GalleryAsk a Sommelier: Which Wines Go Best With Chinese Food? A BYOB restaurant is a beautiful thing; it's also fun to get takeout and be able to open wine from your own collection or favorite wine shop. But if Chinese food is on the menu, which bottles should you pop? Depends on if you're eating Mapo tofu or Peking duck, dan dan noodles, dumplings, or delicate seafood preparations. We asked 14 sommeliers for their wine pairing advice. What's the most delicious wine to pair with Chinese food? Here's what they had to say.Gab with SE: Drinks on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. Keep in the loop with our weekly newsletter. The tastiest bites delivered to your inbox! Keep up with our latest recipes, tips, techniques and where to eat!(Image credit: Jayme Henderson) Despite the prevailing notion that spicy foods are difficult to pair with wine, I set the stage with some fiery Asian cuisine and decided to put the theory to the test. This quest was prompted by an annual project that happens at my house.

Over the summer, we dry, crush, and blend our garden's various chili peppers. The result is a potent and flavorful source of heat that I would usually quench with a good pilsner or a margarita, but rules must be broken. Recipe: Egg Noodles with Rich Chicken Curry Sauce (Khao Soi) (Image credit: Anjali Prasertong) I hit the wine store and selected wines that traditionally complement spicy foods. I chose fruit-forward, low alcohol wines, with low tannins and minimal oak, that are best served chilled. I invited over some friends and prepared a spread of spicy Asian-inspired dishes, serving them alongside our wine selections. 1. Riesling: This is considered the classic pairing with spicy food because of the varietal's intense fruit concentration and natural acidity, often complemented with sweetness. I chose two slightly sweet versions from Germany, where it is the country's most widely planted grape variety. 2. Chenin Blanc: I selected a slightly sweet or "demi-sec" style of this wine from France's Loire Valley.

Although Chenin Blanc often exhibits wild and funky aromatics, it is one of the few varietals often vinified sweet, while still maintaining great acidity. 3. Pinot Gris: I chose a Pinot Gris from Alsace, France because this style most commonly contains a little residual sugar, balanced by a lush, rich mouth-feel. Acidity and sugar are not the only components that can mediate heat. Viscosity in a wine can serve the same effect. 4. Moscato d'Asti: This sweet, low alcohol, lightly sparkling wine from the Piedmont region of northwest Italy is delicious on its own but often complements spicy fare. Resist easily taking a big gulp of this wine! At only five percent alcohol, this wine is supremely quaffable (if you can't beat the heat, drown it!). 5. Lambrusco - I chose this red wine because it is fresh, fruit-driven, and sparkling. I am not usually inclined to pair Asian cuisine with red wines, but this often overlooked gem from northern Italy demanded a try. Although this was not the favorite pairing, this wine was definitely the most talked about.

(Image credit: Jayme Henderson) After tasting these wines as a group, we agreed unanimously that the Dr. L Riesling was the standout pairing. Although the St. Urbans-Hof Riesling showed better fruit concentration, it was the balance of sweetness and acidity that set the Dr. L apart when pairing with spicy Asian cuisine.best indian wine name What other varietals have you paired with spicy cuisines? best light spanish wineHave you experimented with pairing other reds? best places to drink french wine in nycFor me personally, I find Mexican cuisine particularly challenging to pair with wine. Have you had success with a particular varietal or producer? More on Wine & Spicy Foods from The Kitchn 3 Rules for Pairing Wines with Spicy Foods

Wines for Hot and Spicy Foods Wine With Artichokes & Asparagus? Wine Pairings for 6 Difficult Foods Good Question: What Beers and Wines Pair With Stir-Fry?Can you pair wine with Thai food? Say you're eating spicy duck larb, a fresh green papaya salad with chilies, fish sauce, and lime juice, plus rich pad thai with shrimp, and a green curry with eggplant. Is there a wine that will taste good with all those dishes? We asked our crew of sommeliers for advice on picking a wine that will work. Here are their top wine choices for pairing with a Thai feast.Off-dry wines with acidity really cut the spice, and the 9% alcohol means you can chugalug!"—Patrick Cappiello (Pearl & Ash)A rich, savory Gruner like Brundlmayer 2008 'Lamm' would be perfect—the ripeness and richness to the fruit will stand up to the heat while the inherent savory character of Gruner won't compete with bold Thai flavors." "Riesling is great with Thai food, particularly wines with a bit of sweetness.

