Pour, Munch -- and You're on Vacation

So much for our fantasies of jetting off on an exotic vacation; we haven't had our passports stamped once this summer. At least that hasn't stopped us from enjoying the next-best thing: a virtual around-the-world tour of casual foreign foods elevated by the right wine.

Our first rule of wine and food pairing -- "Think regionally" -- isn't much help when the country in question does not have a long tradition of serving wine. That's when we let our senses guide our choices as we strive to balance flavors.

While taste-testing an array of fragrant Alsatian white wines against appetizers from China, Vietnam, Thailand and India, we were most impressed by the food-pairing versatility and bargain price of the 2005 Alsace Willm Pinot Blanc ($9). The wine's off-dry pear fruitiness enhanced dishes from crisp spring rolls to shrimp dumplings to pad Thai.

Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches often feature duck paté, which, like foie gras, suggests a sweet wine. If you like your sandwiches with a little hot sauce, as we do, a sweet wine sounds even better, because wines with a hint or more of residual sugar can help tame the flames. We were happily surprised to find just such a delightful match in the 2006 Quady Electra orange muscat ($13), whose ripe peach flavor and light-bodied effervescence we've enjoyed only as a dessert wine until now.

Lamb samosas taste even better with 2005 Georges Duboeuf Fleurie Beaujolais ($17), whose light fruitiness and soft tannins balance the ground lamb's slight gaminess. If you feel like splurging, the same samosas with a sweet and tangy tamarind dipping sauce are perfectly matched with an NV Rumball Sparkling Shiraz ($26). Served chilled, this big red stands up superbly to the richness of the lamb; its slight sweetness is a good match for the sauce; and its fun, sodalike fizziness complements the samosas' crisp fried crust.

Chicken satay with spicy-sweet peanut sauce might have no more magnificent match than a 2005 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer ($29), whose floral bouquet gives way to the taste of ripe cantaloupe with a hint of caramel. This grape's character makes it the perfect foil for spice-laden Indian and Ethiopian cuisines, and the distinguished Alsatian winery Zind Humbrecht consistently takes it to the zenith of its expression.

Chef Vikram Sunderam prepares modern Indian cuisine at Rasika restaurant in Penn Quarter while maintaining a fondness for lamb kathi kebab rolls, a take on the traditional street dish of northern India. Tandoori-style marinated and grilled sliced lamb is tossed with onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and mint chutney before being rolled into a whole-wheat roti (bread) and grilled; the result is a concoction Sunderam describes as an "Indian burrito." What to drink with the kathi? Sunderam credits Rasika's sommelier, Paul Ruttimann, with his favorite pairing of a 2005 Terredora DiPaolo Aglianico ($13) from Italy.

Executive chef Dennis Marron of the Grille at the Morrison House in Alexandria loves the Cantonese steamed or baked barbecued pork buns known as char siu baau -- or as manapua in Hawaii, where he recalls seeing them filled with hot dogs or Spam. "They go with either rosé or sparkling wine, but I double up with an NV J Brut Rosé" ($30) from California's Russian River Valley, says Marron, who describes the salmon-colored sparkling wine as having "wonderful cherry and stone fruit flavors" that play off those of Cantonese barbecue, which is slightly sweet.

Kathryn Morgan, wine director at 2941 restaurant in Falls Church, is a fan of Peking duck rolls and mu shu pork -- and of pinot noir's affinity for the hoisin sauce that typically accompanies both. "Hoisin's earthy-spicy-sweet personality mirrors pinot noir extremely well," she observes. "New Zealand pinot noir in particular has the right balance for this pairing because it can be as earthy as a Burgundy but with enough vibrant fruit flavors to match the sweeter elements of the dish." Morgan recommends the 2005 Seresin "Leah" Pinot Noir ($29) from Marlborough in New Zealand.

With Peruvian-style grilled chicken, Morgan reaches for well-oaked wines. She says: "The smoky grilled flavors of the chicken work well with oak flavors. And if I get the fried plantains, I have to drink a traditional Rioja," such as a 1998 Bodegas Lan Rioja Gran Reserva ($20). Morgan points out that traditional Riojas are typically aged in American oak, which imparts "a coconut flavor that is magic with the tropical plantains."

Savoring each of the extraordinary pairings mentioned above would take you through nearly a dozen countries: a challenge to hop a jet and taste in situ before Labor Day, yet an appealing task accomplished in the comfort of home.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are the award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat." They can be reached through their Web site,http://www.becomingachef.com,or atfood@washpost.com.