True wine appreciation necessitates more than just application of our physical sensory capabilities. Understanding the culture and history of the wine regions helps to embellish your drinking experience. It seems that the United Nations agrees. An increasing number of wine regions are being designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. The most recent addition is Champagne, which joins Burgundy and others on the list.

The regions of Champagne and Chablis in Burgundy share much in common. Both are among the most northerly winemaking climates in Europe where grapes struggle to ripen and inclement weather is a threat. Situated in the far north of the Burgundy AC, Chablis is actually much closer to Champagne than it is to the rest of Burgundy. The similarities don’t end there.

Since Roman times the two regions have made acclaimed wines. Chardonnay is the only grape used to make Chablis while the same variety plays a key role in Champagne blends along with the red Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Today both regions may claim to be the best in class for their unique styles of wines. These regions have one more thing in common, they are awesome with Japanese food.

Japanese cuisine

Modern day Japanese cuisine is an amalgamation of several cooking styles and influences. Both foreign influences and prolonged periods of isolation have defined the cuisine. Early migrations from the Yangtze Delta in China and the Korean peninsula brought rice to Japan about 2,400 years ago, where it soon became a staple food. Soybeans were also introduced from China.

Buddhism has also influenced Japanese cuisine. In AD 675 the Emperor Temmu issued a decree outlawing the consumption of most meats. Like Buddhism, the indigenous Shinto religion also frowned on eating meat. Emperors in the 8th and 9th centuries frequently issued decrees outlawing the consumption of meat. This religious hostility toward meat meant that rice, soy-based foods like tofu and the bounty from the sea became the cornerstones of Japanese cuisine.

In the 16th century Japan emerged from a long period of isolation. Trade with Portuguese and Dutch merchants was still nascent but the influence on the Japanese was profound. Sugar and corn were introduced as were new cooking techniques that resulted in tempura and croquettes.

In the Meiji era (1868-1912) the British brought curry from India. Like other foreign imports, the Japanese made subtle changes to these dishes and integrated them into their rich culinary culture. Modern Japanese cuisine is undeniably one of the world’s culinary treasures, but why exactly does it pair so well with Champagne and Chablis?

Japanese cuisine is all about freshness, and so are its best wine partners. Champagne and Chablis are among the freshest or most acidic of all wines and these are exactly the qualities that make them very Japanese food friendly. There’s no better place to start than with sushi and sashimi.

The gastronomic world has embraced sushi and sashimi. Go to any gourmet hotspot and you’re likely to find sushi stands, bars and restaurants that serve a variety of sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delicacies. The most common ingredients in classic Japanese sushi are white rice and raw fish that are wrapped in seaweed often served with dipping sauce comprising soy sauce and wasabi. Champagne and Chablis are ideal partners as they mirror and accentuate the freshness of the fish while offsetting the saltiness of the seaweed and soy sauce.

In particular, the pure raw fish of Japanese sashimi demands a lean wine with bracing acidity. Low-dosage Champagnes and unoaked Chablis perfectly fit the bill. The mouth-watering acidity in these wines heightens the freshness of the fish while the fruit and mineral flavors add flavor dimensions.

Other favorites

The subtle notes of oil in the tempura batter are beautifully cleansed by the acidity in Champagne and Chablis wines allowing you to better taste the shrimp, vegetables or other ingredients inside. Likewise, these clean wines balance the somewhat heavy nature of the croquets.

Japanese curry tends to be sweeter than other styles of curry and therefore is best enjoyed with dry wines that counteract the sweetness and cleanse the palate. My favorite companion to the popular deep-fried pork chop in curry sauce is a rich but still fresh Premier or Grand Cru Chablis.

Just about the only popular style of Japanese food that isn’t perfect with Champagne or Chablis is a beef-centric tepanyaki meal. With only about 60-70 years of history this is a rather recent advent in Japanese culinary culture, but it’s popular nonetheless and benefits from a proper wine partner. Balanced reds are best with this style of cooking but you also wouldn’t do badly with a full-bodied Pinot Noir centric Champagne.

My Picks

Almost any good Champagne or Chablis wine goes well with Japanese food but some are better than others. In general, I favor small focused Champagne houses that spend most of their money in the vineyards and wineries and not on marketing. These houses provide some of the highest quality and best value Champagnes.

For Japanese food I recommend elegant styles. A great pick is the vintage A. Robert Cuvee Le Sablon. This 40 percent Chardonnay, 40 percent Pinot Noir and 20 percent Pinot Meunier wine is balanced, complex and elegantly nuanced. The A. Robert non-vintage Brut and A. Robert Rose are also fine choices. Other houses with wines that work well with Japanese food are Bruno Pailard, Ayala and Billcart-Salmon.

Chablis has a plethora of producers but most don’t have wines available in Shanghai. One easy-to-find producer is La Chabliseinne, the largest cooperative in the region that accounts for almost 30 percent of its production. Their wines are well-made, reasonably priced and representative of the bracingly dry style that makes Chablis a perfect wine for Japanese food. Other excellent Chablis specialist producers I look for are William Fevre, Simonnet Febvre and Louis Michel. Big Burgundy producers like Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot also make good Chablis wines available in our fair city.

Region & Style at a glance

Varieties:

Three varieties are used in Champagne, the white variety Chardonnay and red varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Key Term:

Dosage is a sugar wine mixture that is added to Champagne wines just before the final corking and this helps determine the sweetness of the Champagne.

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