Sushi and wine: Unagi nigiri

The wine: Gewürztraminer

Pairing hint: An exotic match, with the spiciness of the wine matching the spicy sauce on the sushi and setting off the earthiness of the eel; the ginger closes the loop on the wine’s aromatics.

Our pick: Thomas Fogarty 2008 Gewürztraminer (Monterey County; $14). Tropical night in a bottle, from Asian pear and guava to pineapple and piquant jasmine.