Geographically and stylistically, many Australian wines are a perfect match for Asian food. Here are some "classic" pairings featuring a few iconic Asian dishes with wines that represent some of Australia's best known wine styles.

Hermit Crab Marsanne Roussanne and Massaman Chicken Curry. All that spice needs some rich, fruity flavors to offset it. Relentlessly sunny Australia does a great job with white grape varieties that need a lot of warmth and sun to ripen, as is the case with Marsanne and Roussanne, which hail from Southern France. Ripe and rich, with some great peachy and tropical notes, the Hermit Crab is a lovely foil to the creamy, highly aromatic chicken dish.

Plantagenet Shiraz and Bulgogi. Bulgogi is one of the heartiest beef dishes in the Asian food repertoire. Why not pair it then with one of the biggest wines Australia has to offer, a Shiraz? The Plantagenet Shiraz has the bright, rich berry flavors you probably associated with Australian Shiraz, but it also has a nice dose of pepper and smoke. That's because it hails from a cooler climate in Western Australia, which helps lend some darkness and complexity to the wine.

Brokenwood Semillon and Tonkatsu. Fried food like tonkatsu calls for something dry and refreshing. Aged Semillon, an Australian specialty, works perfectly. Semillon hails from France, where it's featured in the famous sweet wines of Sauternes, but Australia puts its own Oz twist on the grape, fermenting it dry and letting it age for a bit before popping the cork. The result here with this Brokenwood Semillon is a wine with some great mineral and nutty notes -- and only 11% alcohol, which means you can drink even more of it to slake your thirst!

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