Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish consisting of a Chinese- style broth, usually chicken or pork broth, with super umami flavors of soy sauce and miso; garnished with toppings such as sliced pork, nori (seaweed), scallions and a boiled egg on top! Best way to cook Ramen is to make the noodles from scratch! (but store bought is fine too). The next is to prepare the broth, which is made by boiling chicken carcasses or pork bones! Then the noodles are added to the stock and the toppings are added! Super delicious! 
Wine Characteristics To Pair With Ramen
| Characteristic | Detail |
| Sweetness | Dry- Off Dry |
| Acidity | High |
| Tannins | Low |
| Body | Low-Medium |
| Notes | Crisp Citrus, Aromatic, Sour Cherry |
Best White Wines to Pair with Ramen
To balance the salt and the richness, a white wine with a light to moderate residual sweetness is a great option; think Chenin Blanc (Vouvray) or a German Riesling. For the wine drinker that is not super fond of residual sweetness; go for a Viognier! This variety has a fuller body and less-pronounced acidity which can work really well!
Here is a list of whites which would go super well with Ramen!
Pinot Grigio Pinot Grigio is one of the classic wines for Asian wine pairings, due to its citrusy, peachy and nuttiness it pairs so well with the rich saltiness flavors of ramen! A sweeter Pinot Grigio will add the perfect balance to any spicy ramen dish but a dry, fruity version pairs really well too!
Viogner Viognier is known for its romantic floral qualities, which pair perfectly with the aromatics of ramen dishes! The floralness complements all the earth, umami flavors of ramen in an opposite way. The spicier the ramen, the slightly sweeter style you should go!
Chenin Blanc Chenin Blanc is a beautiful grape that is honeyed as it is tropical and fresh! It can be light to full bodied and dry or very sweet! A sweet or dry version with ripeness and plush fruitiness will be the perfect complement to any aromatic ramen dish!
Riesling Riesling is known for pairing well with all food types due to its aromatic and expressive complexity that takes food and wine pairing to another level. Riesling finds a beautiful balance of rich acidity and sweetness which makes for the ultimate match for fiery foods.
Best Red Wines to Pair with Ramen
A nice bright light red is best paired with Ramen. Something like a New World Pinot Noir or Beaujolais with tart red fruit won’t overwhelm the texture, but it will play nicely with the umami flavors of Ramen! Here are the reds which pair wonderfully with Ramen!
Pinot Noir Pinot Noir pairs wonderfully with Ramen! It is light enough, having both light tannins and a light-medium body with tart red fruit notes that work beautifully with the super umami flavors of ramen and won’t overwhelm the texture. Yum!
Beaujolais Beaujolais is a great pairing with the the Umami nature of Ramen; similar to Pinot Noir, it has light tannins, light to medium body with tart, crisp red fruit; it won’t overpower the Ramen but pairs carefully with it; making a refreshing sip between slurps!
Best Wine to Pair with Ramen
Ramen can be tricky to pair, there’s stock, noodles but also flavors of pork, egg, preserved vegetables, spices and maybe chili oil! However due to the saltiness and umami flavors of Ramen it pairs best with white wines of the world, especially wines with a little bit of sweetness and high acid! But some lighter reds can pair perfectly too! This rule is mostly because of the salty, rich and punchy umami flavors Ramen has; so there is a need for acid and a touch of sweetness to balance it out! So here it is, a list of the best recommended wines to serve with Ramen!
- Chenin Blanc
- Riesling
- Viognier
- Pinot Grigio
- Beaujolais
- Pinot Noir
