For a quick refreshment you can whip up in minutes, look no further than spring rolls and rosé. This wine pairing with spring rolls is cool, crisp, and perfect on a hot summer day. The best part? You can put almost anything into a spring roll. The traditional Vietnamese spring roll has basil, rice noodles, shrimp, carrots, and lettuce. But you can easily swap shrimp for tofu or avocado, lettuce for strips of purple cabbage, or rice noodles for soba noodles.
The Wine Pairing
Spring rolls are filled with fresh flavors and textures. Here’s why rosé has the characteristics to be a perfect wine pairing with spring rolls:
- Light body matches raw vegetables and rice noodles
- Crisp acidity cuts through the rich peanut sauce
- Juicy red fruit and herbal aromatics compliment the mint, basil, and myriad of fresh ingredients in spring rolls
- Dry finish, matching the savory shrimp, avocado, and other fillings
We chose to pair our spring rolls with Blackbird Vineyards’ Arriviste Rosé. This is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 21% Zinfandel, 7% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot — and it might just be my new favorite rosé. It has the perfect balance between fresh acidity and fruit, with a clean, dry finish. It is a wonderfully versatile wine that pairs well with a wide array of dishes, but is also enjoyable poolside or as an aperitif.
If you can’t find this wine, a dry Provence rosé will be just as refreshing. It will have the same crisp acidity, minerality, red fruit, and light body. Many Napa Valley or California rosés also have a similar profile. However, we recommend steering clear of off-dry rosé. In particular, avoid white zinfandel and white merlot, both of which will come off as cloying and overly-sweet.
Making Spring Rolls, In Pictures
Have it Your Way Spring Rolls
When it comes to spring rolls, the possibilities are endless. Fill these fresh, crunchy rolls with your choice of protein and vegetables.
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 8 spring roll wrappers
- Pick a protein: shrimp, tofu, pork, or avocado are great options
- Pick a few raw vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, daikon, purple cabbage, lettuce, and bean sprouts are all great
- Basil and/or mint
- 3 cups cooked rice vermicelli
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
For the Spring Rolls
- Fill a shallow bowl or large plate with water. Dip the rice paper wrappers into the water briefly, for just a few seconds.
- Lay the dampened wrapper flat on a plate. Add your toppings in a row on the edge closest to you (see picture). Start with the ingredients you want to see on the finished roll, such as shrimp, avocado, or meat. Then, add a small handful of julienned vegetables, herbs, and rice noodles.
- Lift the sides of the wrapper up and fold them over the edges of the ingredients. Then, take the side of the wrapper closest to you and start to roll, scrunching the vegetables and noodles in as you go.
- If you are not eating the finished spring rolls immediately, wrap them in lettuce or cling wrap. This will prevent them from drying out and sticking to one another.
For the Sauce
- Mix all the sauce ingredients.
- Taste the sauce, and adjust accordingly. I personally like my sauce to be a bit thinner so that it is easier to dip the spring roll in. However, you may prefer a thicker sauce, or one with more or less salt or vinegar.
Enjoyed this wine pairing with spring rolls? Check out our other The Wine Daily-tested-and-approved wine pairings with Asian cuisine:
