Pairing with Muscat Blanc

Freshness is the name of the game with Vietnamese food, often combining cooked elements with raw vegetables and herbs to create savory flavor explosions on the palate. This summer's Muscat Blanc from Navarro really is mesmerizing on the tongue, chiming out a sing song variety of flavors, expressive of fruits from deep mysterious mangroves kissed by gentle tropical breezes. You might find yourself using this salad roll recipe as an appetizer but its also so habit forming to roll these little wonder-bundles that you just might find yourself eating just these rolls as a main course. Plus, it's fun to get everyone in on the act of rolling rice paper so that everone can experience the exotics hands-on.

For the rolls:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. pork loin, sliced into slivers
• 1 package dried rice paper rolls
• 2 small Bird's Eye chilies, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves, de-stemmed
• 1 medium head Boston lettuce
• 1/4 cup Navarro Muscat Blanc

For dipping sauce:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. sambal or sriracha sauce (or use chopped seeded Bird's eye chili)
• sprinkle sugar to taste

In a small pot, combine water, wine, vinegar and salt and bring to boil. Add shrimp and cook until done, remove to cool and reserve liquid.

Heat oil in a small skillet and cook the pork until lightly browned, then add the cooking liquid from the shrimp and simmer for a few minutes prior to draining.

In a stainless steel mixing bowl, mix ¼ cup of Muscat Blanc with water, filling the bowl about halfway. To make the rolls, dip rice papers into the mixture for a few second until they begin to flex a little then remove. Place on counter, add shrimp, pork, basil, mint, bean sprouts and chilies in layers arranging horizontally. Grab the lip of the rice paper closes to you and wrap up like a burrito, tucking in the ends. Transfer to a cookie sheet to set. The rice paper should dry out a little during setting and become stretchy and translucent. You should be able to see the ingredients inside.

For the dipping sauce, just mix the ingredients in a small bowl and serve in small dipping plates to individuals. Dole out salad rolls, pour wine and dip rolls in dipping sauce, using the whole lettuce leaves as an outside wrapper, it helps catch the sauce.

Serves 4