Page Two of Beyond Beer: The Best Wines to Accompany Chinese Food

More Good Options

There are several other fine choices. Albariño is the floral, citrusy, sometimes minerally, usually dry white wine that the Spanish drink with all fish and seafood; you might try it with the same. Sauvignon Blanc has herbal elements that pair well with ginger and distinctive herbs like cilantro, aka Chinese parsley. Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s dry, high-acid white wine, can also be herbal, slightly vegetal, spicy or fruity, with mineral undertones. It’s appropriate with vegetable or shellfish dishes. Off-dry (slightly sweet) Chenin Blancs match well with moderately spicy Chinese food. Pinot Bianco is the Italian version of Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Grigio is the lighter Italian version of Pinot Gris. White Burgundies are elegant and complement elegant dishes. And then there’s Viognier, which The Wall Street Journal describes well: “At its best, Viognier can have the cleanliness of Riesling, the juiciness of Sauvignon Blanc and the orange-blossom charm of Muscat. It tends to taste of peaches, apricots and mango, and sometimes has a bit of weight.”

Rosé is another food friendly wine that takes to Chinese food. Jeff Morgan, author of Rosé and co-owner of SoloRosa, a rosé-only winery, writes, “Rosé is blessed with a fruit-driven, bright-edged core that blends well with the fiery, ripe fruit found in chiles. Refreshingly chilled, dry, pink wine also cools down the palate.” He recommends it with many dishes, but especially with Szechuan cuisine. If you are a red-wine lover, I recommend Pinot Noir with Chinese duck and meat dishes. Some enjoy Beaujolais, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Côtes-du-Rhône, Shiraz and Syrah, Burgundy, inexpensive red Bordeaux and Barbera.

I invite you to experiment, if you haven’t already, and to seek the guidance available at a good wine shop. Chances are, you’ll find many pairings that appeal to you. And if not, remember, there’s always Tsing Tao.

Wines paired with regions

Cantonese (some sweetness, not very spicy, sweet-and-sour, fermented black beans, soy sauce, salty): sparkling, Pinot Blanc (seafood), Riesling (seafood), Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer (roasted meats and poultry), rosé

Szechuan (spicy, hot-and-sour sauces, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic): sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Moscato d’Asti, rosé, Beaujolais

Hunan (similar to Szechuan): sparkling, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Beaujolais

Shanghai (slightly sweet): Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer

Some food and wine combinations to try:

spring rolls and egg rolls: sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, rosé

salt-and-pepper shrimp, salt-and-pepper squid: sparkling wine

barbecued spare ribs: sparkling wine, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albariño, rosé

noodles with sesame sauce: Gewürztraminer

soup dumplings: sparkling wine

dim sum: sparkling wine, Riesling

deep-fried dishes: sparkling wine

Singapore-style noodles: Sauvignon blanc, rosé

shellfish dishes: sparkling wine, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Albariño

hot pepper prawns: sparkling wine, Viognier

lobster Cantonese: white Burgundy

lobster with ginger and scallion sauce: white Burgundy

chicken with cashew nuts: Gewürztraminer

stir-fry chicken and vegetables: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer

kung pao chicken: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albariño

General Tso’s chicken: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, rosé

vegetable lo mein: Sauvignon Blanc

minced squab with hoisin: Zinfandel

sesame chicken: Pinot Grigio, Riesling

moo shu chicken: sparkling wine, Pinot Noir

chicken chow mein: sparkling wine

Peking duck: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir

tea-smoked duck: Pinot Noir

roast duck: Pinot Noir

sweet and sour pork: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, rosé

moo shu pork: Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, rosé

twice-cooked pork: sparkling wine, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Pinot Noir

Chinese beef dish at tasting: Pinot Gris

orange-flavor beef: Riesling

Producers to rely on

Sparkling wines: Lucien Albrecht, Astoria, Domaine Chandon, Freixenet, Hill of Content (red), Joseph (red), Albert Mann, Marquis de la Tour, Mionetto, François Montand, René Muré, Nino Franco, Saint-Hilaire, Segura Viudas, Pierre Sparr, Veuve du Vernay, Willm, Yarden, Zardetto

Champagne: Chartogne-Taillet, Gaston Chiquet, René Geoffroy, Mark Hebrant, Krug, Jean Lallement, Dom Pérignon, Laurent-Perrier, Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot

Alsace wines: Lucien Albrecht, Paul Blanck, Léon Boesch, Albert Boxler, Marcel Deiss, Hugel, Josmeyer, Marc Kreydenweiss, Kuentz-Bas, Albert Mann, René Muré, Ostertag, Stoeffler, Schofitt, Trimbach, Weinbach, Zind-Humbrecht

German Rieslings: Georg Breuer, J.J. Christoffel, Darting, Dönnhoff, J.u.H.A. Strub, Kerpen, Meulenhof, Monchhof (Robert Eymael), J.J. Prüm, Schaefer, Selbach-Oster, Two Princes, St.-Urbans-Hof, Von Schubert, Robert Weil, Zilliken

Other Rieslings: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Covey Run, Eroica, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Heron Hill, Hogue, McWilliams, Navarro, Pikes, Salmon Run, Swedish Hill, Hermann Weimer

Return to Page One of Beyond Beer: The Best Wines to Accompany Chinese Food<<

---

Award-winning author and certified sommelier Sharon Kapnick has written about food and wine for many magazines, including Time, Food & Wine and Hemispheres, and many newspapers, thanks to the New York Times Syndicate. She contributed several entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America.