Riesling and Lamb

I'm always open to new things but serving a Riesling with lamb stretched even my imagination, but when all was said and done it worked well.

The Riesling was an Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese from the 2011 vintage.  Clean and crisp, precise, a little bit of electricity, a hint of sweetness, tart apples and minerals were just the start.  There was a bit of kerosene when first poured but that dissipated quickly. 

The lamb was a blade chop withe bones removed and the meat cubed.  After seasoning with salt and pepper it got a quick stir fry.  The lamb was removed from the wok and in went some asparagus sliced into inch lengths, some minced garlic, dried bird chilies and a tablespoon of minced, fresh ginger.  Next in was a couple of tablespoons of Shaoxing wine and then two tablespoons of hoisin sauce mixed with a bit of water. 

The heat from the chilies and the wine were perfect together.  I was a little afraid of the asparagus but the sauce made it much more compatible with the wine.  The combination is something that will be repeated.

2011 Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese.  9.5% alcohol and $20.