Clos du Bois 2009 Riesling paired with Pad Thai & Pho

So instead of cooking a meal last night, I decided to order out and try to experiment with some spicier Eastern cuisine and some white wine.  We decided on ordering from Cafe Mekong and after looking over the menu I did a little bit of research to see which type of white would pair the best with the spicy Asian cuisine.  I found out that Riesling or a sparkling white would pair best with all of the spices so I picked up a bottle of Clos du Bois 2009 California Riesling in a 750 ml bottle.  I researched the wine a little bit and saw that it is a pretty popular wine label.  

Even the label said it pairs well with Thai and Eastern foods

We decided to order the Pad Thai with chicken in a medium-spiced sauce and the Pho beef noodles.  

The Pho beef noodles with peppers, cilantro, green onion, beef, bean sprouts, rice noodles, brisket, tripe, beef broth and mint leafs

The Pad Thai with sauteed rice noodles, egg, peanut, cabbage, onion, carrot, bean sprout, chicken, and a medium spicy Thai sauce

First I uncorked the bottle and poured a glass to try a quick sip before eating my meal.  The color of the Riesling was pretty light, with an ambery-yellow hue.  I swirled the glass a bit and took a sniff, it was light, fresh, light-colored fruit smelling..reminiscent of a pear or a light apricot scent.  I took my first sip and thought it to be a bit sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet, however, I prefer drier wines so I was not too fond of this after the first sip.  I took a bite of my Pad Thai and then took another sip of the Riesling.  The Riesling had transformed to be more subtle but really complimented the spices in the Pad Thai.  It was still very pear-like, like biting into a red delicious apple which worked to even out the increasing spiciness of the Pad Thai.  I tried the Pho, and to be honest I was not a fan.  I think I put a bit too much mint into the mixture so the flavor was kind of overwhelming, the wine still paired nicely with it though and kind of made the Pho a little more enjoyable.  I know of a lot of people who love Pho so I guess it might grow on me, but my boyfriend who was eating the Pho loved the Riesling with it so who knows.  Overall I couldn't think of a better type of wine to pair with spicy Asian cuisine, next time I will try a different Riesling and compare it to this one.