Pairing NYC's Best Hawaiian Food With The Perfect Wine | The Wine Show

Quick Overview

Master Sommelier Jonathan Eichholz and wine director Jhonel Faelnar pair Hawaiian food from Noreetuh, including Spam Musubi and fried chicken, with German Rieslings across different sweetness levels (Trocken, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese) and Austrian Rieslings from the Wachau classification (Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smaragd) to demonstrate the versatility of the grape.

Key Points: The tasting compared German Rieslings ranging from dry (Trocken) to intensely sweet (Trockenbeerenauslese) to show the breadth of the grape's style. German Riesling terms like "Trocken" mean dry, and "Grosses Gewächs" means dry Grand-Cru wine. The pairing featured Hawaiian-inspired dishes from Noreetuh, including Spam Musubi with caviar and spicy salmon tartare, and fried chicken with Hawaiian bread and mac salad. The Austrian Rieslings from the Wachau region were classified by body: Steinfeder (lightest), Federspiel (medium), and Smaragd (fullest body/highest ripeness). The 1999 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett Trocken ($150 retail) and the 2008 Keller Abts Erde ($250 retail) represented older, high-end German selections. The $40 German Kabinett Trocken (Herman Ludes 1999) was noted for its balance of acidity and sweetness against the fried chicken. Riesling's high acidity makes it exceptionally versatile for food pairing, cutting through fat (like fried chicken) and complementing sweet/spicy dishes.

Context: Master Sommelier Jonathan Eichholz and Jhonel Faelnar, Wine Director for Likha Wine Co., explore the versatility of Riesling by pairing it with Hawaiian-influenced food served at Noreetuh in NYC's East Village. The tasting focused on comparing various German Rieslings, categorized by sweetness levels (Prädikat system), alongside Austrian Rieslings classified by body (Wachau system), demonstrating how the grape's acidity and fruit profile interact with rich, spicy, and sweet dishes.

Detailed Analysis

The video profiles the versatility of Riesling by tasting several German and Austrian expressions paired with Hawaiian-inspired food at Noreetuh in the East Village, New York City. Host Jonathan Eichholz, a Master Sommelier, guides the tasting alongside Jhonel Faelnar of Likha Wine Co., and Riesling collector Dan Stevenson. The German Rieslings showcased the Prädikat system, where sweetness increases down the scale from Trocken (dry) to Beerenauslese/Trockenbeerenauslese (dessert wines). They specifically noted that the term "Trocken" means dry, and "Grosses Gewächs" signifies a dry Grand-Cru wine, which often shows intense structure. They tasted a 1999 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Kabinett Trocken ($150) and a 2008 Keller Abts Erde ($250). The Austrian wines followed the Wachau classification, moving from Steinfeder (lightest body) to Federspiel to Smaragd (fullest body/highest ripeness). The pairings included Spam Musubi topped with caviar and spicy salmon tartare, fried chicken with Hawaiian bread and mac salad, and a grilled pineapple dessert. The group found that the high acidity in Riesling cuts through the fat of the fried chicken and balances the sweetness of the Hawaiian preparations, making it an incredibly gastronomic-friendly wine that can age beautifully, as demonstrated by the 1999 vintage.