Visit the Market food hall Brunch on Greenville Ave. Best in DFW: Japanese 7 iconic Dallas dishesHome » From the Experts: Pairing California Wines with Chinese Cuisine From the Experts: Pairing California Wines with Chinese Cuisine On Thursday, September 27, Asia Society Northern California will host a panel discussion about the challenges and best practices of exporting California wines to China. Our speakers have decades of experience in the wine industry – from grape to bottle and beyond. Western wine drinkers and non-wine drinkers alike are likely to be familiar with basic pairings of food and wine: reds go with red meat, whites go with light meats. But the question of which California wines pair well with Chinese food is a relatively new one. We asked our panelists to weigh in: From Jay Behmke, Managing Director of Yao Family Wines: Any dish with beef or duck would be a natural pairing with Yao Family Wines. From Mark Bright, Partner and Sommelier, Saison:

When choosing a wine to pair with spicy Chinese food, such as Sichuan or Hunan, selecting a wine with lower alcohol content is very important. For non-spicy foods, I love Chardonnays and Burgundies with dumplings…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! From Jack Duan, Founder and CEO of Gliding Eagle: Pair Sichuan spicy dishes with California Syrah (it’s bolder and fruity in taste).  Some prefer Riesling or Gewurztraminer (for their sweeter and fruity palate). Match Cantonese lighter dishes with Sauvignon Blanc (crisp and refreshing). From David Duckhorn, President of Via Pacifica Selections: Cantonese dishes tend to be more delicate and go well with the brighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Beijing cuisine has more sauce, but is not as spicy, so pair well with un-oaked Chardonnay and Merlot. Shanghainese food is also saucier, and goes well with Cabernet Sauvignon. Sichuan food is hot; pair with rounded, fatter wines, like full-bodied Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and/or Zinfandel (but not high alcohol ones).

From Tempe Reichardt, Founder and CEO of The California Place: Keep in mind that Chinese food is usually served “banquet style” with several courses served at the same time.  top 10 wine brands in franceIn order to pair the right wines with the food, a consumer would have to have several varieties and styles of wine open at the same time.  best wine estates to visitMany styles of Chinese cuisine are spicy presenting additional challenges to pairing the food with wine. good quality wine brands in indiaMy advice is to drink what tastes best to the individual.  dry red wines in orderAs the Chinese wine market matures the Chinese wine consumer will learn what appeals to the him/her the most with specific dishes.  top us wine competitions

And hey, are there actually any “rules” about these things?  Wine is for pleasure, so I feel the best advice is to just enjoy it! From Loren(zo) Trefethen of Trefethen Family Vineyards:best wine tour champagne Two of my favorite pairings are Peking Duck with Napa Merlot or Trefethen Dragon's Tooth, and Spicy Hunan or Sichuan cuisine with Dry Riesling.dry white wine photo Join us on Thursday, September 27 to hear more from our panelists about their own experiences exporting California wines to China. wine as a gift australiaThis program will feature a wine reception with selections from the speakers' cellars. names of wine available in indiaFor more information, click here.

Fancy Cantonese is fabulous for special occasions, but most of us get our Chinese food fix from a takeout box in front of the TV. For those mu shu nights and broccoli beef weekends, we’ve compiled a list of affordable wines that pair beautifully with the broad range of sweet, savory and spicy flavors in Chinese food. In general, stick to fruity wines that have soft tannins and mild to moderate body. Think pinot noir and barbera for reds, and white wines with just a touch of sweetness, such as riesling and Gewürztraminer. Cupcake Vineyards Dry Rosé (Provence, France): This Southern French rosé has gorgeous bursts of strawberries, rose petals and wild lavender. I’d rock this bright wine with anything from dim sum to wonton soup. Pillar Box White Table Wine (Padthaway, Australia): This refreshing blend of sauvignon blanc, verdelho and chardonnay has a bouquet of lime and fresh herbs and lots of tropical fruit flavors. Try it with mu shu chicken. Dr. Loosen Riesling Dr. L (Mosel, Germany): Consistently fruity with just the right touch of sweetness, this white wine is a Chinese food crowd pleaser with any dish containing Sichuan peppers, such as spicy prawns.

Araldica Barbera d’Asti Alberta (Piedmont, Italy): This dry red wine has the complexity and dark red fruit flavors needed to match most brown-sauced beef or pork stir-fries. Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir (California): This pinot noir with soft tannins, complex fruit flavors and a savory texture would pair really well with crispy duck. They say what grows together goes together, and when it comes to wine pairings, this seems to be a safe guideline for French, Italian and Spanish cuisines, however, in the New World the rules are a little bit different and by different we mean -almost- anything goes. While China’s wine production is increasingly becoming more refined and the options are there for the taking, it might still be a while before your friendly neighbourhood Chinese restaurant has a made in China bottle on its wine list. And -with the exception of daring flavour seekers and hardcore wine geeks- it will probably take even longer before you get home with a few portions of fried rice and a Shanxi Bordeaux-style blend.

