On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:19:37 -0500, "Dick R." > wrote:


>Vino wrote:
>> On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 16:23:02 -0500, "Dick R." > wrote:
>>
>>>Hi all,
>>>In 2 hours we're having a "Kung Pao" stir fry with beef,
>>>onions, green peppers and peanuts. I have an average
>>>assortment of wines in my cellar - CS, PN, Zin, Chenin,
>>>Sauvignon, etc. Any suggestions?

>>>Please help,
>>>Thanks
>>>Dick
>>
>> Do you have a gewürtztraminer handy? I'm not guaranteeing that it
>> would work but, depending on what kind of other spices you are using,
>> it would be worth considering. A riesling might work as well,
>> depending on the style.
>
>Hey Vino,
>Thanks for the reply. I was rummaging around in my cellar and, sad
>to say, I don't have any Gewurtz or Riesling. The "Kung Pao" beef
>stir-fry is pretty spicy. We've done the same stir-fry using chicken and
>paired it with a Chenin Blanc - very good. But with beef ... ?
>Maybe we can use a good California Zin that goes with everything!? :-)
>
>Time's a wasting, so maybe I'll open a bottle or three and see what goes
>best. A thankless job, but somebody has to it.

I love big California Zins and a few years ago when I was in a Ridge
frenzy, I drank various Ridge bottlings with all sorts of stuff. My
conclusion was that a big, full, fruity zin can stand up to all sort
of abuse. That includes BBQ, Mexican, pizza, lamb, pork loin, almost
anything but fish. (Although it did tolerably well on a hot summer
evening with a crab Louis.) It's become my generic fall-back wine if
a pairing doesn't jump right out at me.

I wouldn't do Riesling, but a dry Alsace Gewurz could do the job next
time. .



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8