Drops of God: Mariage Volumes 14-15

As I said when I reviewed Drops of God: Mariage volume 11, I’m enjoying this series more than the original because of its emphasis on food pairings and gourmet dishes. After one big contest storyline wrapped up, a new one began, this time involving finding wines to match with the Four Major Chinese Cuisines. The story has been going for a few books, but these two are the latest volumes. (Volume 16 is due out the first of December; this is a Kodansha digital-only release.) Drops of God: Mariage Volume 14 begins with Shizuku (the son of a world-famous wine critic) feeling prepared for two of the four choices. He’s found a wine for Peking duck and dumplings from Shanghai. Next up: spicy mapo tofu. They start by analyzing what makes a great version of the dish. Shizuku, his chef friend, and his tutors are introduced to a chef who was the best of the best… but he’s now retired. After his wife, a skilled sommelier, passed away, he nearly worked himself to death, resulting in him going blind. (This series is big on food symbolism and melodrama.) He no longer cooks, but he inspires the team through his history. They are determined to rediscover the wine his wife paired with his food. Lesso...