Mai-bing’s Soul Mate: Grüner Veltliner【浙江傳統美食麥餅的靈魂伴侶：綠維特利納】
Mai-bing with Reiner Wess Grüner Veltliner/ 麥餅搭配綠維特利納
Food：
Mai-bing
Wine of my choice：
Rainer Wess Grüner Veltliner Wachau Austria 🇦🇹 2017
Have you ever heard of or eaten Mai-bing before? The very first time I heard of this dish was in a conversation with my very good friend, Arial. Arial told me, “It is a dish that my grandmother would make during family gatherings.” She has never seen or eaten anything like it besides when her grandma made it at home. Our conversation aroused my interest in Mai-bing and I thought it would be fun to pair wine with it. Therefore, I asked Arial if she would likes to join me and be part of this food and wine pairing journey. So… here comes the journey.
Mai-bing originated from Zhejing province of China. It’s a traditional dish to the region and it’s rarely found outside of Zhejing. The ways to make and consume Mai-Bing have evolved over the years. Even in Zhejing province, the preparation and ingredients used are different. Nowadays, Mai-Bing is cooked on iron skillets instead of traditional clay ovens. The fillings can be made with meat or just vegetables. There are many different stories on the origin of Mai-bing. There is no evidence to prove which one is the right one. But we know one thing for sure, Mai-bing, undoubtedly, has become a staple of Zhejing cuisine that every family routinely serves in their households, as it symbolizes happiness and the union of the family.
I’m very happy to have Arial join me and show us how to make Mai-bing. What Arial going to show us is a simplified version of Mai-bing. The filling is made with Chinese sauerkraut, ground pork and silken tofu. As for wrapping the filling, we are going to use flour tortilla instead of Dang-bing, which is made with flour and water and it tastes very similar to flour tortilla. If you are interested in how to make Mai-bing, please visit 酒意思SIP WITH JOYCE’s YouTube channel for more information.
Left to right: dry Riesling, dry Chenin Blanc, Sylvaner, Grüner Veltliner, and sparkling wine made from Riesling
Rainer Wess Grüner Veltliner Wachau Austria
So, what kind of wine can pair with Mai-Bing? There are two major ingredients in Mai-Bing would affect our choices of wines, the Chinese sauerkraut and ground pork. The saltiness, sourness and crunchiness of the Chinese sauerkraut whet our appetite; the soy sauce and rice wine give savoriness and depth to the ground pork. Due to the salty, sour, savory flavors from the two main components, high acidity, medium to full bodied white wines with aromas of yellow apple, tangerine, stone fruit are ideal. Dry Riesling and Chenin Blanc are perfect candidates for this pairing. In addition, Sylvaner, with its citrus, melon, and herbal notes, is a great alternative. Grüner Veltliner with notes of spice and white pepper is a solid option, too. And of course, how could we leave out sparkling wine？Cremant d’Alsace, sparkling wine made from Riesling with traditional method would be a dreamy partner for this pairing.
After tasting these four wines mentioned above and pairing with Mai-bing, my top choice is Grüner Veltliner, as the best wine to pair with Mai-ging. Why? I will reveal my answers later on. First of all, let’s get to know this grape variety: Grüner Veltliner.
The Grape: Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner is a native variety originated in Austria. The earliest mention of this grape variety in the history could date back to the 18th century. In 2007, a DNA profiling uncovered that Grüner Veltliner is a natural crossing between Traminer and St. Georgener, an obscure vine found in St Georgen am Leithagebirge (a town nearly 65km south of Vienna) near Eisenstadt. Grüner Veltliner occupied more than one third of the total vineyards in Austria. It is the most widely planted grape variety in Austria. There is no doubt, Grüner Veltliner is the star of the Austrian white grape variety. The best Austrian Grüner Veltliner come from the region of Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Weinviertel and Wagram. The wine style of Grüner Veltliner is very versatile. It can be bright, refreshing, and easy drinking; it can also be full-bodied, round, and opulent. Mostly dry, but sparkling wine, and sweet Auslese and Trockenbeerenauslese can be found too.