So, what to pair Chinese food with? Allow me to borrow a bit of Chinese wisdom before getting technical: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same”, the proverb goes. Said that, let’s get some gear to make the climb easier, no matter which route you decide to take: Said that, wines that are high in tannins are generally a don’t (so Cabernet will stay in the cabinet) and those with a remarkable acidity and subtle fruit are also to be avoided (Sauv Blanc we’re looking at you). Very high levels of alcohol will feel overwhelming and overpowering (so keep that big bold Aussie Shiraz on the bench). So now that we discussed what NOT to do, here are a few wines and beer styles that work… The delicate yet intense flavours in Rieslings will stand their ground in front of the acidity-enhancing effect of a syrupy sweet ‘n’ sour sauce and its non-intrusive taste will not overpower delicate shrimp of chicken dishes. 12.5% ABV – €19.45

Available at O’Brien Wines Floral and delicate, apple blossom and stone fruit make the main character of this elegant, classic Alsatian Riesling. Ideal with: Spicy chicken dishes, Dim Sum, Moo Shu shrimp, Shrimp salad and sweet chili. Famous for its low acidity, full body and generosity of fruity and floral characters, Gewurztraminer wines seem to exist to prove that no meal is un-pairable. 12.5% ABV – €12.95 (on offer from €14.95) Typical aromas of litchi and rose abound in a glass of this beautiful German Gewurz, also complemented by flavours of peach, pineapple and a plump, full body. Ideal with: Seafood and ginger based dishes, Chop Suey, Pekin Duck, sweet and sour pork. When in doubt, Prosecco it. Now seriously, the Italian sparkling per excellence is low alcohol and tends to have that touch of sweetness that helps it face the heat. The bubbles also give a nice refreshing touch and act as a palate cleanser in between bites so an off-dry Prosecco will be a good friend for your take-away adventures.

11% ABV  – €22 Available at Marks & Spencer A remarkably elegant Prosecco, made from old vines located in the privileged region o Ogliano. White peach and a apple blossom aromas with a mild citrus background as well as a small bit of residual sugar make it versatile and seriously easy to drink. Ideal with: Dim Sum, spring rolls, seafood dumplings. When a white wine might seem too subtle but a red would be too much, it’s rosé’s time to shine, and this is a common occurrence when serving Chinese foods. 13% ABV –  €11.99 Available at the Celtic Whiskey Shop Malbec it’s not only about strongly pigmented fruity and tantastic reds, it can be tamed into a raspberry coloured rosé, just like this Uco Valley beauty, with flavours of cranberry and grenadine. Ideal with: BBQ ribs, Moo Shu pork, lo mein with pork and chicken, egg fried rice with shrimp. This aromatic white traditionally from the Rias Baixas region in Spain has a moderate acidity so it’s a tricky one to pull off when it comes to Chinese food, but it’s richness of flavour, freshness and minerality make it a good choice for seafood based meals moderately seasoned.

12.5% ABV –  €16.80 (on offer from €18.45) Available at the Wines Direct A textbook Albariño with a very refreshing and lemony character and a beach-evoking minerality, it’s crisp but not as acidic as other Rias Baixas whites. Ideal with: Kung Pao Chicken, shrimp stir-fry, Szechuan prawns, clam sycee. A refreshing cold lager is one of the safest choices when it comes to Chinese food and drinks pairing, but when the comfort zone is so nice and cosy, why not embrace it? Lagers are mild flavoured so they will give the spoligt to your dish, although the lively carbonated feeling will help to cut through the richness of the food and make the experience more enjoyable. 4.7% ABV –  €1.95 (330 ml bottle) Available at Molloy’s Liquor Stores A Chinese beer made in a global style, this is a classic American style lager, not very complex, but fresh and well balanced. A Thirst-quencher to grab when the spicyness is just too much for wine to handle.

Ideal with: Sichuan hotpot, spicy noodles, Gan guo, Er kuai spicy chicken, tofu based dishes. A richer, fruitier and fuller bodied beer that will add more to your palate than a lager. Wheat beers or weisse beers, are usually low in alcohol and have a mild acidity and a creamy texture, so they tend to interact very well with hot spices and rich dishes. O’Hara’s Curim Gold Celtic Wheat Beer 4.3% ABV –  €3.49 (500 ml bottle) Available at Baggott Sreet Wines An wheat beer created with the Irish palate in mind, it’s not as intense as its German cousins nor as sharp as some American examples, it’s a “goldilocks” beer, beautifully balanced. Fruity, with orange, peaches and a drop of honey on the palate. Ideal with: Dan dan noodles, chicken with cashews, Pekin duck, sweet and sour pork. The toasted maltiness of a red ale and its moderate alcohol and low acidity make it another interesting alternative to go with Chinese food. Just mind that this beer tends to have a strong flavour so steamed veggies, delicated seafood dishes and the like will not be ideal.