The dense fibre in mushrooms make fried Japanese udon with shitake and pork a complete meal. The role of any wine paired with it is to add to and widen the flavour of what is a rich but somewhat flat-tasting dish. Wines that can bring with them a highlight, either with aromatics or fruit perfume, will make for a balanced match. Japanese udon has a hefty, textured background that is extended by the equally resistant shitake and shredded pork. Soy sauce and ginger are often added to link up the base-flavour notes and textures. The following wines have been selected mostly for their lovely, sturdy perfumes.
Shaw & Smith shiraz 2007, Adelaide Hills, South Australia