Drink Cool Malesan Crémant de Bordeaux and Eat Chinese Hotpot #Winophiles

Cremant de Bordeaux may not be the obvious choice of wine to pair with a Chinese Hotpot meal. Once you try the pairing, you may like the cold vs hot contrast that's brought by this pairing!

Drinking sparkling wines are not just for celebrations. In times of uncertainties, some festive drinks like the Bordeaux bubbles a.k.a Crémants de Bordeaux may calm the nerves and make difficult times a bit easier. In the month of March 2020, when most of the world is facing the Covid-19 pandemic, I invited the #Winophiles bloggers to drink some Crémants de Bordeaux or Crémants from other French wine regions and to continue what we enjoy the most…the bubbles, foods, blogging, families and friends!

Crémant de Bordeaux is the name of all sparkling wines produced in the Bordeaux region using the methode traditionelle - the same method that is used to produce Champagne. For decades, Crémant wines have been produced from French wine regions that are known for producing great wines like Bordeaux, Loire, Alsace, Bourgogne, Jura, Savoie, Die and Limoux. However, only in the mid-1970s, Crémants de Bordeaux, for example, first appeared officially on commercial labels. This version of the French bubble, compared to Champagnes, is much more affordable and creative, using local grapes varieties that are beyond the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier mandated by French laws for Champagnes.

Malesan Crémant de Bordeaux (SRP$11) is made of mostly dry Semillon grapes. On the nose, there are notes of tart apple and citrus. As you sip this refreshing bubble, the notes of limes, green apples, dried apricots provide you an easy drinking vibe. The fresh, citrusy and cooling characters of this sparkler allows me to pair it with a dish that is an exact opposite – boiling hot, spicy and richly brothy. Yes, a Chinese hotpot , Shabu Shabu or Chinese fondue (no cheese!)

The yin yang pot is to allow two different broth being served in one pot - serving spicy broth and non-spicy broth is quite typically and allows the whole family to enjoy an "one pot" meal

Chinese hotpot is to cook raw food in hot broth that is simmered on a portable gas stove. Traditionally, it is a communal or family-styled meal that uses a large pot to cook a wide variety of food such as pre-sliced and diced seafoods, meats and vegetables as well as packaged foods like dumplings, meatballs and noodles of any sorts in the simmering broth around the dining table. 

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

The yin yang pot is popular as it allows two different types of broth to be boiled at the same time – in my household, it’s usually one spicy for the adults and one clear broth for the kids. Some specialized hotpot restaurants have personal hotpots, which typically offer may types of broth (e.g., Sichuan spicy, medicinal, basic chicken, and miso broth) to choose from.  Going back to the food prep for hotpot, in order to have an efficient and enjoyable hotpot experience, the most important thing is to have your meats (e.g., fatty beef, lamb leg, pork tenderloin and/or chicken breast) thinly sliced and vegetables (e.g., daikon radish, carrot and mushroom) cut in a bitable size. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for a long time for your food to be cooked when your kids keep asking if the food is done. Pre-sliced meats for hotpots are available in a lot of the Asian or Chinese grocery stores.

Why does the Malesan Crémant de Bordeaux work well with the hotpot? First, this bubbly is super affordable and can be enjoyed and paired with any experimental meals like hotpot. If you are somewhat conservative like me, I wouldn’t open a bottle of Pol Roger Brut NV to pair the hotpot. Also, the cool bubbly soothes your palate from the very physically hot and spicy food and entices you to enjoy more food. Finally, who doesn’t want to have some bubbly fun with families and friends at a comforting meal in times of uncertainties.

Check out my blogger friends’ French bubbles adventures

• Cam at Culinary Adventure with Camilla shares Definitively Bordeaux: Cannelés + Crémant without the Champagne Price Tag #Winophiles
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass enjoys Date night during a pandemic with Crémant de Bordeaux (#Winophiles)
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest introduces Crémant de Bordeaux, Sparkling wine from the land of big reds #Winophiles and showcases Biodynamic Crémant in Bordeaux #Winophiles
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles introduces Bordeaux Bubbles? #Winophiles
• Jeff at Wine Food Click! takes A Stroll Around Saint Emilion with a Visit to Les Cordeliers #Winophiles
• Cindy at Grape Experiences says Welcome Spring with Amelia Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé and Raspberry Clafoutis #Winophiles
• Terri at Our Good Life serves Warm brie, cool bubbles #Winophiles
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator tells Clink Different with Cremant: Bordeaux's Sparkling Wine Paired with Crab Cakes, Squash Fritters, and the Daughters of Dada #Winophiles
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm serves Wilted Spring Greens Soup with Amelia Brut Rose #Winophiles
• Susannah at Avvinare enjoys Cremant de Bordeaux, An Unexpected Pleasure #Winophiles
• Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings Drinks Cool Malesan Crémant de Bordeaux and Eats Chinese Hotpot #Winophiles

Invitation to Twitter Chat

Join us the #Winophiles bloggers on Saturday, March 21st to experience the sparkling world of Bordeaux or Crémants from other French wine regions. You could write a blog post and find out our coordination on this Facebook post. We’ll have the blog posts online by March 21st prior to the Twitter chats. Or join us at the Twitter chats on March 21st at 11:00am ET/10:00am CT/8:00am PT through searching the hashtag #Winophiles on Twitter.