What wine is the best match for Chinese food?
It’s like looking for the best match for Western food. Nevertheless, here are four wines that will individually work wonders with the delicious cuisine that is plentiful during the Lunar New Year.
Sparkling wine is always a first choice for an all-purpose beverage and it has that celebratory image.
The Bottega Petalo Moscato Dolce ($15.49 on sale) is an ideal choice. It is a medium, sweet Spumante Italian bubbly produced from Muscat grapes grown between Verona and Venice.
I love its rose petal bouquet. No wonder there is a beautiful rose on the bottle and Petalo (petal) in the name! The floral character extends to its delicious flavour with hints of ginger and nectarine. Serve with dim sum, sweet and sour pork, or even the sponge cakes with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Another multi-purpose wine that works with most Asian dishes is Riesling. Like the Petalo, Rieslings that are off dry (slightly sweet) work best.
My favourite is the Dr. L (Loosen) 2015 Riesling ($16.99) from Germany’s famous Mosel Valley. It’s like a bowl of fresh fruit salad in your glass, brimming with apples, peaches, and lemons with a touch of sweetness held in check by the wine’s acidity.
I taught wine appreciation classes for several decades and the Dr. L was often the favourite wine, even with tasters who said they were not fond of Rieslings. But it works with so much Chinese food on several levels.
There is a great deal of refreshing acidity, which cleanses the palate, especially important when there are so many courses. And the fresh fruit flavours and the wine’s sweet and sour character harmonize with the sauces that often have fruit as an ingredient.
As you switch from lighter courses to heavier ones, the Murphy Goode 2014 Pinot Noir ($21.49) is a versatile Californian red. This is a rich style of Pinot Noir with a bouquet of ripe strawberries with sweet vanilla oak.
When you sip it, you will notice the different flavours in this complex wine: cranberries, strawberries, black cherries and a hint of cloves, beetroot and earthiness.
The Murphy Goode would be great with braised pork and chicken dishes, but especially Peking (Beijing) Duck with hoisin sauce.
The Chinese have a passion for the colour red and when it comes to wine, they go for Bordeaux with its high status in the wine world. An excellent alternative at an affordable price is the Columbia Crest Grand Estates 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.99 on sale) from Washington State.
The Grand is a big red with lots of flavour, ripeness, and concentration. I adored its generous cassis and blackberry bouquet and flavour, with hints of swiss milk chocolate. Opulent, smooth, and very drinkable. Indeed, the wine critics at Wine Spectator recently awarded it 91 points, an A+ rating.
It would make a wonderful partner with braised dishes of beef or lamb, especially with the umami-rich dried Chinese mushrooms.
Whether it’s for Chinese New Year or Valentines Day, any of today’s wine would be solid picks for adding a touch of class to your celebration.
Eric Hanson is a retired teacher and wine educator. Reach him at: [email protected]