The character of Grüner Veltliner is very unique, freshly ground white pepper, the vegetable notes of green peas and wasabi, with aromas of citrus and stone fruit. Once you taste it, it’s quite unforgettable. Grüner Veltliner from the best sites can be concentrated, powerful, with racy acidity, and ageworthy. Grüner Veltliner has become fashionable worldwide for the past 10 years. There are more and more Austrian producers focusing on making high quality, terroir driven Grüner Veltliner.
The Producer: Rainer Wess
2003 was the year that Rainer Wess fulfilled his dream and established his winery in a rented cellar in Unterloibner Kellergasse, a small town that is an hour drive west of Vienna. Rainer moved into a 300 year old building that was once a cellar of a monastery in 2009, located in Krems. With the building renovation, bringing in modern and energy-saving winemaking equipment, Rainer is hoping to make the wine that would reflect his respect to nature, his support to the community, and provide a sensitivity in between humanity and mother nature. Rainer Wess farms his vineyards sustainably and currently owns 15 hectares. With Reiner’s daughter, Christina Wess coming on board in 2016, the father and daughter team has been working side by side in the pursuit of bringing terroir into the bottle, as unsullied, forthright, and pure as possible.
*Scroll down for more information on Weingut Rainer Wess.
This Rainer Wess Grüner Veltliner is made with 100% Grüner Veltliner from estate grown grapes. Glorious golden color shines through the glass; untrammeled orange blossom, apricot, yellow peach, and honey jump out right of the glass; spicy with a sweet touch of white pepper and delicate herbal notes follow through; hint of yeasty notes with gravelly minerality give the Grüner Veltliner additional dimension and profoundness. It’s smooth and round on the palate with focused acidity. So refreshing and bright.
Okie. It’s time to explain why the Grüner Veltliner would be my choice over the other candidates. First, the spiciness of the white pepper and the savory herbal notes go really well with the ground pork. Secondly, the uplifting acidity of the Grüner Veltliner matches the sourness of the Chinese sauerkraut. Most importantly, this Grüner Veltliner brings out the sweetness of the Chinese sauerkraut and amplifies the flavors of the dish. I was so excited to experience this unexpected surprise. This is the highest state of the food and wine pairing.
I’m very happy and thankful that Arial was willing to work on the project with me. Without her, I wouldn’t know the existence of Mai-bing, and had the chance to taste it, let along doing the wine pairing with Mai-bing. Thank you so much Arial. For those who want to know more about Arial, please visit her Instagram @softstructuredesign.
Arial also has a Youtube channel: Soft Structure 刺蝟的柔軟密室. In this channel, she will share her thoughts in life via activities that she uses to help recenter herself. Join her, if you desire a place to relax, rethink, and rejoice.
