The Do's
-
01
Sukiyaki gets Sicilian light reds
The mirin-soy reduction calls for Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG or Frappato di Vittoria. Etna Rosso also works.
Italian Wine Pairings for Japanese Nabe and Hot Pots
Communal hot-pot cooking: sukiyaki sweet-savoury, shabu-shabu lean-and-clean, oden long-simmered dashi. Italian light reds with bright acid and mineral whites match the table's range.
Sukiyaki's mirin-soy reduction creates a sweet-savoury sauce that suits Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Etna Rosso; shabu-shabu's clean-water dipping cooking pairs cleaner with Vermentino di Sardegna and Verdicchio. Read more
Quick Facts
Grape colour mix
67%
red
33%
white
Rules of Engagement
The Do's
-
01
Sukiyaki gets Sicilian light reds
The mirin-soy reduction calls for Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG or Frappato di Vittoria. Etna Rosso also works.
The Don'ts
-
01
No whites for offal hot pot
Motsu nabe (beef intestine) demands light-tannin reds. Whites collapse against gamey offal.
Pairings at a Glance
Showing 1–2 of 2 dishes
Oden
Oden is the long-simmered dashi-based hot pot: daikon, hard-boiled egg, fish cakes (chikuwa, hanpen), konnyaku, and beef tendon poached in light bonito-kombu broth for hours. The dish reads salt-clean and umami-driven. Italian Soave Superiore (Garganega) and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi shadow the broth; Franciacorta Satèn (lower pressure) works for sparkling service.
Perfect grape varieties
Garganega
Also worth trying
Verdicchio
Chardonnay
Appellations to explore
SoaveDOC
Alta LangaDOCG
Alto Adige/SüdtirolDOC
Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio RiservaDOCG
FranciacortaDOCG
Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is sweet-savoury hot pot: thinly sliced beef, tofu, shiitake, scallion, and shungiku simmered in warishita (soy-mirin-sugar-sake reduction), then dipped in beaten raw egg. The dish stacks fat (beef), sugar (mirin), umami (mushroom). Italian Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Frappato + Nero d'Avola) delivers light-tannin red with bright acid for the warishita; Etna Rosso also works.
Perfect grape varieties
Frappato
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
Why These Pairings Work
Sukiyaki's mirin-soy reduction creates a sweet-savoury sauce that suits Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Etna Rosso; shabu-shabu's clean-water dipping cooking pairs cleaner with Vermentino di Sardegna and Verdicchio. Oden's long-simmered dashi-based broth wants Soave Superiore or a Trentodoc to balance the salt with bubble or acid.
Food Pairing Questions
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Frappato + Nero d'Avola) and Frappato di Vittoria handle the sweet-savoury warishita and beef. Etna Rosso (Nerello Mascalese) is the alternative.
Shabu shabu's clean-water cooking and ponzu dipping sauce suit Vermentino di Gallura, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and Falanghina del Sannio. The acid matches citrus-soy.
Match the broth. Sukiyaki and chanko nabe carry weight, suiting medium-bodied light reds. Shabu and oden run cleaner, suiting acid-driven coastal whites.
