Each category is arranged by "body"; the lightest wines are at the top, the fullest at the bottom.

SPARKLING
The wines here are mainly bottle-fermented wines from France featuring small growers. The champagne by the glass is usually a Blancs de Blanc. Often there's a Sekt (sparkling German riesling) and a sparkling Vouvray. All of these wines have a small amount of sweetness that makes them perfect with most Vietnamese dishes.

HERBAL
This category contains non-floral wines that are dry, and generally crisp. There is always a good selection of grüner veltliner the most widely planted grape in Austria; it has snap pea and citrus flavors; sauvignon blanc from the Loire and Alsatian pinot blanc are often featured.

FLORAL/DRY
Generally a good place to find Austrian Rieslings (drier and fuller than Germans), muscat, gewürztraminer, as well as other weird and wonderful wines that are aromatic.

MINERALLY, FLORAL WINES FROM GERMANY
The home of German rieslings: the true core of the list. The wines are very low in alcohol (around 8%), high in acidity, with residual sugar for balance. German rieslings vary widely in style depending on the producer and region of origin. They are the world's greatest white wines. We highly recommend them.

RICH WHITES
This category comprises wines from the Rhône (made from marsanne and/or roussanne), as well as Alsatian pinot gris and Vouvray demi-sec. Many of the wines here have a richer, more velvety taste owing to lower acidity levels (though this is not the case with chenin blanc from the Loire).

CHARDONNAY
The home of white burgundy, which is often aged for several years before going onto the list. These are crisp, dry wines with a fairly wide appeal and limited menu pairing application. There are usually no New World chardonnays because of their high alcohol, flabby structure and an overpowering oak character which is bitter when paired with Vietnamese food.

ROSÉ (SEASONAL AVAILABILITY)
Sometimes dry, sometimes not. Refreshing and served young (no old vintages).

SPICY REDS
A category with low-tannin reds that can work with a pretty large number of dishes (except the sweetest and spiciest). There's always cabernet franc from the Loire. Supple northern Italian reds. Cru Beaujolais. Softer northern Rhône syrah.

PINOT NOIR
Burgundy, German spätburgunder, and oregon pinot noir constitute 90% of this category. Complex, moderate in alcohol, lowish in tannin the wines work well with the subtle, non-spicy dishes best.

BIG REDS
Bigger, yes, but not the home of 'Monstah' wine. A great place to find grenache-based wines from the southern Rhônes, richer syrahs from the northern Rhône, and even the occasional wine from Bordeaux. Avoid these wines like the plague with spicy dishes.

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