At a small sushi bar in New Orleans, the chef presented me with a glass of wine to enjoy with my Chirashi-Zush (basically sashimi and composed salads on a bed of sushi rice). Not sake, as I thought it might be, but a wine made from grapes. Oroya, a wine from Tierra de Castilla, Spain, is made specifically to be paired with sushi. Made by a Japanese winemaker, Yoko Sato, Oroya is a blend of 60% Airén, 30% Macabeo and 10% Muscat grapes. Light-bodied and low in alcohol, Oroya beautifully matched the sharpness of vinegared sushi rice, fresh fish and even the heat of wasabi and the sal tof soy sauce. There is very little complexity which is likely why it paired well with all those flavors. The slight lemoy edge on the wine was nice sipped with simple, no frills (no comdiments) sashimi too.

Filed Under: Wine & Libations