【浙江傳統美食麥餅的靈魂伴侶：綠維特利納】
Mai-bing with Grüner Veltliner/ 麥餅搭配綠維特利納
餐點：
麥餅
餐酒：
Rainer Wess Grüner Veltliner Wachau Austria 🇦🇹 2017
不曉得大家有沒有聽過或吃過麥餅？記得第一次聽到麥餅，是和我的好朋友Arial 聊天時談到的。她說：「每每與朋友提到麥餅這道菜，所有人的反應都是一臉狐疑，好像真的沒有聽過這道菜似的。」而我就是其中一個。非常的好奇這麥餅到底是什麼東東，追著Arial 問下去，Arial 這才娓娓道來。「這是小時候回奶奶家，奶奶常做的一道菜，尤其是過年過節家人團聚時，餐桌上總會有這麼一道菜：麥餅。」在好奇心的驅使下，仔仔細細地問了Arial麥餅的製作過程及奶奶為什麼會做這道菜的緣由。原來，Arial 的爺爺奶奶在1950年代時隨著國明政府從中國撤退到了台灣，由於爺爺是浙江人的緣故，特別懷念浙江當地的特色菜，奶奶特地學習了這道浙江的菜餚，做給爺爺吃，一解思鄉情懷之苦。之後也成為Arail家的家傳特色菜。這次很榮幸能邀請到Arial 為我們示範製作麥餅這道菜，並由我挑選適合麥餅的葡萄酒來做餐酒搭配。
Mai-bing with a bowl of Congee in the back /麥餅配粥
首先呢，還是先跟大家說說麥餅的由來與出處。麥餅，是浙江的傳統美食。有趣的是，浙江省裡有名的麥餅其由來、名字、吃法也都各有不同。其中又以金華浦江、寧波、台州、溫州、永嘉等地的麥餅最為有名。有個最通俗的說法，是與秦檜有關。在南宋初期，金兵大舉伐宋，秦檜與金人共謀，隨金軍伐宋。廣大的愛國人民對秦檜的賣國行為感到不恥，於是發展出了將麥粉和油，做成餠，放進烘缸裡烤製，起名為麥缸餠（取賣國餠之諧音）。這種餅非常耐放，尤其是在冬季時，放幾個月都不會壞。後來有商人將麥缸餠做成了乾糧販賣，麥餅就這樣流傳下來。經過幾百年的演變，作法與吃法上已隨各地取材的便利性及習俗有很大改變，甜的鹹的、葷的素的，放在鐵鍋上煎的，捲起來吃的都有。不過不變的是，這的的確確是一道浙江的名點，浙江的美食，浙江的特色菜; 只流傳於浙江的傳統美食。
Arial 在這裡為我們示範的是簡易版的麥餅。餡料是由酸菜、豬絞肉、嫩豆腐製作而成。餅皮則以麵粉做成的墨西哥餅皮來取代傳統的單餠。簡易版的做法簡單，取材也方便，對廚房新手們可謂是一大福音。想要看詳細的示範過程的朋友們，歡迎到 酒意思SIP WITH JOYCE 的YouTube 頻道上觀看麥餅製作的影片。
那麼，麥餅到底可以搭配什麼樣的葡萄酒呢？首先，我們先來看看決定麥餅風味的兩大主食材：酸菜與豬肉末。這兩大主食材是影響我們挑選什麼樣葡萄酒來做餐酒搭配的關鍵點。酸菜的鹹、酸、脆，吃起來是讓人齒頰生津，胃口大開; 而醬油、米酒則為豬肉增添鹹香及風味。由於這兩大主食材的裡的鹹、香、酸、甜，高酸度，中等至酒體飽滿，且帶有黃蘋果、柑橘，桃子等風味的白酒為佳。甘型的麗斯玲與白稍楠對這個餐酒搭配而言，是很棒的選擇。另外，有著柑橘、哈密瓜及草本風味的Sylvaner，也是很棒的候選人。擁有多種香料及白胡椒風味的綠維特利納也是首選。另外，我們怎麼可以略過氣泡酒不談呢？像是採用麗斯玲葡萄並使用香檳法釀造的阿爾薩斯克雷蒙氣泡酒也可以是這個餐酒搭配完美的搭檔。
試了以上提及的四種酒款與麥餅的搭配，其中以綠維特利納的搭配最令人驚艷，印象深刻。等等會在文中為大家說明為什麼綠維特利納會成為我的首選。首先讓我們來認識一下綠維特利納這個白葡萄。
Arial is stir-frying the filling / Arial 正在炒製餡料
葡萄品種：綠維特利納（Grüner Veltliner）
