I love making kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew). It is super easy to make and you can add any types of meat you want, my favourite is with pork belly.

The kimchi is made from cabbage so it may go easier with white wine or beer. It is also fermented with spicy red pepper so I would not go with red because tannins and alcohol might inflame pepper heat.

I gave it a try with 2011 Tavel from Ferraton Père et Fils. The Tavel is light, low in alcohol and tannins. The red fruits; strawberry and raspberry of the wine picked up the fruit of the red pepper. I also found a little sweetness to handle the heat. The spice of Grenache blended very well with the kimchi spice, gave more intense flavour but did not make the stew spicier. The elegance of the Tavel was still there, all the way. This is because it is a 5 years old Tavel so it has a solid structure. The combination of the kimchi and the Tavel gave great fruity, harmonious, and complex flavours. I was just blown away!