Although not all Riesling is sweet, when you eat something spicy and drink something with residual sugar, the sugar goes to the background and the fruit comes forward. At Kin Shop, we love to have people try it, especially if they don't like sweet wines, since it often changes their minds. Over the years, what I've found surprising is smooth, medium-full red wines are a great pairing for spicy dishes. We have a lovely merlot from Neyers that just is perfect with spicy meat dishes."—Alicia Nosenzo (Kin Shop, Perilla, The Marrow) "A lot of aromatic and bold flavors coming from this spread of Thai dishes! Pairing wine with multiple dishes, especially when the flavors are all over the places and the protein or the preparation are not too heavy, I would always go with wines that have higher acidity naturally. Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay (to certain extent), will be the go-to recommendations in most wine shops. In reality, though, not everyone is a fan of residual sugar in white wine.

Therefore, I tend to find myself recommending white wines made from grapes that have more fruitier characters but tend to be made in dry styles, i.e. Kerner (a Riesling & Trollinger cross), Sylvaner, and Scheurebe. If you are dedicated red-only drinkers, I will go with light to medium bodied red wine with ample acidity, and no new oak regimen preferred. Schiava from Alto Adige will work really well in this case, and basic Southern Italian reds that are made in stainless steel vessels or concrete; or Pinot Noir from a cool climate, such as Germany, Austria, or uptate New York." "With a variety of dishes on the table, you can either choose to have a great pairing with one thing (that doesn't necessarily work perfectly with every dish), or something that is a little safer and goes okay with everything. If you are going for the first game plan, I would choose a bright, tart wine to go with the papaya salad, perhaps white or rosé Txakoli from the Basque country in Spain or a fresh, low alcohol and low tannin red like Rossese from Liguria in Italy to go with the spicy duck laarb.

If I had to pick one wine for everything, it would be probably be an off-dry Riesling from Alsace or Germany or Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) with just a hint of sugar. If you are in the mood for red wine, you would want to avoid something with too much alcohol or oak."—Stacey Gibson (Olympic Provisions) "Look for wines styles that may share some similar flavors to the food to allow them to stand up to the bold flavors and distinct spices, such as white wines from Austria, Germany and Alsace. Varietals like Riesling, Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Blanc from these regions often carry vibrantly aromatic tropical fruit notes, are solidly structured and carry a distinct spiciness unto themselves. Be careful with light bodied, dry whites as well as red wines as they run the risk of creating an unsavory discord of flavors on the palate or getting lost to the food all together."—Colleen Hein (Eastern Standard) "Less expensive off-dry bubbly options like Bugey-Cérdon are refreshing and great foils for the spice.

Red wines get overlooked, but juicy red wines with soft (or no) tannins can be delicious with Thai food as well. Some that jump to mind: Beaujolais (I'm loving Jean Foillard's "Nouveau") American Grenache (Vallin Grenache, Tribute to Grace), and other light, aromatic red wines made from grapes such as Frappato, Gamay and Pineau d'Aunis. Poulsard and Trousseau are great, too. If you have not tried Arnot-Roberts' North Coast Trousseau, seek it out!" "As a society we are afraid of wines that aren't completely dry. We need to get over that. I'll blame white zin to some extent, but that craze is long gone. Thai food with Riesling or Chenin Blanc is just bulletproof. For the combination of foods above, I'd probably go with something on the earthy and spicy side of either of those varieties, so a Spätlese (frequently off-dry late-harvest style) Riesling from the Rheingau, maybe something from Robert Weil, or Demi-Sec (off-dry) Vouvray from a solid producer like Huet would be fantastic. Spice is mediated by a little sweetness, while Chenin and Riesling are both high-acid grapes, so they cut through the fat of the dishes."