綠維特利納是來自奧地利的原生白葡萄品種。最早的文獻提及綠維特利納可追朔至18世紀。在2007年的一份釀酒葡萄DNA的報告中顯示，綠維特利納是由 Traminer 及St. Georgener這兩種葡萄自然雜交後，孕育而生的葡萄品種。 綠維特利納在奧地利的種植面積約莫佔了奧地利所有葡萄園面積的三分之一。要推綠維特利納為奧地利的白葡萄酒代表一點都不為過。在奧地利，種植綠維特利納最有名的產區為Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Weinviertel 及Wagram。我選的綠維特利納便是來自Ｗachau 產區。使用綠維特利納釀出來的白葡萄酒風格多變，可以是清爽易飲，也可是酒體飽滿，質地豐厚。既可以釀成一般的甘型葡萄酒，還能做成氣泡酒與甜酒。綠維特利納釀出來的酒有幾項特別的特徵，嘗過之後，便令人難以往懷。最明顯的就是擁有現磨的白胡椒香氣，青碗豆的生青味，綠芥茉的嗆辣感，還有柑橘，桃子等等的水果風味。這些都是綠維特利納與眾不同的地方。產自優質葡萄園的綠維特利納，其風格強勁，酸度集中，非常具有陳年的潛力。綠維特利納在近年來獲得國際間的重視，有越來越多人喜愛這個葡萄品種。在2002年時，英國葡萄酒大師 Jancis Robinson 及 Tim Atkin 在倫敦舉辦了一場葡萄酒盲品會，最後打敗法國勃根地特級田園的白葡萄酒居然是來自Wachau 及Kamptal 產的綠維特利納呢！
酒莊：Rainer Wess
Rainer Wess酒莊是在2003年成立的。成立之初，莊主在Unterloibner Kellergasse（座落於Vienna的西邊約莫一個小時車程的小鎮）租了一個小小的酒窖開始釀酒，開始了他的釀酒夢。直到了09年，酒窖的規模太小，已不敷使用，這才搬到了目前酒莊座落的地方，Krems。莊主Rainer買下了具有三百多年歷史的修道院的酒窖，重新翻修，並且引進新的釀酒設備，期許在新的地點繼續釀造他心目中理想的奧地利葡萄酒。目前Rainer Wess酒莊擁有15英畝的葡萄園，並且施以永續農法及有機栽培來種植葡萄。Rainer 的女兒Christina 在2016年時加入團隊，與父親兩人一起協力合作，釀造最能展現奧地利純淨風土，又具有Rainer風格的葡萄酒。
這瓶Rainer Wess Grüner Veltliner是由100% 的綠維特利納釀製而成， 所使用的葡萄全產自於莊主的葡萄園。這瓶綠維特利納閃耀著金黃的色澤，奔放的橙花、杏桃、黃桃及蜂蜜的香氣自杯中一躍而上，微微辛香還帶點甜的白胡椒及草本氣息緊接在後; 淡淡的發酵酵母風味及白色碎石的礦物感，為這瓶綠維特利納增添好些層次。酒液緩緩滑入口中，幾經翻轉，爽滑而圓潤; 集中的酸度，令人為之一振，神清而氣爽。這瓶最基本的Rainer Wess綠維特利納就能有如此的表現，非常期待日後有機會能品飲採用單一田園釀製的綠維特利納。
好！現在就來說說為什麼綠維特利納會勝出，打敗其他葡萄酒候選人，成為與麥餅搭配的首選。第一，白胡椒的辛香及淡淡的草本氣息與豬絞肉的鮮香搭配起來是天衣無縫，和合至極。第二，綠維特利納激爽的酸度配著酸菜的酸，像是默契十足的戀人跳著輕巧的華爾滋一般，融洽無比。第三，這瓶綠維特利納竟然巧妙的提出了酸菜的鮮甜，還點出了有如花蜜般清爽淡雅的甜味，神奇無比，是我始料未及，這也是令我最為驚奇的地方。這就是餐酒搭配最高的神境界：1+1> 2 。
非常開心也感謝我的好朋友Arial的熱情參與。沒有她，我就不會知道有麥餅的存在，也不會有這個單元，更不會找到這樣的神餐搭。真的太謝謝Arial 了！想要多瞭解Arial的朋友們，不妨到Arial 的 IG @softstructuredesign 瞧一瞧。還可以到她的Youtube頻道：Soft Structure 刺蝟的柔軟密室與她ㄧ起藉著手作來療癒身心喔!
Watch The Wine Society Interviews Christina Wess here.
