A friend commented, why do wines smell of western foods, like Liquorice, figs, rose, black currants and not asian foods such as char kway teow, kway chup etc? It's an intriguing question though I'd never think that wines should smell much like char kway teow or even western foods such as steaks or salads. These foods are a mixture of ingredients put together by man, hence nature shouldn't allow it. The vocabulary taken to wines speaks of natural flavours, either a plant, fruit, or elements of the ground. This wouldn't be surprising as a vine takes nutrients from the earth and a grape is a fruit!
Another question I had is the lack of 'eastern flavours' in wines. The call was answered last night, the distinctive nose of Ling Liang (Antelope Horn). A 'herb' which soothes fevers (especially for me), this flavour stood out in the. It was the Jamess 2001 Cotie Rotie. A cool vintage, the unripeness shows in the herbaceous nature of this wine.
Speaking about wines smelling of Asian herbs, I've also had Myras 1982, which smelled heavily of cordyceps (A widely used herb in Chinese medicine and cuisine)
Other notable 'eastern flavoured' wine includes the Ausone 1975, with clear direction of Ceylon Tea.
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