinho.” Choi’s now admittedly a convert to a great Vinho Verde after this challenge. She’s also hoping this small, fledgling trend of Asian food paired with European and American wines will continue. “In South Korea, it’s mostly still shochu, but you are definitely seeing Western wines stocked in nicer restaurants, too,” she says. “I think the Vinho Verdes are so light and easy to drink … or to cook with, even. It’s a great wine for someone who loves refreshing, dry whites that have great flavor and balance.” Bibimbap, a popular South Korean dish. Chef Choi’s Pairing Notes: Bibimbap pairs well with fruity wines, like this Vinho Verde Alvarinho.

The subtle sweetness helps tame the spice and in this case, hwae dupdap is almost like a light salad.tupperware sushi maker nz Wine Pairing: Vinho Verde wines, like Alvarinho, show great versatility in pairing with a range of flavors and heat and acidity levels. sushi san francisco seboAlvarinho is also a great example of the more premium and structured wines that Vinho Verde can produce from its stock of indigenous varieties. yo sushi menu in vallejo Ask for the Vinho Verde section at your local wine shop, or check out Wine Searcher to find a bottle near you.ichiban sushi menu thornhill

Brought to you by our friends at Vinho Verde:french onion soup $10sushi delivery london sw3 soup of the day $8sushi grade tuna nashville “Dr. Olson” Salad $16 / $22 (chopped salad of green beans, shrimp, tomatoes, red onion, roasted red pepper & bacon, w/sherry-shallot vinaigrette) Hearts of Lettuce & Tomato $10 classic iceburg wedge salad with crumbled blue cheese & our house dressing Sliced Tomato & Onion $9 beefsteak tomatoes & sweet vidalia onions w/ choice of dressing Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella $14 beefsteak tomatoes & buffalo mozzarella with sundried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil & balsamic vinegar Classic Caesar Salad $10 hearts of romaine lettuce, shaved parmesean, croutons, classic caesar dressing Mixed Field Greens Salad $9 (mesclun salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion, and a sherry-shallot vinaigrette)

make your salad into an entre: add grilled chicken breast +6 add grilled steak or jumbo shrimp +10 Seafood Bouquet $28 per person ½ order each of lobster, shrimp & crabmeat cocktails add oysters +2.75 each, add clams +2.50 each lollipop colorado lamb chop $9 each baked clams oreganata (6 to an order) $15 (fresh-shucked littleneck clams baked to order with herbed panko breadcrumb and a lemon butter sauce) ½ dozen long island littleneck clams $15 ½ dozen long island blue point oysters $16 prince edward island mussels $12 (choose either white wine or marinara sauce) (diced sushi-grade tuna, avocado & mango with toasted baguette) jumbo shrimp cocktail $18 (four jumbo shrimp w/dijonnaise & horseradish cocktail sauces) colossal lump crabmeat cocktail $21 (eight pieces of wild-caught colossal crab meat w/dijonnaise & horseradish cocktail sauces) maryland lump crab cake $18 (with whole-grain mustard remoulade)

fried calamari with spicy marinara $15 seared seasame-crusted sashimi tuna $16 (sashimi-grade tuna encrusted with white & black sesame seeds with a miso beurre blanc, wasabi & pickled ginger) (four jumbo shrimp sauted in a garlic, citrus, butter & white wine sauce) whole maine lobster cocktail $24 (one whole chick lobster steamed then chilled. split in half, claws cracked, w/dijonnaise & horseradish cocktail sauces) filet mignon $26 8 oz., $44 16 oz. prime new york sirloin $44 16 oz. prime bone-in rib steak $46 24 oz. lollipop colorado lamb chops $36 for 4, $54 for 6 porterhouse-cut pork chop $36 18 oz. double-cut veal loin chop $38 28 oz. porterhouse for 2 $88 for 2 +$44 for each additional person (48 oz. with the bone, served sliced on a sizzling platter) served ala carte unless otherwise noted chilean sea bass $32 (tamarid-balsamic glaze, garnished with roasted fingerling potatoes & string beans) grilled north atlantic salmon $31

(wild salmon lightly seasoned and perfectly grilled) seasame seared sashimi tuna $35 maryland crab cakes with lemon remoulade $36 colossal shrimp scampi $36 (six jumbo shrimp sauted in a garlic, citrus, butter & white wine sauce) pinot noir braised short ribs $36 (cowboy beef ribs slow roasted for 8 hours in an intensely flavored pinot noir reduction) (breaded chicken breast sauced with marinara, then baked with mozzarella cheese) (chicken breast sauted in a classic egg batter with a lemon beurre blanc) (chicken breast sauted with marsala wine & a trio of portobello, crimini & shiitake mushrooms) bbq baby back ribs $30 full rack (slow roasted with fresh herbs until falling off the bone, served with coleslaw) seafood fra diavolo $32 (linguine with shrimp, calamari, clams in a homemade red sauce) family-style, for 2 or more leaf spinach (creamed, sauted or steamed) $10 grilled jumbo asparagus with hollandaise $12