Uncorked: Pot sticker pairings

Pot sticker dumplings are a traditional food for the Chinese or lunar new year because their shape looks like ancient Chinese gold ingots, a symbol of wealth.

Riesling long has been a traditional choice for Chinese dishes such as dumplings, but that's not the only wine route you can take. Be brave this Sunday; try something new. After all, it's the Year of the Tiger.

Our taste panel matched eight 2008 white wines from different grapes and countries with pork pot stickers from P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a national chain of Chinese restaurants. The scores below reflect how well the wines worked with the classic dumplings.

Sweet complement

Tangent Viognier: The panel's clear favorite, both alone and with pot stickers. This wine from California's Edna Valley had an elegant dry profile with a nice citrusy kick on the finish. The dumplings brought out a pleasant sweetness in the wine; $15.

Domaine de Nizas Le Mas Blanc: Primarily sauvignon blanc with a bit of viognier and vermentino blended in, this French white from the pays d'Oc region had a pronounced minerality with notes of violets, grass and earth. The wine played well with the seasoned pork filling and the soy dipping sauce; $12.

Livon Friuliano: From the Collio wine region in northeastern Italy, this wine tied with the Domaine de Nizas for second place. The wine sports a soft, sweet profile; the pork dumplings and their dipping sauce gave the wine a note of anise flavor; $17.

Terra d'Oro Moscato: Tasters really liked this fresh, sweet California white on its own, lauding its nectarlike flavor and brisk acidity. But they found the pot stickers stole some of the wine's nuance; $16.

Seven Hills Pinot Gris: This Oregon white had a clean, clear profile with notes of white flowers, pears and stone. The wine's high acidity paired well with the salty sweetness of the pork filling; $16.

Hess Chardonnay: A buttery California chardonnay from Monterey that proved a somewhat uncertain match with the dumplings. The pairing neither helped nor hindered the wine; $9.

• POT STICKER DUMPLINGS

Prep: 1 hour Resting time: 45 minutes Cook: 22 minutes Makes: 32 dumplings

This recipe is adapted from "Asian Dumplings" by Andrea Nguyen. Fresh dumpling wrappers can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets. Serve with a dipping sauce made of soy, vinegar and a little chili paste.

Ingredients

2 cups lightly packed finely chopped napa cabbage

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 pound ground pork, coarsely chopped to loosen

1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, minced

1/4 cup each: chopped green onions, chicken broth or water

1-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon each: dry sherry, peanut oil

1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

32 round (3-1/4 inch) dumpling wrappers

Canola or peanut oil for frying

Procedure

Toss the cabbage in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside 15 minutes. Drain in a strainer; rinse with water. Drain. Dry the bowl. Squeeze cabbage with your hands to wring out more moisture. Transfer cabbage back to the bowl. Add pork, ginger and green onions. Mix.

Stir together remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the broth, sesame oil, sherry, peanut oil, soy sauce and pepper in a bowl. Pour over pork mixture; stir to mix. Cover; set aside for 30 minutes.

For each dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the filling and position it slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, pressing and shaping it into a flat mound and keeping about 1/2- to 3/4-inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Then fold wrapper over filling; pleat edges, pressing to enclose the filling and create a crescent-shaped dumpling. Place on a baking sheet; cover with dry kitchen towel. Repeat until all the dumplings are made.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the dumplings in the pan one at a time, pleated edges facing up, until golden on the bottom, one to two minutes. Holding the lid close to the pan to stop splatters, pour in about 1/3 cup water. Cover skillet; lower heat to medium. Cook until the water has nearly evaporated, eight to 10 minutes, moving the lid slightly ajar after six to eight minutes to allow the steam to escape. Remove the lid. Fry dumplings until the bottoms are brown and crisp, one to two minutes.