Rhone wine is swiftly jumping up the ranks in the South Korean wine market, with the sales of it in South Korea growing some 200 percent in 2011 over the previous year.

“We are now the second top French AOC wine-producing region within the South Korean wine market,” said Olivier Legrand, general marketing manager at Inter Rhone ― an association representing the region’s wine growers, producers and merchants ― at an event hosted by the group.

Legrand attributed the increase in sales to Rhone wine’s reasonable pricing and to what he believes is the end of the Burgundy wine trend sparked by the Japanese comic book series “Drops of God.”

After tasting a flight of Rhone wines at the hip, modern Korean restaurant O’neul in Seoul on Monday, another potential reason for the region’s popularity emerged: Rhone wine goes well with Korean cuisine.

Six vintages were paired with a custom-tailored hansik dinner.

Several glasses and courses later, a distinct pattern emerged. Grenache-heavy wines hailing from southern Rhone were marrying well with soy sauce-seasoned chicken and spicy beef and pork dishes.

Grenache was the hot grape of the hour.

When the 2010 Domaine de la Renjarde Cotes du Rhone Villages Massif d’Uchaux, a Grenache-based red, was paired with soy sauce-seasoned chicken wings, the vintage revealed new sweet, delicate berry notes before ending with a light, oaky finish.

Though a general rule of thumb is to pair chicken with a white, Legrand explained that the sweet seasoning of the chicken “goes with red wine quite well.”

The vintage worked equally well with spicy dishes like the braised oxtail served at O’neul. 

This was not a matter of holding up well or maintaining character when married with strong spices. The vintage blossomed when soy sauce and pepper came into play. The seasonings heightened rather than detracted from the wine.

“The wine is very well balanced so it can work with all food,” said Legrand. “It is fruity and not too tannic.”

The same was true for the 2010 Les Vignerons d’Estezargues Cotes du Rhone Villages Signargues La Granacha.

On its own, the Grenache-based red boasted notes of dried plum and black pepper. Pairing the vintage with O’neul’s juicy, sweet tteokgalbi unearthed the floral nose of the wine.

One bite of the meat followed by a sip of the vintage left the scent of lilacs ― fragrant and delicate ― lingering long on the palate.

Red wine and soy sauce-seasoned pork belly drew out the fruit flavors of the wine, deep notes of plum coming forward to complement the juicy, rich meat.

“Every year we have been holding a hansik and wine matching atelier,” said Legrand. “I think the two go well together, especially when it comes to Rhone wines.”

One might add, especially when it comes to southern Rhone’s Grenache-based reds; and even more specifically, when it comes to Grenache-based reds produced in the AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages.

Located in southern Rhone, the Cotes du Rhone Villages appellation ranks higher than the Cotes Du Rhone and even higher if the name of the village is specified, but not higher than crus. In short, wines from the Cotes du Rhone Villages AOC are near top-tier, quality vintages.

Red wines from this region must be made from at least 50 percent red Grenache. Called Garnacha when grown in Spain, the variety is known for producing wines that are fruity and not too tannic.

The malleability of Grenache-based Rhone reds, their nuanced, not too powerful, red and black fruit aromas, and absence of an abundance of tongue-shriveling tannins are precisely what make them well suited to the seasonings in Korean cuisine.

The wines do not battle the food for attention. The vintages give soy sauce and chili peppers room to breathe and invite those sauces and spices to draw out the yummy aromas of the wine also.

Though Legrand said, “we attempted some bold matchings,” it might be more accurate to say that the pairings ― aided by Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Clock16 sommelier You Young-jin’s expertise ― were spot on.

2010 Les Vignerons d’Estezargues Cotes du Rhone Villages Signargues La Granacha (retail price at mid-50,000 won range)

2010 Domaine de la Renjarde Cotes du Rhone Villages Massif d’Uchaux, Reserve de Cassagne (slated to be available in South Korea soon, retail price not yet set)

O’neul the Korean Cuisine

1-54 Dongbinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-809/ (02) 792-1054/www.happyfnc.org

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)