This is one of those times when pairing is half luck and half rules. I got a call from a friend to join him at a nearby restaurant for seafood something. I grabbed a bottle of white that has enough structure to handle Korean spice and seafood textures. And it really worked.
The 해물찜 (Hae Mul Jjim) had real kick, with enough spice to wake the dead. 해물찜 (Hae Mul Jjim) is braised seafood (mussel, crab, squid, octopus, sea squirt) & bean sprouts with spicy sauce. This version had a lot of crab. Having lived in Korea for five years, the spice kick was no problem. The flavor profile wasn’t dominated by the chili, with the sesame seeds and bean sprouts cooling and contrasting the spice. Crunchy vegetable textures. Plenty of vitamins here.
The 해물찜 (Hae Mul Jjim) really worked with the wine, emphasizing the mid-palate fruit and minerality. Neither the wine nor the heavily textural food dominated. There was real harmony, the wine having enough structure to manage the spice.
Le Fruit Defendu Domaine Magellan Blanc is a vin de pays wine. Anyone who says VdP are not serious wines should try this blend of Grenache and Muscat. It has an aromatic nose with plenty of minerality. Palate is rounded and soft with fresh fruit. Soft but there’s also some structure. Not flabby. Crisp mineral finish. A little tight and punchy at first but beautifully integrated 30 minutes after opening.
Excellent value for money at 22,500 won retail. At the time of writing, this is being served in Pierre Gagnaire Seoul as their wine by the glass.
By Joshua Hall
You can read the original post at Wine Korea.
