Four different Asian cultures are represented: Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese. (Photo Credit; AWR)
Dumpling is central to many Asian cultures.
A comforting bowl of Cantonese wanton soup dumplings. (Photo Credit: AWR)
Originating in the Eastern Han Dynasty as a medicinal meal of dough-wrapped minced meat and herbs, dumpling has evolved into a culinary cornerstone across Asia. Through trade and cultural exchange, this simple technique spread and adapted, transforming into crispy Japanese gyoza, heartier Korean mandu, delicate Vietnamese bánh bột lọc, and silky Cantonese wonton. The same fold, reinvented a dozen times over, in a dozen different broths. It is one of the most travelled dish in Asia, and it usually gets shunted next to beer at the table, or nothing at all.
The evening was set up to be a casual one: think having a glass of wine with dumplings at your friend’s rooftop apartment, all while catching up on life.
Japanese gyoza and Vietnamese bánh bột lọc, with various sauces to go with. (Photo Credit: AWR)
The event started off with Terre Gaie Prosecco NV, an easygoing choice to loosen a crowd that’s getting to know one another. The Domaine Fanny Sabre's Bourgogne Aligoté 2023 came next: high acid with low ego, the grape that has spent decades being Burgundy's underdog and is finally being recognised for its quality in the hands of capable producers. Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey's Bourgogne Rosé 2023 followed, pale and precise in the way PYCM's whites usually are, just rendered in pink. Last was Bodega La Senda's In Absentia Trousseau 2021, the outlier of the night, lighter than its red colour suggests, with the kind of savoury, slightly wild edge that works unusually well with dumplings, especially when paired with the right sauces.
The PYCM rosé was a favourite of mine. It is litte known that PYCM actually makes rosé, and not a popular choice amongst the trade. Understanably so, since rosé is a tough sell in our market. But this rosé had the precision to cut through the fattier pork fillings without being overpowered by the food, a harder feat than it sounds for a rosé at a table full of chilli oil and black vinegar. The room went the other way: the aligoté was the wine most people kept coming back to. No surprise, really. After all, the meticulous Fanny Sabre treats her aligoté with the same care as her Chardonnay.
The event was held at Attic 42 by SBR, it is a fitting home for what the evening was really about: Asian food paired seriously with wine, without needing a manifesto to make the case. It just needed an aligoté, a few plates of dumplings, and a room willing to pour for each other until the last dumpling was gone.
Attic 42 by SBR is a rooftop wine bar that overlooks the Central Business District of Singapore. (Photo Credit: AWR)
This event was held in collaboration with Attic 42 by SBR, a wine bar that resides in the same building as the private members club South Bridge Réserve. Attic 42 by SBR is opened to public. Attic 42 is opened to public.
