The Korean palate likes a wide array of textures and flavour intensities ranging from raw fish to fiery hotpots and preserved vegetables. The ingredients of stone pot rice are limited only by the cook's imagination. The core of this dish is the rich short grain rice that takes time to chew and taste. These rich flavours, along with the prolonged eating time, require wines with fruit that is neither excessive nor lacking in aromatics. Too much oak, alcohol and density will render the combination one-sided.
Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz/Cabernet 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia
There are plenty of brutal reds made in Australia by producers who think that big wines will bring global success. Many of these do not age well in the bottle. This wine was made by Ben Glaetzer, who has long been regarded as a rising star in the Australian industry. This Anaperenna shiraz/cabernet blend is stunningly rich but has a self-imposed limit on its power, therefore delivering elegance. The grapes for the wine all come from vines that are more than 60 years old. It's a perfect match for stone pot rice with preserved vegetables and barbecue ribs or squid. An all-rounder wine for foods with the upper richness of flavours.
Available for HK$474 from Kedington Wines (tel: 2898 9323)
Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva 2001, Rioja, Spain
This is one of the little gems that has stayed true to the tradition from which the wine comes. This gran reserva has everything a wine lover would want except Robert Parker points. It has plenty of fragrance and delicious age character that is not frivolous, as many wines made today are. The tannins are soft, yet it can age in the bottle for another 10 years. This is a perfect match with Korean stone pot rice with a rice-binding raw egg. The sticky, silky egg gives this lovely wine more silkiness, with the rice carrying the wine's already long finish.