—David Keck (Camerata at Paulie's) "I find Gewürztraminer to be my personal favorite. Especially those from Albert Boxler. His ability to balance acidity and sugar while providing exceptional tropical fruit flavors make this a slam dunk pairing."—Chris Nelson (Union Square Cafe) "Many sommeliers will recommend off-dry Riesling to pair with spicy dishes; while I think this can be a great pairing (especially with an off-dry Riesling from the Mosel in Germany or New York's Finger Lakes), Champagne comes in for the win yet again! Crisp, yeasty, and refreshingly carbonated, Champagne helps to clean-off your palate of oil, spice, and fat. It's also versatile enough to pair with meats like duck, lamb, and yet light enough to balance seafood really well. Look to a producer like R.H. Coutier from Ambonnay in Champagne for a rich, doughy Champagne that will work wonders with these dishes." "Any aromatic white, especially from Alsace (Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer or field blends that include all of them).

As an alternative, a dry rose from Provence would be a nice choice. I'd definitely avoid any strong tannic red wine."—Roberto Paris (il Buco and il Buco Alimentari) "With Thai or Indian or Szechuan or other highly seasoned, potentially spicy food, the key is low alcohol, low tannin if red, and a touch of sweetness if white, and in either case fruit-forward. Ultra-dry wine of any color fights with the sweet-sour-spicy-bitter factors in this kind of cooking; and those same dishes also magnify the alcoholic feel of any wine. Think Riesling or Chenin Blanc, but not rippingly dry versions of either."—Juliette Pope (Gramercy Tavern) "It may defy conventional wisdom, but I would pair Sauvignon Blanc with that meal. Not one that is too austere or mineral-driven, but one with more expressive fruit. Obviously, new world Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand, is bursting with ripe fruit and citrus: lime zest, grapefruit. But I have tasted a great deal of Sancerre and Loire Sauvignon Blanc lately that I think would pair wonderfully with a spicy Thai meal like this."

—Lara Creasy (King + Duke) "When pairing wine with Thai food, Riesling (or other highly aromatic, high acid white wines) is the obvious go-to, matching intensity and weight of a dish with intensity and weight of the wine. Generally, lower alcohol whites with a little sweetness and a strong backbone of acidity stand up to the heat and intensity of Thai dishes but I find drier whites pairing well with many Thai dishes as well. A rosé, Pinot noir, or Gamay noir can be fun as well, especially with a green curry and eggplant dish. Try Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Majoratsfullung Riesling Sekt Brut, Love & Squalor Willamette Valley Riesling, an Oregon Pinot noir, or a Cru Beaujolais."—Christopher Sky Westmoreland (Levant) "Go for off-dry wines made with Alsatian varieties like Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer. There are some really nice Alsatian varieties growing in California's Anderson Valley now, and of course, you can rarely go wrong with a bottle of bubbles."—Courtney Humiston (Dry Creek Kitchen)

"I can't talk about Thai food and wine without mentioning German riesling, and for multiple reasons: the lower alcohol calms the spice, the residual sweetness hits the sugary notes of tamarind, lime and coconut, and the clean mineral tones don't clash with fish sauce. Maximin Grünhäuser's 2010 Abtsberg Kabinett is a knockout pairing. Weingut Knoll from Austria makes a delicious Loibner Riesling Federspiel as well, if you're looking for a drier style. For Thai food in general, pick something low in alcohol with tropical fruit and herbal notes. Grüner Veltliner, Verdejo, and Sancerre always fit the bill." "If Riesling really isn't your thing try an array of whites from France's Loire Valley. Muscadet is a nice refreshing white from the eastern Loire Valley that is light on the palate with a nice touch of minerality. Further west in the Loire Valley you'll find Sancerre, here Sauvignon Blanc is king, from soft delicate white wines with hints of smoke, tropical fruit, and slate, too big boisterous white wines overflowing fragrances of honeysuckle."